RN Failed to Identify Patient’s Acute Ankle Fracture Dislocation

RN Failed to Identify Patient’s Acute Ankle Fracture Dislocation

In the field of nursing, it is of utmost importance to conduct thorough assessments and respond appropriately to any incidents involving patients. If a nurse’s actions are ever called into question, a nurse attorney can provide vital assistance in protecting the nurse’s professional reputation. Nurse attorneys are skilled at carefully examining the facts surrounding the incident to ensure a complete understanding of the events. Their legal expertise allows them to create a strong defense, addressing any discrepancies and advocating for the nurse’s rights.

Scenario: Failed to Identify Patient’s Acute Ankle Fracture Dislocation

At the time of the incident, she was employed as an RN at a hospital in Pearland, Texas, and had been in that position for two (2) years and four (4) months.

On or about April 28, 2021, while employed as an RN at a hospital in Pearland, Texas, RN failed to perform a complete assessment, including assessment of the injury site and palpation of pedal pulses, after she witnessed the patient fall in the hallway and noted that the patient had a visibly rotated right foot that looked displaced from the rest of the leg. RN documented that the patient "plopped" on the floor; video footage shows the patient ambulating with normal-appearing feet, then losing balance, and falling, with a visible change in her foot appearance. Subsequently, the patient was later taken to the emergency department where she was assessed and found to have an acute ankle fracture dislocation. RN's conduct was likely to injure the patient from lack of appropriate nursing and medical care.

The registered nurse (RN) in question did not consult with an experienced nurse attorney before stating that she had directly spoken to the physician regarding the patient's condition. According to the RN, she was under the impression the patient's primary nurse had relayed the urgency and full patient condition. The RN also stated that she was under the impression the doctor had already completed his assessment of the patient since the patient was due to be discharged. As a result, the RN has become more thorough in assessing and reassessing each of her patients.

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)(M)&(3)(A) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12 (1)(A),(1)(B)&(4).

The Texas Board of Nursing then subjected the RN and her license into disciplinary action. The accusation would have been defended by an experienced and skilled Texas Nurse Attorney, had the RN hired one. Hiring a Texas Nurse Attorney for defense is applicable for any accusation laid against an RN or LVN.

Contact a Texas Nurse License Defense Attorney

For more details, you must approach one of the most experienced Texas Nurse Attorney, Yong J. An. He is an experienced nurse attorney who represented more than 600 nurse cases for RNs and LVNs since 2006. You can reach him at (832) 428-5679 to get started or to inquire for more information regarding nursing license case defenses.