The practice of nursing places a significant emphasis on patient safety, adherence to established protocols, and the importance of following physician orders in providing care. Nurses are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that all patient interventions are carried out under the guidance and direction of medical professionals, promoting the safety and well-being of those they care for. However, there are unfortunate situations where deviations from these essential standards occur, potentially compromising patient safety and raising concerns about the nurse’s professionalism and adherence to established protocols. In circumstances where nurses face allegations or legal concerns related to unauthorized medical interventions and failures to document patient care accurately, a nurse attorney can provide invaluable support and guidance. They play a pivotal role in conducting a thorough evaluation of the situation, which may involve reviewing patient records, communication logs, and witness statements, in addition to understanding the specific circumstances surrounding the nurse’s actions.
At the time of the incident, she was employed as an RN with a pediatric healthcare services provider in Pasadena, Texas, and had been in that position for four (4) years and six (6) months.
On or about December 19, 2021, through December 26, 2021, while employed as an RN with a pediatric healthcare services provider in Pasadena, Texas, RN used a needle to drain an infection on the nose of a patient without a physician order. Additionally, RN failed to document the intervention in the patient’s medical record. RN’s conduct resulted in an incomplete medical record, and unnecessarily exposed the patient to risk of infection by breaking the patient’s skin barrier with a needle without a physician’s order.
In response to the above, RN states she was told that the doctor had opened the nose with a needle to drain the fluid. RN states that the patient’s nose appeared big and bulging with pus, so she popped the abscess to the patient’s nose with a sterile needle to relieve any pressure to the patient’s nose. In subsequent shifts, RN states she continued to drain the patient’s nose with gauze and the patient was later admitted to the hospital on December 27th for IV antibiotics.
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)(D),(1)(M),(1)(O)&(1)(P) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12 (1)(B)&(4).
The evidence against the RN was strong. At the same time, she was not able to properly defend her case in court. As a result, her nursing license was placed under disciplinary action.
Avoid the similar thing from happening on your end. Make sure to find the right defense attorney in case a complaint will be filed against you before the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). For more details or for a confidential consultation regarding accusations, it’s best to contact an experienced Texas nurse attorney. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is an experienced nurse attorney who represented more than 500 nurse cases for RNs and LVNs for the past 17 years. You can call him at (832) 428-5679 to get started or to inquire for more information regarding nursing license case defenses.