Documentations have been a signature specialty of a 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.
At the time of the initial incident, she was employed as an RN at a hospital in San Angelo, Texas, RN, and had been in that position for ten (10) months.
On or about May 28, 2019, while employed as an RN at a hospital in San Angelo, Texas, the RN inaccurately documented the administration of medications to a patient by scanning Synthroid, Protonix, and chronic pain medication. However, the RN only administered the chronic pain medication to the patient. Subsequently, the Synthroid and Protonix were found in the patient’s medication drawer. In addition, the RN failed to complete her charting on the aforementioned patient for the shift. RN’s conduct resulted in an inaccurate and incomplete medical record and exposed the patient to a risk of harm in that failure to administer medications as ordered by the physician could have resulted in the non-efficacious treatment of the patient’s condition.
In response, the RN stated that the patient was in a great deal of pain when she came to the room to administer pain medication, and though she intended to administer all three medications and scanned them, before opening the Synthroid and Protonix she was called away to another patient’s room. RN states that she placed the medications in the patient’s assigned drawer and did not remember to give the medications later.
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)(C),(1)(D)&(1)(M) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12(1)(A),(1)(B)&(6)(H).
As a result, the Texas Board of Nursing decided to place her RN license under 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 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. He is an experienced nurse attorney for various licensing cases for 16 years and represented over 150 nurses before the Texas BON. To contact him, please dial (832)-428-5679 for a confidential consultation or for more inquiries.
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