RN Failed to Report Abnormal Vital Signs of a Pediatric Patient

RN Failed to Report Abnormal Vital Signs of a Pediatric Patient

Nurses bear a significant responsibility for addressing intricate medical needs while ensuring the well-being of their patients. However, despite their best efforts, nurses may sometimes encounter situations that involve potential lapses in patient care and reporting. When this happens, the legal landscape can become complex and challenging, leading to potential professional and legal consequences for the nurse. This is where the expertise of a nurse defense attorney becomes crucial.

Incident Scenario: Failed to Report Vital Signs of a Pediatric Patient

At the time of the initial incident, she was employed as an RN working as a Home Health Nurse with a pediatric healthcare service provider in Wichita Falls, Texas, and had been in that position for two (2) months.

On or about October 10, 2021, through October 17, 2021, while employed as an RN working as a Home Health Nurse with a pediatric healthcare service provider in Wichita Falls, Texas, and providing care for a nine-year-old tracheostomy dependent patient, RN may have failed to report heart rate persistently outside normal parameters to the physician. RN's conduct could have injured the patient from lack of medical treatment for vital signs persistently out of normal range.

RNs Response to the Incident

Without consulting with a nurse defense attorney, the RN responded to the above incident and stated that she informed the patient's mother of the increased heart rate, and the mother said the physicians were aware of the child's heart rate because it had been that way for quite a while. RN noticed during the four nights she cared for the patient that the child's heart rate would increase to the 110s-120s when she was stimulating the child during assessments, suctioning, position changes and other nursing tasks but the heart rate would decrease to around the 90s when the patient was at rest.

Unfortunately, the Texas Board of Nursing found her guilty of her actions. Her RN license was subjected to disciplinary action and temporary suspension. She did not hire a skilled Texas nurse attorney to fully defend her case, which led to the Texas Board of Nursing decision.

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. He is an experienced nurse attorney who represented more than 600 nurse cases for RNs and LVNs over 18 years.

Contact us today and let us fight for you.