Every administered medication of patients should be accurately and completely documented. Also, it is very important that all medications should be administered to the patients correctly. But, if an RN made a mistake in administering the medication and failed to document the administration of the medication, he/she will be facing disciplinary action from the Board. If this happens, an RN should seek help from a nurse attorney.
At the time of the initial incident, he was employed as an RN at a hospital in Arlington, Texas, and had been in that position for eleven (11) months.
On or about January 18, 2020, while employed as an RN in the Emergency Department (ED) of a hospital in Arlington, Texas, RN failed to document his discussions with the patient’s treating physician(s) and interventions regarding the elevated blood pressure of Patient A. On or about March 19, 2020, RN failed to utilize two patient identifiers and/or scan the medication at the bedside prior to administering medication to Patient B. As a result, RN administered another patient’s Heparin to Patient B in error. On or about April 12, 2020, RN failed to timely initiate a Heparin drip for Patient C as ordered by the physician, resulting in a delay of the medication. Finally, on or about April 16, 2020, RN inappropriately edited blood pressure readings on the ED Trauma Flowsheet for Patient D after discovering he had charted another patient’s blood pressure readings on the chart.
In response, RN states regarding Patient A, that he notified the physicians of the elevation of blood pressure but admits he did not adequately document the discussions. Regarding Patient B, RN states on this day, he had two male patients in adjacent rooms that were roughly the same age. RN states as he was preparing the Heparin for his other patient, the physician came to the desk and interrupted him. RN states that due to the interruption, he made an error, and administered the medication to the patient being discussed, who was in CT, without utilizing two patient identifiers and/or scanning the medication at the bedside. RN states he realized his error as the heparin was being administered and he stopped the medication and appropriately notified the physician, pharmacist, and his supervisor. A reversal medication was administered. Regarding Patient C, RN states there was an order for a Heparin bolus and Heparin drip, and he acknowledged both orders. RN states he pulled the bolus from the pyxis, but he thought that the Heparin drip came from the pharmacy, so he gave the bolus and kept checking for the drip delivery. RN notified the physician and a new order for the Heparin drip was placed approximately two hours after the original. Drip was given to the ordering physician as the patient and physician left for the cath lab. Regarding Patient D, RN states he confused two charts and accidently charted the wrong vital signs on a hand-written vital sign section of the Trauma Flowsheet that remained in the ED, after the patient was transferred. The copy of the flow sheet that was sent with the patient to the floor contained the correct vital signs. RN intended to correct the incorrect vitals on the ED copy.
The above actions constitute grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with Section 301.452(b)(13), Texas Occupations Code, and is a violation of 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.11(1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(C),(1)(D)&(1)(M).
Unfortunately, the Texas Board of Nursing found him guilty of his deeds. His RN license was subjected to disciplinary action. He did not hire a skilled Texas BON attorney to fully defend his case which led to this decision by the Texas Board of Nursing.
Do you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process? Contact The Law Office of Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An for a confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is an experienced nurse attorney who represented more than 300 nurse cases for RNs and LVNs for the past 16 years.