The administration of medications is a critical responsibility in healthcare, requiring precision and adherence to established protocols to ensure patient safety. Unfortunately, instances of alleged medication errors and inadequate documentation can occur, posing potential harm to patients and raising legal concerns for the RNs involved. Such incidents may have serious implications for the RN’s professional standing and licensure. To address these complex legal matters and safeguard the RN’s rights, a nurse attorney can provide crucial legal expertise, guiding the RN through potential disciplinary proceedings and advocating for the best possible outcome.
At the time of the initial incident, she was employed as an RN at a hospital in Pharr, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and one (1) month.
On or about March 23, 2019, while employed as an RN at a hospital in Pharr, Texas, the RN administered Chronic Pain Medication, Ativan, and Phenergan IV push to a patient without waiting an appropriate amount of time between the administration of the medications to account for drug potentiation. RN’s conduct could have subjected the patient to over-sedation.
On or about March 24, 2019, while employed as an RN at a hospital in Pharr, Texas, the RN administered Ativan and Phenergan IV push on an as needed basis but failed to document assessment data to substantiate the reason for administering the medications and the amount to be administered in the patient’s medical record. RN’s conduct resulted in an incomplete medical record. It could have injured the patient in that subsequent caregivers did not have accurate and complete information on which to base their decisions for further care.
In response, the RN stated that she administered Phenergan 25 mg IVP and waited 1-2 minutes and administered medication for chronic pain about 4 mg IVP slowly over a period of 1-2 minutes, then again waited 1-2 minutes before administering Benadryl 25 mg IVP slowly over 2-5 minutes by only pushing .25 ml between every 1-2 minutes. Additionally, the RN stated the medication was given as ordered by the physician, and medication that was required to be diluted, such as Phenergan, was diluted and administered to the patient safely regarding treatment and further care of the patient.
The above actions constitute grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with the Texas Occupations Code and are a violation of 22 TEX ADMIN. CODE. Unfortunately, the Texas Board of Nursing found her guilty of her deeds and subjected her RN license to disciplinary action. She did not hire a skilled Texas nurse attorney to fully defend her case, which led to the decision by the Texas Board of Nursing.
Do you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process? Contact The Law Office of Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An for a free consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679. Attorney Yong J. An is a skilled and seasoned nurse attorney who represented more than 300 nurse cases for RNs and LVNs for the past 16 years.