Whenever someone files a complaint against you involving negligence while at work, your license could be put in danger if not defended by a nurse attorney. An RN from Houston, Texas, is just one of the many examples of nurses who were found to be negligent while working.
At the time of the initial incident, she was employed as an RN at a medical facility in Houston, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and ten (10) months.
On or about January 28, 2020, through January 29, 2020, while employed as an RN at a medical facility in Houston, Texas, RN failed to timely discontinue an infusion of peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) to a patient when he reported pain with the infusion. In addition, the RN failed to timely notify the patient’s physician of his continuous left forearm pain after possible intravenous (IV) infiltration, with arm swelling and hand numbness, which continued for approximately four (4) hours after he reported increased pain and swelling. On the next shift, the patient was diagnosed with a thrombosed left brachial and distal axillary vein and required excisional debridement surgery to treat the infiltrated tissue. RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient from a delay in treatment for the pain experienced and from a delay in notifying the physician in order to institute timely medical interventions to stabilize the patient’s condition.
In response, RN states that she informed the on-call nurse practitioner of the patient’s complaints of pain in the affected area around 8pm, and again at midnight, and she administered a one-time dose of Fentanyl. RN denies that she infused PPN into the patient’s left forearm IV site but was using his right arm sites to infuse PPN and amiodarone. RN states that the left forearm catheter was unused during her shift, and she tried to get the patient to remove the left IV. RN states that the patient also had fungemia originating from the left upper extremity peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), and no other IVs should have been started on that arm, which was beyond RN’s control. RN adds that she asked for help from the relief charge nurse, the shift charge nurse/assistant nurse manager, and another experienced staff nurse in response to the patient’s complaints of pain.
After the board’s investigation, it was found that the RN had failed to adhere to the standards of nursing practice while caring for a patient. The Texas Board of Nursing then subjected the RN’s license. It is important for all nurses to understand the potential consequences of not seeking legal representation in such cases. Therefore, if you face any accusation against your nursing license, consider hiring an experienced nurse attorney to help defend your case successfully.
Don’t forget that anyone can complain to the state board for any reason against an RN/LVN. No matter how minor or baseless a complaint may seem, it is important to treat it seriously when it happens. When you receive a summon from the state board, a nurse attorney can assist you in defending your license. Speak with a competent and experienced Texas RN license attorney to arm yourself with the information and experience you need for a successful result. For the past 16 years, Texas nurse attorney Yong J. An has represented over 300 nurses in various licensing proceedings before the Texas Board of Nursing. Reach out to the Law Office of Yong J. An via text message or phone at (832) 428-5679.