Nurses are always at risk for accusations of sleeping while on duty. If someone filed a complaint against you, your license could be put in danger if not defended by a nurse attorney. An RN from Harlingen, Texas is just one of the many examples of nurses who were charged with this kind of negligence and failed to hire an effective nurse attorney.
Incident Scenario: RN Was Accused of Sleeping While on Duty
At the time of the incident, she was employed as an RN at a hospital in Harlingen, Texas, and had been in that position for two (2) years.
On or about June 24, 2020, while employed as an RN at a hospital in Harlingen, Texas, and assigned to provide nursing care to a patient, RN lacked fitness to practice nursing in that she was sleeping while on duty. As a result, the RN failed to hear the patient’s feeding pump alarm sounding for approximately fifteen (15) minutes until the patient’s mother woke her. RN’s condition could have affected her ability to recognize subtle signs, symptoms or changes in the patient’s condition, and could have affected her ability to make rational, accurate, and appropriate assessments, judgments, and decisions regarding patient care, thereby placing the patient in potential danger.
In response to the above incident, RN states she was tired and relaxing in her chair, holding a cup of coffee in her hand with her legs crossed. RN states she was not unresponsive to the environment, and the alarm did not sound. RN states she was not sleeping nor woken by the patient’s mother.
The above action constitutes grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with Section 301.452(b)(10),(12)&(13), Texas Occupations Code, and is a violation of 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.11(1)(A),(1)(B)&(1)(T) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12(1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(E)&(4).
However, without enough evidence to prove she’s not guilty, the RN lost the case. This is the reason why the Texas Board of Nursing placed her RN license under disciplinary action.
If you come across any legal cases related to nursing, seeking help from a professional nurse attorney is recommended, as it can greatly benefit your case. It is important to find an experienced and knowledgeable nurse attorney who is well-versed in handling various nurse cases to ensure the best possible assistance. 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.