The nurse-patient relationship has a boundary that needs to be followed for the sake of both sides. Sometimes a nurse or the patient can’t avoid indulging in the good relationship they have. But nurses should always remember that boundaries are set for a purpose. If an RN or an LVN is caught violating the boundary; the Board could put her/him in disciplinary action. Such a case can be handled by a nurse attorney. A nurse license attorney could be the solution to your problem.
At the time of the initial incident, she was employed as an RN with a hospice care provider in Arlington, Texas, and had been in that position for three (3) years and five (5) months.
On or about January 1, 2020 through May 15, 2020, after her patient, Patient A expired and RN was no longer employed with a hospice care provider in Arlington, Texas, RN violated professional boundaries in that RN engaged in an inappropriate relationship and lived with the patient’s husband. In addition, RN went on vacation with him and accepted financial assistance. RN’s conduct was likely to injure the client and/or the client’s significant other in that it could have resulted in confusion between the needs of the nurse and those of the client and/or the client’s significant other.
On the same dates mentioned above, while living with the husband of former patient A, RN brought in and left documentation in the home containing patients’ confidential personal health information. RN’s conduct exposed the patients unnecessarily to a risk of harm from use, accessing or disclosure of their confidential medical information without their written authorization and constitutes a violation of HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
In response to the above incidents, RN admits she lived with the widower for about a month due to a personal emergency and temporarily moved in with the main purpose of securing her property. RN denies any romantic or sexual relationship with the widower. RN admits to going on a trip with the widower in his RV at the widower’s behest to avoid a potential conflict with her estranged spouse. RN states financial assistance was imposed upon her. RN states she attempted to make arrangements to reimburse the widower RN denies she violated professional boundaries. RN further states that bringing confidential records into a residence is not a violation.
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)(E)&(1)(J) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12(1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(C),(4)&(6)(D).
A case was ultimately filed against her before the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). The said allegation was fatal to the RN’s capability to perform the essential functions and duties. Sad to say, the nursing defense attorney who handled her case was not able to properly defend her interests and rights before the Board. The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) found her guilty of the offense alleged in the complaint and decided to place her RN license under disciplinary action.
If you also received a letter from the Texas Board of Nursing regarding a case or complaint filed against you, you should hire a nurse attorney immediately before it’s too late. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is one of those dedicated nurse attorneys who helped represent more than 300 nurse cases for the past 16 years. You may contact him 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 for more information or if you want to schedule a private consultation.