If you ever did nothing wrong during your tenure as an RN, it’s recommended for you to hire a nurse attorney. The assistance of a nurse attorney could provide a better defense as you face the Texas Board of Nursing. This is exactly why legal counseling is recommended before you face the Board to defend your license and career against possible sanctions.
An incident of a mistaken error happened on August 28, 2016, to September 11, 2016, where a Hurst-based RN failed to reassess the pain level and temperatures of numerous patients. She also failed to assess the vital signs of some patients, as well as reassess discharge vital signs and abnormal vital signs for the patients. She was also the primary nurse for some of the patients during the said date range.
The results of her actions could have deprived the patients’ detection and timely interventions if ever a change in their condition occurs. It also resulted in an unnecessary risk of harm to patients who might have required additional treatments prior to discharge. It even resulted in inaccurate care in the future due to an incomplete assessment record.
The Texas Board of Nursing took notice and summoned the RN to defend against the case. She stated that she transitioned into a collaborative ER community nursing setting as soon as the Urgent Care Setting closed in the evening. She also reviewed all vital signs as she always reads the triage notes and already assessed the patient’s conditions based on the notes.
However, she stated that her charting system had a glitch, which did not include a space for the patient’s heart rate when vital signs were recalled for reassessment. She stated that the rest of the data were charted on each patient charts, resulting in no negative outcome to the patients.
She also stated that she should not be held accounted for such actions because she did the right thing to the patients. Therefore, the Texas Board of Nursing provided a warning for disciplinary action instead.
The following result of the case is the main reason why a good nurse attorney is always needed during hearings before the Board of Nursing. For more information, you can contact Nurse Attorney Yong J. An at (832)-428-5679 for a confidential consultation.