Being an LVN in Texas is not an easy thing to do. There are so many things that you need to take into consideration if you want to continue using your nursing license. The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) can suspend your LVN license whenever you are found liable for any violation. As a matter of fact, the Board can even order for the revocation of your license with finality. When this happens, you need to seek immediate help from a nurse attorney to help protect and defend your LVN license.
Do not worry because the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) always conducts a hearing of all the cases before imposing any punishment or fine to the erring nurse. During the proceedings before the Board, the LVN is given an opportunity to be heard by defending herself. The assistance of a nurse attorney should also be one of the top priorities.
One perfect example of this is about an LVN. At the time of the initial incident, the LVN was employed as a Staff Nurse in a medical center in Dallas, Texas, and had been in that position for more than 10 years already.
On or about January 31, 2013, the LVN failed to accurately interpret a fetal monitor stip for a patient. She assumed care of a patient at approximately 7:00 am and assessed the fetal monitoring strips. The patient had a prolonged deceleration lasted four minutes indicating fetal distress following which the LVN instituted resuscitative measures.
Furthermore, the LVN had started the patient on Pitocin, per the facility protocol, at approximately 1000 but discontinued it when the prolonged deceleration occurred. She documents restarting the Pitocin at 11:0am0 even though the patient’s labor appeared to be progressing without the Pitocin, and with no evidence of accelerations on the fetal monitoring strip, which is contraindicated.
On or about January 31, 2013, the LVN failed to document the notification of the physician of multiple decelerations in the medical record of a patient. Furthermore, she failed to document that she informed the physician that the Pitocin had been discontinued at 1000. This intervention does not require a physician’s order but the physician should be notified.
Despite the complaints filed against her, the LVN still asserts that her care was appropriate.
She was given the chance to defend her case. However, the Texas BON found that the LVN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient in that failure to accurately assess the fetal monitoring strip could result in complications including, but not limited to fetal distress. Her conduct also resulted .in an incomplete medical record and exposed the patient to a risk of harm by depriving the physician of vital information that would be required to institute timely medical interventions to stabilize the patient’s condition.
Unfortunately, the series of events led to the decision of Texas BON to suspend her license.
Avoid the similar thing from happening on your end. Make sure to find the right nurse attorney in case a complaint will be filed against you before the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). Consult with Texas nurse attorney Yong J. An today if you have any questions about your disciplinary process by calling or texting him at (832) 428-5679 day, night or weekends.