RN Accused of Incorrect Administration of Phenylephrine Drip in the ICU

Medication errors can have serious consequences in healthcare, compromising patient safety and potentially leading to harm. When nurses find themselves entangled in legal issues related to medication errors, a nurse attorney becomes an invaluable ally. Nurse defense attorneys possess a specialized understanding of healthcare laws and regulations, allowing them to navigate the intricacies of cases involving medication administration mistakes. They play a crucial role in advocating for the nurse's rights during investigations and legal proceedings, ensuring a fair and comprehensive review of the incident.

sm by smartsites February 15, 2024

Texas Board of Nursing,

Let's examine the recent incident that happened in the Intensive Care Unit at a hospital in Temple, Texas, the RN failed to correctly administer a phenylephrine drip to a patient. Specifically, the RN failed to verify the dose concentration of the medication in the intravenous (IV) infusion pump for correct administration. Consequently, the patient received four (4) times the dose of phenylephrine at each titration. In addition, the RN documented the incorrect dosage concentration in the patient's medical record. RN's conduct was likely to injure the patient in that failure to administer medication, as ordered, could have resulted in non-efficacious treatment. Further, the RN's conduct resulted in an inaccurate medical record and was likely to injure the patient in that subsequent caregivers would not have accurate information on which to base their decisions for further care.

RN's Response to the Incident

Without consulting with an experienced nurse defense attorney, the RN responded to the incident and acknowledged the oversight concerning the dose concentration on the IV pump on a busy night shift. RN stated that the medication dose concentration was changed by a provider, and the day shift nurse acknowledged the order and hung the medication; however, the nurse failed to reprogram the pump to reflect the parameters of the new order. RN stated that the error by the day shift nurse started at about 2:00 pm in the Intensive Care Unit, it was progressed by nurses in the Operating Room, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, and another nurse in the Intensive Care Unit with additional bags hung before the RN started her shift at 11 pm. RN stated that before she started her shift at 11:00 pm that night, four nurses managed the IV pump with no correction to dose concentration and documented it as such in the patient's medical record. RN stated that she takes this matter very seriously and she voiced her concerns to the hospital administration about the system failure.

Under Section 301.452(b)(10)&(13) Texas Occupations Code the above action of the RN constitutes grounds for disciplinary actions and is a violation of 22 TEX ADMIN. CODE §217.11(1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(C)&(1)(D) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12 (1)(B)&(4).

The Texas Board of Nursing gave the RN enough time to defend the complaints filed against her. However, there was a failure on the RN’s part to find the right RN/LVN license attorney to handle her case. The negligence of the RN/LVN license attorney led to the decision of the Texas BON to place the RN’s license under disciplinary action which includes a warning with stipulations.

Need a Nursing Defense Lawyer?

If you are subject to a Board of Nursing accusation, now is the time to seek the assistance of a nursing license defense attorney. When it comes to experience, you can count on Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An who has successfully represented 600 nursing cases before the Texas BON.

RN Accused of Incorrect Administration of Phenylephrine Drip in the ICU