All LVN or RN is under the jurisdiction of the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). All complaints or cases concerning the practice of their license are lodged before the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). Thereafter, the members of the Board will hear the case and decide on the issues or matters submitted for resolution. The parties charged are given opportunity to be heard with the help of a nurse attorney. This is part of their right to due process.
At the time of the initial incident, an RN was employed as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in Socorro, Texas, and had been in that position for seven (7) months.
On or about September 12, 2020, while employed as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at a hospital in Carrollton, Texas, the RN failed to assess and change the diaper of infant Patient throughout her shift. The oncoming shift nurse discovered the patient in an over-saturated diaper with a weight of 125 grams, indicating that the diaper had not been changed for hours. Additionally, the RN falsely documented diaper weights in the patient’s medical record. Further, the patient was discovered at shift change on a urine-saturated phototherapy blanket with old blood stains. The RN’s conduct created an inaccurate medical record and unnecessarily exposed the infant patient to an increased risk of skin breakdown.
On or about November 8, 2020, while employed as a Registered Nurse,the RN scanned another patient’s box of BioGaia drops and administered them to infant Patient. The RN’s conduct was likely to defraud the other patient of the cost of the medication.
On or about November 17, 2020, while employed as a Registered Nurse, the RN inaccurately documented that she administered Morphine to a patient at 1530 in that she did not remove the Morphine from the medication dispensing system (Pyxis) until 1611. The RN’s conduct created an inaccurate medical record and placed the hospital in violation of Chapter 481 (Controlled Substances Act) of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
On or about January 8, 2021, while employed as a Registered Nurse, the RN failed to decrease the IV rate to 6ml/hr and wean by 1.5ml/hr with every feed increase for infant Patient, as ordered by the provider. Instead, the RN charted that the IV rate remained at 7ml/hr for the duration of her shift. The RN later altered her documentation after speaking to the provider and discovering her error. The RN’s conduct created an inaccurate medical record and was likely to injure the infant patient in that failing to administer medications as ordered by the physician could result in the patient suffering from adverse reactions.
On or about January 13, 2021, while employed as a Registered Nurse, the RN failed to complete her documentation for infant Patient prior to leaving her shift at 1945. The RN returned to the facility at 0700 the following day and completed her documentation by adding Finnegan Scores and a missing assessment. The RN’s conduct created an incomplete medical record and was likely to injure the infant patient in that the night shift did not have complete information on to base their care decisions.
In response to the incidents, regarding the infant patient, the RN claims she did assess and change the patient’s diaper. And regarding the second Patient on November 8, 2020, the RN admits she scanned a box of drops that was on her table for another patient. The RN adds that she was in a hurry to finish her rounding and continue with her other tasks. Then, regarding the Patient on November 17, 2020, the RN claims the entry was a typo and she meant to chart 1630 instead of 1530. Regarding the Patient on January 8, 2021, the RN states the patient’s rate remained at 7ml/hr due to the patient not having yet reached his volume for feeds to lower the IV rate as ordered by the provider. The RN states she was concerned that the IV had infiltrated so she called the provider and asked if they could lower the IV rate more or possibly discontinue it. The RN states the provider told her to look at the orders again because it has directions on what to do about the IV. The RN states when she looked at and acknowledged the order, she did not see anything in regards to what to do for the IV rate change which included feedings. The RN states after her conversation with the provider, she went ahead and lowered the IV rate and went back into the computer to correct what she had already charted because the provider made a verbal order. Regarding the Patient on January 13, 2021, the RN states she was notified late that night about her missing documentation so she returned at 0700 the following day to complete her documentation.
As a result, her RN license was disciplined and suspended by the Texas BON. She did not have an experienced nurse attorney to fully defend her case led to this decision by the Texas BON.
Do you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process? Contact The Law Office of nurse attorney Yong J. An for a confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 and ask for nurse attorney Yong J. An.