Maintaining the integrity of the nurse-client relationship is not only ethically imperative in healthcare but also crucial for patient well-being. However, the incident involving an RN’s inappropriate act of providing her personal telephone number to a patient expressing distress about her newborn raises serious concerns about professionalism and potential harm to the patient. In situations where RNs face allegations of violating these boundaries, a nurse defense attorney becomes a vital source of support.
At the time of the incident, she was employed as an RN at a hospital in Austin, Texas, and had been in that position for ten (10) months.
On or about November 19, 2022, while employed as an RN at a hospital in Austin, Texas, RN violated the boundaries of the nurse/client relationship in that she inappropriately gave her personal telephone number to patient A, who expressed that she did not want her newborn child, Patient B. RN’s conduct violated the professional boundaries of the nurse-client relationship and was likely to injure the patient in that it could have resulted in confusion between the needs of the nurse and those of the patient. In addition, the RN’s conduct may have caused delayed distress for the patient, which may not be recognized or felt by the patient until harmful consequences occur.
In response to the above incident, without asking for advice from an experienced nurse attorney, the RN deliberately explained that the patient delivered a baby in an ambulance and was brought to the hospital where they did not have a Labor and Delivery floor, a newborn nursery, or a pediatric area. RN stated that the patient was upset after the delivery of the baby, and expressed that she did not know she was pregnant and did not want the baby. The RN added that when the patient asked what she should do, the RN informed the patient that there were many options, and she would ask the charge nurse for resources. The charge nurse told her that they had no resources, and the patient could wait to transfer to another hospital to deal with it. Additionally, the RN stated that she did not feel like her supervisor was taking the situation seriously, and the RN remained concerned that the patient could cause harm to the baby due to her stress and mental instability. She mentioned that as the patient prepared to leave the hospital, the patient asked her for her contact information so that she could ask questions later. RN stated that she gave her phone number to the patient as she did not want the patient to feel alone and as though no one cared about her.
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)(J) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12 (1)(A), (4) &(6)(D).
Unfortunately, without valid evidence to defend her side of the story, the RN lost the case. The Texas Board of Nursing took disciplinary action against her license. Sadly, the RN didn’t seek the help of a nurse attorney, If she had hired a nurse attorney, she might have had a better chance at defending her case and mitigating the consequences of the board’s decision.
Hire a Texas Nurse Defense Lawyer Today!
Look no further, Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An has been an experienced nurse attorney for over 18 years and has worked with numerous nurse licensing cases. He is committed to achieving the best possible outcome, regardless of the challenges presented by the circumstances. Contact the Law Office of Yong J. An 24/7 through text or call at (832) 428-5679.