It is a nurse’s duty to ensure patients are getting the proper treatment they need in a timely manner. They should also follow the physician’s order and no order should be missed. A missed order could harm a patient. Some RNs tend to miss orders and result in unnecessary harm to a patient. If this happens, an RN should be prepared in case he or she will be summoned by the Board for such conduct. An RN can hire a nurse attorney for this matter.
At the time of the incident, she was employed as an RN at a hospital in Laredo, Texas, and had been in that position for nine (9) months.
On or about July 13, 2020, while employed as an RN at a hospital in Laredo, Texas, RN failed to assess the vital signs, including the oxygen saturation level, of a patient, or ensure that the vital signs were taken by the patient care assistant and entered into the medical record. The physician ordered continuous pulse oximeter monitoring for the patient which was not implemented. Additionally, RN failed to document in the patient’s medical record regarding the initial shift assessment performed around 0900, or interventions when the patient was found with a change in condition at 0930. A Code Blue was called at 1000 and the patient was transferred to a higher level of care and expired the next day. RN’s conduct resulted in an incomplete medical record and exposed the patient to a risk of harm from undetected and untreated fluctuations in cardiac or respiratory status.
In response, RN states that she first saw the patient around 0730 when she received the report; the patient was sleeping, snoring, and breathing seventeen breaths per minute. RN states that she returned at 0900 to complete her nursing assessment and the patient care assistant (PCA) was present at the bedside as a sitter since the patient had been agitated and confused overnight. RN states that she typically allows an hour for the PCA to log all the vitals for the morning, and she intended to check back in with the experienced PCA to make sure that the vitals were entered into the patient’s chart. RN states that she fully intended to chart her morning assessment, but the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit following the code and she forgot to go back and chart the completed assessment. RN states that the night shift nurse did not comply with the order for continuous pulse ox monitoring, because there is no access to this machine on the medical/surgical floor. RN states that she called central supply at 0900 and was waiting for someone to bring her the machine. RN states that the patient was groggy at the time of her assessment, but she did not feel this was unusual since he had been given Ativan the night before; she did not notice until 0930 when she saw that the PCA was no longer in the patient’s room that the patient’s status had changed.
The above action constitutes grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with Section 301.452(b)(10)&(13), Texas Occupations Code, and is a violation of 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.11(1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(D)&(1)(M) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12 (1)(A),(1)(B)&(4).
Unfortunately, the Texas Board of Nursing found her guilty of her deeds. Her RN license was subjected to disciplinary action. She did not hire a skilled Texas BON attorney to fully defend her case which led to this decision by the Texas Board of Nursing.
Make sure that you will not make the same mistake as the RN mentioned above in her case before the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). Contact a Texas nurse attorney today who can provide you with a confidential consultation and evaluate your case and counsel you on the best steps to take. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is an experienced nurse attorney for various licensing cases for 16 years and represented over 300 nurses before the Texas BON. Contact Mr. An by calling or texting him 24/7 directly at (832) 428-5679.
