A nurse attorney should be hired at all times whenever you undergo a case whether a civil or a criminal case, that may affect your RN license. This is what an RN from Texas should have done when facing a criminal case that is affecting her license and work. Take note that the Texas Board of Nursing can settle matters with a nurse attorney if one is present with the respondent during a case.
At the time of the incident, an RN was employed as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in Victoria, Texas, and had been in that position for five (5) years and five (5) months.
On or about July 10, 2019, while employed as a Registered Nurse, the RN failed to timely notify the physician when a patient had repeated prolonged decelerations in the fetal heart rate throughout labor and pushed for approximately three (3) hours. Subsequently, the patient had an urgent cesarean delivery and the infant had an initial Apgar score of zero (0) out of ten (10) and required resuscitation. The RN’s conduct exposed both patients to a risk of harm from potentially adverse complications of untreated changes in fetal heart tone.
In response, the RN states that the patient’s vital signs were stable and the strip was category Il. The RN states that during the report she was informed that the patient had had a deceleration during the night shift. The RN states that later, the patient had another deceleration. She also states that she went to the patient room and readjusted the patient to a different side, and the fetal heart tone recovered. She called and left a message for the physician to notify him and give an update. The RN states that a physician was in the nurse’s station, and she pulled up the patient’s strips for the physician to review. The RN states that she informed the physician that the patient was intact, having variable decelerations off and on, and did have a prolonged deceleration that improved with position change. The RN states that she went to the patient’s room to change position again with a peanut ball and the patient turned to the left-handed side and noted patient had a deceleration. The RN states that while removing the peanut ball and changing the patient’s position the physician came into the room to assess the patient and situation. The RN reports that the physician performed a vaginal exam and artificial rupture of membranes (AROM), states that no fluid was noted, and order for Pitocin was received. The RN states that after checking on her other patients, she entered the patient’s room to change position, administer oxygen, and give a fluid bolus. The RN states that she called the physician to inform him that the patient still had a category Il strip, but fetal heart tones were flatter than before and she would be unable to start the Pitocin. The RN states that physician came to the room and requested the patient to push. The RN states that during pushing the monitor had to be held to help trace the fetal heart tones. The RN states that the patient had a category Il strip throughout, without fluids coming out. The RN states that the physician attempted vacuum delivery, with the vacuum controlled by the physician. The RN states that the physician called for a cesarean section, the fetal heart tones were down when going back, and the cesarean section was urgent, but the physician did not call stat. Respondent states that on arrival the fetal heart tones were one hundred and twenty (120) per Doppler. The RN states that she cared for the patient until she transferred, along with the baby.
The Texas Board of Nursing has jurisdiction over all cases that may affect the license and career of an RN or LVN. Therefore, based on the findings of the Board, the RN received disciplinary action to ensure further safety and accurate documentation as she works in the future. She should hire a nurse attorney for instances such as this.
For more details and to schedule a confidential consultation, you must approach one of the most experienced nurse attorneys in Texas, Nurse Attorney Yong J. An. He has assisted numerous nursing license cases since 2006. You may contact him by dialing (832) 428-567 if you wish to learn more information should you undergo accusations or any other case that may affect your license.