A licensed nurse in Texas may be subjected to a disciplinary proceeding before the Texas Board of Nursing. Whenever a nurse finds herself in such a situation, she will need to find the best nurse attorney in the country. This is important, as it is her only chance to protect her license. Otherwise, the Board of Nursing may find her guilty in the administrative case and order the revocation of her license.
At the time of the incident, an RN was employed as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in Longview, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and eleven (11) months.
On or about January 16, 2019, while employed as a Registered Nurse, the RN failed to notify the Physician and/or Nurse Practitioner regarding a change in condition, in that the blood pressure of a patient was 66/38mmHg with a heart rate of 1 19. Additionally, the RN failed to assess and/or document an assessment of the aforementioned patient for the effectiveness of Midodrine in a timely manner, in that the RN checked the patient’s blood pressure six (6) hours after administration of the medication, and the blood pressure was 84/49mmHg. Subsequently, on the oncoming shift, blood pressure continued to be low and the patient required activation of Emergency Medical Services/91 1, the patient became pulseless during transit to the Emergency Room (ER) and was pronounced dead on arrival. The RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient from delayed treatment.
The RN was summoned and investigated by the Texas Board of Nursing. The RN states she received a report that the patient had been hypotensive on the prior shift, the Nurse Practitioner was aware and had initiated orders on the prior shift. The RN states the patient was already on Midodrine scheduled every 8 hours due to hypotension, and she had worked with this patient on prior nights. The RN states that during her scheduled medication times, the patient•s blood pressure was usually hypotensive, and on this night, the RN took the patient’s blood pressure and it was 66/38. The RN states that she gave the medication as ordered and continued to monitor the patient’s blood pressure throughout the night for the effectiveness of the drug. The RN states that the patient’s blood pressure responded to the medication, and she recorded the final blood pressure before the morning change of shift. The RN states she left the patient awake and in the care of the oncoming nurse. The RN states she assessed the patient prior to medication administration and after, and she is aware the effects of Midodrine can be seen in less than one (1) hour, and the effect may not last long. The RN states, that because of this, she monitored the patient’s blood pressure through the night, and the patient was not in any distress.
However, her lack of an experienced nurse attorney to properly defend her case led to the suspension of her license.
Do you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process? Contact The Law Office of Nurse Attorney Yong J. An, for a confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 and ask for attorney Yong.