Any type of accusation can be defended, as long as there is a skilled nurse attorney ready to assist you during the hearing before the Board of Nursing. The Texas Board of Nursing has full jurisdiction regarding cases that may affect an RN or LVN’s license from suspension, disciplinary action or revocation.
At the time of the initial incident, an RN was employed as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in McAllen, Texas, and had been in that position for nine (9) years and seven (7) months.
On or about February 22, 2019, while employed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and assigned to two (2) maternity patients who required fetal monitoring, the RN lacked the fitness to practice nursing in that she was found sleeping in the hallway outside of her patients’ room. The RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient in that it adversely affected the ability to recognize subtle signs, symptoms, or changes in the patient’s conditions, and could have affected her ability to make rational, accurate, and appropriate assessments, judgments, and decisions regarding patient care, thereby placing the patient in potential danger.
On or about February 22, 2019, while employed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and assigned to two (2) maternity patients who required fetal monitoring, the RN engaged in the intemperate and/or unlawful use of cocaine in that she produced a specimen for a for-cause drug screen that resulted positive for cocaine. The use of cocaine by an RN, while subject to call or duty could impair the RN’s ability to recognize subtle signs, symptoms, or changes in a patient’s condition, and could impair the nurse’s ability to make rational, accurate, and appropriate assessments, judgments, and decisions regarding patient care, thereby placing a patient in potential danger.
In response, the RN states her physician prescribed her Lexapro, which she explains provided incomplete relief and the physician had to adjust the dosage several times. Each time the dosage was adjusted, the RN states the side effects would increase but eventually level out. The RN admits on February 22, 2019, she attended a party with several friends and against her better judgment, she tried cocaine. The RN states a few days later, she reported for her shift at UTMB, noting her Lexapro dosage had recently been changed, making her feel very fatigued. The RN states she does remember unintentionally falling asleep for a brief period while on duty. The RN states she consented to a drug screen, which tested positive for cocaine.
Because of this incident, the Texas Board of Nursing then subjected the RN’s license to disciplinary action.
The accusation would have been defended by an experienced and skilled nurse attorney, had the RN hired one. Hiring a nurse attorney for defense is applicable for any kind of accusation laid against an RN or LVN.
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.