Any licensed nurse whether an RN or an LVN can be or may be subjected to a disciplinary proceeding before the Texas Board of Nursing. Whenever an LVN or RN finds herself in a situation that endangers his/her license and career, he/she will need to find the best nurse attorney in the country. This is important, as it will be the only chance to protect a nursing license. Otherwise, the Texas Board of Nursing may discipline an RN/LVN if ever found guilty of any violation.
At the time of the care at issue, an RN was employed as an Acute Care Adult Nurse Practitioner at a hospital in Friendswood, Texas, and had been in that position for six (6) months.
On or about May 21, 2020, through December 8, 2020, while employed as an Acute Care Adult Nurse Practitioner, the RN prescribed Armor Thyroid to a patient, who had normal thyroid levels and documented a diagnosis of sick-euthyroid syndrome. Additionally, the RN failed to document the discontinuation of the two thyroid medications that had been previously prescribed by a different practice/provider. The RN’s conduct resulted in an incomplete and inaccurate medical record and exposed the patient to a potential risk of harm from the adverse effects of unnecessary hormone dosing. The patient did not report any adverse effects.
In response to the incident, the RN states that the patient’s previous thyroid medications were discontinued, and replaced with Armor Thyroid 120mg. The RN states that the patient was explicitly told that she did not have hypogonadism or hypothyroidism, but the thyroid hormone could be used in an off-label manner in an effort to relieve symptoms of thyroid ho one deficiency. The RN states that the patient was monitored with extensive laboratory tests and frequent visits at which time the patient was questioned specifically about any potential hypermetabolic symptoms in response to the thyroid treatment. The RN adds that the patient signed all consent forms and was educated on all treatments received, was happy with her care, and did not report any concerns.
Therefore, as a result, the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) then decided to subject the RN and his license to disciplinary actions and further sanctions may apply if the Board may see fit for the violations the LVN committed. Charges may also be filed against the LVN due to falsifying documents. Such a case could be resolved if he should have contacted a nurse attorney in order to receive assistance regarding the case.
For more details or for a confidential consultation regarding accusations, it’s best to contact an experienced nurse attorney. Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is an experienced nurse attorney which helped RNs and LVNs defend against several cases since 2006. You can call him at (832) 428-5679 to get started or to inquire for more information regarding nursing license case defenses.