Is this inappropriate?

eamon66 · Nov 16, 2007

Yeh inappropriate to say the least. She's showing unnecessary favouritism.

jmgrn65, RN · Nov 16, 2007

not to mention looking at her chart is a major hippa violation!

BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN · Nov 16, 2007

Where I work, we do show favoritism towards coworkers by giving them good rooms, etc. But we don't look into the charts. As a unit manager, she could argue that she needs to know what is going on with the patients on her floor. Our unit manager goes thru charts everyday to keep up on what is going on and for chart auditing purposes, so she could play that card if she wishes. Does it make it right, no, but there are ways she can skirt the issue.

PRESLA · Nov 16, 2007

]Not Good.

:madface: :nono: :nono:

2shihtzus · Nov 16, 2007

The only time the manager looks at charts is when there is a PSN or something that she has to deal with....other than that, she never looks at charts.

patwil73 · Nov 16, 2007

My nurse manager is best friends with one of the LVN's on our unit.
The LVN ended up being admitted, and the manager made sure that this LVN was placed in the hospital room adjacent to her office. She also would frequent the front desk to look at the LVN's medical chart.
Is it just me, or is this a little inappropriate???

Which part are you asking that is inappropriate? The placing in the room or looking at the chart?

At my hospital any time an employee is admitted we try to get them a good room - usually at the end of the hall where it is quieter than near the desk, a private room versus a double (we only have a few doubles). So your manager getting her a good room I don't really feel is inappropriate unless they don't attempt to do so if other employees are admitted.

As for going through the chart - it depends. In my hospital, I peruse charts all the time to determine if we are charting correctly, if the charge indicates a patient is deteriorating I look to see what might be causing it, etc. Our managers also audit charts everyday and review any of patients that are 1) deteriorating 2) troublesome.

Do you know if the LVN asked her for input on what was going on with her chart? We would like to see that everyone gets the best possible care at all times, but unfortunately the real world is not like that and you have to decide who you are going to concentrate on. Choosing a best friend to make sure the hospital stay is the best it can be is not a problem with me.

Hope this helps,

Pat

ShayRN · Nov 16, 2007

Any time I had a loved one in the hospital I did whatever I could to get the the "best" room. I don't think that is odd at all, I think it is normal. When my FIL had open heart and I was working that unit, I called every day to find out who was working and picked out what nurse I wanted him to have, on each shift. As far as reading her chart, my friends and family have always wanted me to know what was going on so I could explain it to them. These doctors don't always take the time to clearly explain labs, procedures, etc. If it were my best friend, you can be darn sure I would be going through that chart, WITH HER PERMISSION, to make sure things were being done properly.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 16, 2007

I don't know why on earth you would begrudge this woman getting the best carre possible. If a friend of mine were admitted and I were the boss of the unit you can bet I'd have her as neart to the nurses as possible and would be checking her progress. And NM's can look at charts.

allnurses Guide · Nov 16, 2007

I agree about making sure a coworker gets a good room. The hospital where I used to work had a "VIP room"; it was a large private room with a small refrigerator, a microwave, a cherry bookcase-like thing that had the TV in it, a table and chairs, and a couch with a rollaway bed. Employees and their families could have that room at no extra cost if they were admitted to the hospital. It was also near the nurse's station. I see no problem with that part at all.

The part about perusing her friend's chart... that, I have more of a problem with. In spite of her being a manager, I feel like she has no right to be examining her friend's chart. The professional thing would be to have another member of management perform the chart audit on that chart, IF that is what this manager is trying to claim that she is doing.

allnurses Guide · Nov 16, 2007

Okay, well....

If the manager had the friend's permission to look at the chart, then I guess that is another matter. Still... it IS still out of a nurse's scope of practice to explain any test results to someone.

I can remember that my mother in law was on my floor after having surgery. She never asked me to look at her chart or inform her about any tests results, or inform her of anything that the doctor had written about her. I'm really glad that she didn't, because if she had... I would have felt really uncomfortable and would have had to flat out tell her that I couldn't do it. And I'm pretty close to my MIL, too.

RN1989 · Nov 16, 2007

My issue in the OP is that the manager is "best friends" with a nurse that she supervises. This is where I have the problem. This is inappropriate and can lead to many issues. When I am working as a manager, I am "friends" with all the staff but I do not associate with them outside of work. To do so risks favoritism for one thing. Being good friends with people you supervise can also cloud your judgement regarding their work, any problems, etc. I am glad that she wants to take good care of her staff but she should have a less personal relationship with any person that is under her supervision and that reports to her.

A side note: I don't want the my manager or friends looking through my chart if I am in the hospital. In fact, I don't want to be a patient where I work. Although my friends would probably take better care of me than people I don't know, I do not want my friends having anything to do with my personal medical stuff.