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Any accusations of professional misconduct should never be taken lightly. Even if you are certain that you have done nothing to such allegations, do not face the charges alone. You might end up leaving unprepared to answer questions which could, in turn, lead to you being deemed culpable. If you are summoned to appear before a licensing board regarding a disciplinary incident, you will need an experienced nurse attorney who knows how to handle nurse cases.

At the time of the initial incident, an LVN was employed as a Licensed Vocational Nurse/Wound Care Nurse at a hospital in Longview, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and four (4) months.

The LVN was disciplined due to the incident that happened on or about December 3, 2019, through December 6, 2019. The LVN failed to recognize and/or accurately report the change in the condition of the foot of the patient when the patient experienced skin breakdown, with a swollen purple toe. Additionally, the LVN failed to completely and accurately document assessments, contact with other members of the healthcare team, and treatment orders received regarding the toe.

Subsequently, on December 8, 2019, the patient was sent to the ER and diagnosed with a gangrenous infection noted to all toes in the left foot, with swelling and redness spread from the left foot to mid-calf, requiring an above the knee leg amputation. The LVN’s conduct resulted in an incomplete medical record and was likely to injure the patient from a delay in appropriate treatment to the foot injury that was needed to prevent further complications.

In regards to the incident, the LVN states that the patient’s daughter showed her the patient’s left great toe on December 3’ᵈ, which was swollen, purple, and had a skin tear between the toes. The LVN states that she communicated with the nurse practitioner that day, who ordered the X-ray of the patient’s foot when the LVN explained that the toe was swollen. The LVN also states that on December 4ᵗʰ, she shared the results of the X-ray with her supervisors in the daily morning rounds. She added and states that there were several nurses and aides who saw the patient over the next few days, and no one reported a change in the condition of the patient’s foot. The LVN states that on December 6, she noticed that the patient’s toe was still purple but there were no other changes. Regarding documentation, the LVN states that on December 12″, she realized that her charting was incomplete on this patient, so she entered late entries at that time.

Due to the above-mentioned incident, the LVN was subjected to disciplinary action by the Texas Board of Nursing. The LVN had failed to hire a nurse attorney for her case and now facing the consequence of her actions.

If you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process, you can contact The Law Office of Nurse Attorney Yong J. An for a confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 and ask for attorney Yong.