The nurses of Texas are a rare breed of professional, who routinely place the well-being of others above their own and provide life-saving (and life-changing) care. As the “human face” of healthcare, they have a whole host of responsibilities, and in some cases those responsibilities overlap with the responsibilities of doctors. But nurses must be very careful not to cross over into providing assistance to patients that goes beyond the scope of their authority. There are some lines that simply may not be crossed, no matter how deeply a nurse might believe the course of action to be correct.
The problem is, sometimes the lines between the scope of what a nurse may and may not do may be so fine that they are difficult to spot. The laws and rules on the books are opaque and confusing to many—particularly those measures directed at the prescribing and administering of medications—and the interpretations to which they may be subject are diverse. And the existence of nurse practitioners, who are endowed with the right to provide some services that normally are reserved for doctors, can cause the perception of this line to blur even further.
This fine (and shifting) line makes it all the more likely that the Texas Board of Nursing, which sometimes gets a bit fanatical in its advocacy for the public, will pursue discipline for nurses in situations where no actual wrongdoing has occurred.
A Serious Situation
Being accused of exceeding the scope of a nursing license is a serious situation. The rules around who can practice medicine are strict, and the Board of Nursing sees itself as a protector of the public from precisely this sort of scenario. If a nurse is found to have engaged in such behavior, the discipline may be severe, even up to the possibility of losing their license.
The best way for a nurse to avoid this possibility is for them to get a medical license defense attorney on their side as soon as they can—so that we can confront any such possibilities head-on.
So if you are facing disciplinary action, contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 and schedule a case evaluation. We here at BERTOLINO LLP are skilled at assisting nurses in doing everything that can be done to ensure the most favorable possible outcome to their cases. Our honest, experienced nursing license defense attorneys will fight aggressively on behalf of your professional license and reputation.
With offices in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, we serve clients all over the state. Contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 and schedule a case evaluation.
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