RN’s Incorrect Documentation and Deviation from Prescribed Schedule

RN’s Incorrect Documentation and Deviation from Prescribed Schedule

The healthcare industry is demanding, and even a minor mistake can lead to significant consequences. One such critical area is the accurate administration of medications at prescribed times, which is crucial to ensuring patient well-being and treatment efficacy. In the event of allegations related to medication administration errors and documentation discrepancies, nurses often find themselves in a challenging legal landscape. The legal consequences of these allegations can be significant, ranging from the loss of a nursing license to costly malpractice lawsuits. This is where the expertise of a nurse defense attorney becomes indispensable. By collaborating with nurses to develop a comprehensive defense strategy, nurse attorneys help mitigate potential professional and legal consequences.

Case Scenario: Incorrect Documentation and Deviation from Prescribed Schedule

At the time of the initial incident, she was employed as an RN at a rehabilitation facility in Waco, Texas, and had been in that position for five (5) months.

On or about February 12, 2021, while employed as an RN at a rehabilitation facility in Waco, Texas, the RN failed to administer medications to a patient at 2100, as ordered. RN administered medications to the patient at approximately 1830 and incorrectly documented in the medical record that the medications were administered at 2132. RN's conduct resulted in an inaccurate medical record and exposed the patient to a risk of harm in that failure to administer medications as ordered by the physician could have resulted in non-efficacious treatment of the patient's condition.

The RN responded to the above incident and stated that when she arrived on shift, the off-going nurse had already pulled medications for the patient, and they both administered the medications together around 1830. RN stated that the patient required a team of staff to administer his medications due to his agitation. Additionally, the RN stated that later in her shift, she saw a notification in the electronic medication administration record indicating that medications had not been documented when they were scheduled. RN also added that she clicked the pop-up message to indicate that these medications had been administered since they were given by herself and the off-going nurse earlier.

Texas Board of Nursing Disciplinary Action

The above action constitutes grounds for disciplinary action under Section 301.452(b)(10)&(13) of the Texas Occupations Code and is a violation of the Nursing Practice Act (NPA). Because of this, the RN was summoned by the Texas Board of Nursing to defend her side, but the RN failed to hire a nurse attorney to help her with her case and without proper defense, the Texas Board of Nursing then decided to place her RN license under disciplinary action.

We Are Here To Help! Get in touch with us Today!

With years of experience in the field, Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is one of those dedicated nurse attorneys who represented over 600 nurses before the board. Contact the Law Office of Attorney Yong J. An 24/7 through text or call at (832) 428-5679 for a free legal consultation regarding any allegations from the Texas BON.

Don't wait until it's too late – take action now to protect your license and your future.