Once a charge from the Texas Board of Nursing is filed, that case becomes public record and available for the world to see. When this happens, this makes it very difficult to get a job that takes insurance. Experienced Houston nurse lawyers know how to avoid these pitfalls.
On or about February 4, 2019, through April 15, 2019, while employed as a Licensed Vocational Nurse in a hospital in Houston, the LVN failed to perform weekly wound measurements for the right leg wound of a patient.
Instead, she documented that measurements were not due. Her conduct resulted in an incomplete medical record and was likely to injure the patient from subsequent care decisions made without the benefit of accurate and reliable information.
On or about February 20, 2019, the LVN failed to notify the physician of a change in condition for a patient, including pain for two days, increased thick, bloody drainage and odor to the right leg wound. Instead, the LVN instructed the patient to report the pain to the physician at a wound care appointment scheduled for the following day.
Subsequently, on February 22, 2019, the patient was hospitalized for wound infection. Her conduct was likely to injure the patient from delayed treatment.
The Texas Board of Nursing is the one who has full jurisdiction on cases involving RNs and LVNs. Therefore, the LVN was summoned by the Texas Board of Nursing to explain her side.
During the hearing, the LVN states she does not believe that she would go without doing wound measurements for this long of a time period. She also states the rehabilitation doctor would only sign initial orders at hospital discharge, and the patient was supposed to follow up with a different doctor for any further orders or change in condition. Patient had not found a doctor to oversee the wound care, but the LVN states she helped the patient get an appointment with the wound care center scheduled for 2/21/19.
On the afternoon of 2/20/19, she states she did not have a doctor to call about the patient’s wound status, in addition, the patient was afebrile and did not want to go to the emergency room.
Your license can be disciplined over simple misunderstandings, small mistakes or trivial issues. When this happens, hiring Houston nurse lawyers is your best option.
Attorney Yong J. An is a Texas nurse license defense lawyer that has a proven track record. He has over 12 years of experience handling Texas BON disciplinary action cases and has helped protect the license of numerous nurses in Texas. For a confidential consultation, call or text him at (832) 428-5679.
