Drug Abuse has been a signature specialty of a skilled nurse attorney when handling cases for some nurses. However, some nurses tend to forget this fact because they really felt like they should be responsible even if they never intended to commit such an error.
On or about November 16, 2014, through January 25, 2015, an RN from San Antonio misappropriated Demerol to the facility in that she admitted to her employer she had taken it and tampered with the vials. Her conduct was likely to defraud the facility of the cost of the medications.
Subsequently, while licensed as a Registered Nurse in Texas, the RN lacked fitness to practice professional nursing in that she entered a 28- day drug rehabilitation program. Her condition could have affected his ability to recognize subtle signs, symptoms, or changes in patients’ conditions, and could have affected her ability to make rational, accurate, and appropriate assessments, judgments and decisions regarding patient care, thereby placing the patients in potential danger.
This issue was filed as a complaint and sent to the Texas Board of Nursing. The Texas Board of Nursing has full jurisdiction in all cases that may affect the status of an RN or LVN’s license in the future. But they advise nurses to attend a hearing first before placing the sentence, which the RN attended for her career’s security.
In response to the allegations filed on her, the RN states both allegations are true. She states she confessed to her employer she misappropriated Demerol, and after this admission, she entered a thirty (30) day inpatient drug rehabilitation program which she completed on March 10, 2015.
As a result, the Texas Board of Nursing placed her RN license to disciplinary action. It’s too bad that she failed to hire a nurse attorney for assistance, knowing that she had every reason to defend herself in the first place. Her defense would have gotten better if she actually sought legal consultation from a Texas nurse attorney as well.
So if you’re facing a complaint from the Board, it’s best to seek legal advice first. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is willing to assist every nurse in need of immediate help for nurse licensing cases. To contact him, please dial (832)-428-5679 for a confidential consultation or for more inquiries.