I am being accused

[Whatdoido29]

I have a serious situation on my hands right now that I need advice with. So last night I went into work like any other night. There was a resident that was having an unusually hard time, stating she was dizzy and did not feel well. Well When it was time for her to get up and dressed ( which she does on her own) she said she wasnt feeling well so I told her to sit there for a few and I would be back. Well needless to say she didnt get dressed. So I helped her to her chair and handed her the clothes and told her to call if she needed any help. So I went to check on her again and apparently she had gotten up and into the restroom so I was going to go finish getting my assignment done. When I walked out I got pulled to the side by my supervisor and was told that this person is accusing me of picking her up and throwing her into the chair which I cannot do because of my back ( i have paperwork about my back from a chyopractor). So then I had to write a statement. Im not on leave but the facility is doing an investigation. Im very upset that someone would accuse me of this!!!! I feel like just quiting my job but I dont want to look guilty either. I love my job and my residents. Will this be on my record? Im just to the point I think Im going to just go to school for something else.

[lavenderskies, BSN]

Ugh! I'm so sorry

For right now....just breathe. All you can do at this moment is not panic and wait for the inquiry.

Just breathe. If your history is stellar and it's her word against yours and there's no evidence to back hers then it's very likely that the inquiry will be closed.

[macawake, MSN]

So last night I went into work like any other night. There was a resident that was having an unusually hard time, stating she was dizzy and did not feel well.

What kind of facility do you work in? In which capacity do you work? Do you have any medical training or a license? If you don't, are there others on the premises that do have medical training that could/should be notified?

Did the resident have any other signs or symptoms apart from feeling unwell and dizzy? Not feeling well could mean a lot of different things, did you ask questions to try to gather more information? Did the resident experience any new/recent-onset pain? Have trouble breathing?

So I helped her to her chair and handed her the clothes and told her to call if she needed any help. So I went to check on her again and apparently she had gotten up and into the restroom so I was going to go finish getting my assignment done.

When a person who can normally get dressed themselves is suddenly unable to, it can be a warning sign. When you returned to the resident's room and found that she was in the restroom, did you inquire how she was doing? The reason I ask, is that I've seen adults who were in need of medical assistance lock themselves into the bathroom. (One was a person who choked on a piece of steak at a dinner party and another was a woman having a heart attack. Both were embarrassed by what was happening and "hid" in the bathroom. People aren't always rational when they feel ill).

From what you've written about the aftermath I gather that there weren't any serious medical issues present, but still I think that when someone reports what this resident did, it warrants a bit of investigating/assessment in order to rule out serious illness.

There is a lot of information missing in your post. It's difficult to give any proper advice without it.

One thing I'm a bit confused about is why the residents are in the habit of getting up and dressed at the start of your shift if you work the night shift. That seems a bit backwards.

However, I am sorry that you have been accused of doing something that you say you haven't done. I hope that this thing gets resolved soon, I realize that you must be experiencing a lot of stress right now. If you've already given a truthful statement and contacting a union representative or your insurance company aren't applicable options in your situation (again, I don't know where you work or what your job title is), all you can do is to wait it out.

Good luck!