The commitment of nurses in pediatric home health care to adhere to assigned nursing schedules is essential for maintaining the quality and continuity of patient care. However, deviations from these responsibilities can compromise the accuracy of patient records and raise significant concerns about the integrity of nursing practice. Such actions not only undermine the trust in the nursing profession but also pose potential risks to patient care. In situations like this, the expertise of a nurse attorney is vital for addressing the legal and ethical dimensions surrounding inaccurate documentation and ensuring accountability for maintaining the highest standards of patient care.
At the time of the incident, she was employed as an RN with a pediatric home health care provider in Fort Hood, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and one (1) month.
On or about February 19, 2021, while employed as an RN with a pediatric home health care provider in Fort Hood, Texas, and assigned to provide nursing care to a patient, the RN left her nursing assignment at 1300 and documented her nursing visit notes, including assessments and vital signs from 1300 to 1600. Additionally, the RN submitted an inaccurate timesheet for hours she was not present in the patient’s home. RN’s conduct could have resulted in an inaccurate medical record and could have defrauded and/or deceived the facility of money paid to the RN for hours not actually worked. In addition, the RN’s conduct could have injured the patient in that subsequent caregivers would rely on her documentation for further care.
Without the help of an experienced nurse attorney, RN responded and stated that she was present at the patient’s home and was going to travel with the patient and mother to a doctor’s appointment; however, the patient’s mother told RN she could not accompany them. RN stated she told the patient’s mother she would call her to continue to monitor the patient’s condition due to the patient’s elevated temperature. She was following up with the patient’s temperature, food, and drink tolerance levels and did not falsify any visit notes. She also called the patient’s mother several times to follow up on the patient’s condition and documented it as the mother informed her. RN stated she had no intention of falsifying visit notes, as all the information she documented was accurate per the mother’s report. RN now realized she should have documented that she was receiving the assessment information from the patient’s mother remotely so it would be clear in her notes that she was not physically present with the patient. RN further stated that she did not consider her timesheet to be fraudulent, as she considered herself to still be working on her nursing assignment via telehealth with the patient and the patient’s mother.
The above action constitutes 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)(D),(1)&(3) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12 (1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(C),(6)(A),(6)(H)&(12).
Unfortunately, the Texas Board of Nursing found her guilty of her deeds. Her RN license was subjected to disciplinary action. She did not hire a skilled Texas nurse attorney to fully defend her case which led to this 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 confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is an experienced nurse defense attorney who represented more than 600 nurse cases for the past 18 years.