In every action that an registered nurse takes, it is important that he follows the Code of Ethics. His actions must be within the metes and bounds of the law. Otherwise, the LVN or RN nurse may be subjected to an administrative or criminal case. The case may be filed by any interested party such as the patient involved or even directly by the Texas Board of Nursing.
An example of this is a case filed against a registered nurse named Martin. While he was employed as a staff RN nurse in the Medical-Surgical Unity with a state hospital, he failed to administer potassium chloride to a particular patient. Subsequently, the patient exhibited a critically elevated potassium level. In another instance, the RN nurse also failed to accurately and completely document an important detail in the patient’s medical record.
Because of what happened, a case was filed against the RN nurse before the Texas Board of Nursing. The complaint alleged that his conduct was likely to expose the patient to unnecessary risk of experiencing weakness, paralysis, cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and/or cardiac arrest. At the same time, the RN nurse’s act was likely to deprive future care providers of accurate and complete information on which to base their health care decisions.
During the conduct of the hearing before the Texas Board of Nursing (BON), the chosen attorney of Martin failed to defend him and his nurse license. As a result, an order was granted by the Texas Board of Nursing finding him guilty in the disciplinary proceedings. It was also ordered that his nurse license be revoked with finality.
If you or someone you know has been approached by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) for disciplinary action or have more questions on the BON process, contact The Law Firm of Yong J. An and speak to a Texas Nurse Attorney directly at (832) 428-5679, call or text 24/7.