In the field of nursing, timely communication and intervention are crucial aspects of patient care, ensuring that any critical developments or changes in a patient’s condition are promptly addressed. Nurses bear the responsibility of not only executing medical orders but also advocating for their patients’ well-being and safety. However, there are unfortunate instances when deviations from these vital standards occur, raising grave concerns about patient health and the nurse’s professional conduct. In situations like these, nurses facing allegations or legal concerns related to communication, intervention, and patient advocacy can greatly benefit from the support and expertise of a nurse attorney. They play a pivotal role in conducting a thorough evaluation of the situation, which may encompass an extensive review of medical records, laboratory results, and patient history, in addition to understanding the specific circumstances surrounding the nurse’s actions or omissions.
At the time of the incident, she was employed as an RN at a rehabilitation facility in Houston, Texas, and had been in that position for approximately three (3) months.
On or about July 31, 2021, while employed as an RN at a rehabilitation facility in Houston, Texas, and providing care for a patient, RN was accused of the following:
- RN failed to appropriately notify her supervisor, and/or the provider, when the provider ordered NOW intravenous (IV) infusion of one (1) liter Normal Saline (NS) had not been administered three hours later. For three days the patient had experienced dehydration, worsening abdominal pain, worsening cough, and adventitious respiratory sounds with chronic, ongoing diarrhea. RN’s conduct may have injured the patient from lack of medication intervention for dehydration.
- RN failed to appropriately intervene and rescue the patient, for critical laboratory results of White Blood Count (WBC) 46.3 and Potassium (K) 5.5. Instead, RN received an order for 125mg Vancomycin to be administered by mouth four times daily, without advocating the patient be emergently transferred to the hospital for a higher level of care. Further, RN failed to notify the family of the critical lab results. Subsequently, the patient was sent to the local emergency department that night and died August 1, 2021. RN’s conduct likely injured the patient from lack of timely medical interventions for critical laboratory results.
In response, RN reports the number of acute care patients she was assigned exceeded the recommended patient load, and she reported to her management during the beginning of the shift that the patient load was too heavy. RN reports after 2:00 PM her attention shifted to another patient assigned to her who was unresponsive, and this patient was transported to a higher level of care by Emergency Management Services (EMS) around 6:30 PM.
The above actions constitute grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with Section 301.452(b)(10)&(13) Texas Occupations Code, and is a violation of 22 TEX ADMIN. CODE §217.11(1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(D),(1)(M),(1)(P),(1)(U))&(3)(A) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12 (1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(D),(1)(F),(2)&(4).
Unfortunately, the Texas Board of Nursing found her guilty of her deeds. Her RN license was subjected to disciplinary action. She did not hire a skilled Texas nurse attorney to fully defend her 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 500 nurse cases for RNs and LVNs for the past 17 years.