What kind of error puts a license at risk?

[MelodyRNurse]

I am new to all this and I have seen a lot of posts about med errors. I know it happens alot, but what kind of med error would cause a facility to present it to the board? I was once told if you make an error and someone gets hurt as a result your license will be under review. Thats obvious, but what else?

[chuck1234]

Stealing the control substances.

[MelodyRNurse]

Not uh!! I thought they were for us too! Kidding..

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Here are a few real cases that I can think of...

1. A patient complained of chest pains, but her nurse decided to take a cigarette break instead of administering nitrogylcerin or transferring to the hospital. The patient died 1 hour later of an acute MI, and the nurse lost her license.

2. A wound nurse did not use clean technique when dressing a diabetic ulcer of the heel and, as a result, the foot was amputated. The nurse was sued by the family, and lost her license soon after a civil judgment.

3. A mother's BP was 70/40 after giving birth. She was bleeding heavily, but the doctor and nurse did nothing. She died, and the nurse lost her license.

4. My coworker has a limited nursing license because she was caught stealing narcotic pain medications.

5. An elderly patient had been having a CVA (stroke) for 8 hours, but it went undetected because the nurse failed to do her rounds all shift. The nurse voluntarily surrendered her license for 'failure to assess,' because she admitted to not going into the patient's room all shift.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

Here are a few real cases that I can think of...

1. A patient complained of chest pains, but her nurse decided to take a cigarette break instead of administering nitrogylcerin or transferring to the hospital. The patient died 1 hour later of an acute MI, and the nurse lost her license.

2. A wound nurse did not use clean technique when dressing a diabetic ulcer of the heel and, as a result, the foot was amputated. The nurse was sued by the family, and lost her license soon after a civil judgment.

3. A mother's BP was 70/40 after giving birth. She was bleeding heavily, but the doctor and nurse did nothing. She died, and the nurse lost her license.

4. My coworker has a limited nursing license because she was caught stealing narcotic pain medications.

5. An elderly patient had been having a CVA (stroke) for 8 hours, but it went undetected because the nurse failed to do her rounds all shift. The nurse voluntarily surrendered her license for 'failure to assess,' because she admitted to not going into the patient's room all shift.

In #2, how was it determined that the nurse did not use proper tecnique? was she observed, and turned in?

[TazziRN, RN]

It's not just stealing narcs. Chemical dependency period will get you reported. If you are arrested in your off time for DUI, you will be reported.

Abandonment of assignment

Not following orders, resulting in harm to the pt

Mental illness that is untreated or out of control

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

In #2, how was it determined that the nurse did not use proper tecnique? was she observed, and turned in?

A floor nurse reported the wound nurse to management for not using clean technique after the family started making litigation threats.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Also, any criminal acts committed during the nurse's free time will be reported to the BON. For example, Andrea Yates was the housewife who drowned her 5 children in a bath tub in Houston in 2001. Her registered nursing license was permanently revoked by the Texas BNE in 2002.

[MelodyRNurse]

I didn't know she was a nurse!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I didn't know she was a nurse!

It's true. She (Andrea Yates) graduated with her BSN degree in 1986, at the age of 22.

[wjf00]

I remember as a nursing student we went to open BRN hearings as a class.

In one case a nurse was floated to well baby nursery. She claimed she had not been oriented, but went anyways. She lost her license when she admitted to fabricating vital signs, she claimed she was 'overwhelmed' and 'not oriented'. In her appeal she failed to accept any responsibility, she kept making excuses, so her license remained revoked. .....duh... DON"T FABRICATE VITAL SIGNS!.. and for God's sake, accept some personal responsibility and your license should be safe.

[Ms.RN]

it's not just stealing narcs. chemical dependency period will get you reported. if you are arrested in your off time for dui, you will be reported.

what happens if a nurse is caught with dui? do they have to go through rehab program?