All professional nurses in the state of Texas must comply with all the laws promulgated by the government. The RN or LVN nurses are expected to follow the rules and regulations set by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). One wrong move can lead to the suspension or revocation of the nursing license. Aside from this, the nurses are also required to abide by the rules mandated in their workplaces. When there are complaints regarding the misconduct or negligence of the nurses, any aggrieved party may directly file an administrative case before the Board.
When a case is filed against the erring registered nurse, it is highly recommended that he hire a lawyer to defend himself. The assistance of an expert nursing defense attorney is such a big help especially if the case involves a possible revocation of the professional license. There are actually hundreds of cases that led to the permanent cancellation of the nursing licenses due to the failure to the defendant to get proper representation by the counsel. Among these is the case of Marco who waived his right to be assisted by the counsel.
Marco is a RN nurse who worked in a medical center in Texas for almost seven years. While working for the said institution, he failed to notify the Director of Nursing, who was also the facility abuse coordinator of an important occurrence. The RN nurse discovered that a resident patient had sustained an injury of unknown origin. He assessed the patient who was under his care and noted that there was a large bruise on the latter’s right arm, which started from the armpit to her elbow. The arms were very swollen and warm to the touch, causing the resident to cry out in the pain.
The RN nurse Marco believed these findings to be the result of a blood clot and not trauma. He failed to stabilize the resident patient’s right arm and continued with the assessment by asking the patient to move her arm in different directions and to grip her fingers. She contacted on a call physician’s service and received an order to x-ray the patient’s arm. After the x-ray, it was revealed that there was an acute fractured to the patient’s right upper arm. The act of the RN nurse placed the patient’s life in great danger. He increased the risk of life threatening internal bleeding, damage to nerves, compartment syndrome (a painful conditioned that occurs when pressure within the muscles builds to dangerous levels) shock and embolisms.
For all these, the RN nurse faced an administrative charge before the Texas Board of Nursing. The Board sent the proper notice to notify him of all the complaints filed against him. Instead of explaining his side, he opted to just continue his practice a professional nurse in Texas. He even waived his right to be represented by a counsel. All these resulted to the finding of guilt by the Board. The Texas Board of Nursing found out that there exist serious risks to public health and safety if the RN nurse will be allowed to continue his practice.
If you have received a letter from the Texas BON for use of drugs/alcohol or any other offense, it is best to consult an experienced Texas Nurse Defense Attorney who can guide you on the steps you need to take to protect your nursing license. Contact nurse attorney Yong J. An directly by calling or texting him at (832) 428-5679 for a discreet consultation.