The Board of Nursing

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I know each state has different regulations,but....is there a regulation about reporting a nurse to the BON? I don't mean about something obvious like stealing narcotics or abandoning patients. If someone has what appears to be a very unsafe/sloppy/lackadaisical practice with multiple med errors in one day and multiple meds not signed off...would you report this nurse?

No patient harm..

Good for you, but why would she be ill? since when is laziness, carelessness, and sloppiness an illness?

Can we research a drug to alleviate these symptoms?

Sounds like you did your homework,

My only question is did you sit with this nurse, show her (or tell her) what she did wrong and hear her side? - AGAIN I am not condoning it.

I once had a nurse wait next to my office when I arrived to admit that she gave the wrong pills to a patient (including a Xatral to a female). She was in tears with remorse, did not wait for me to find out myself, She had alreasy reported it to the MD and stayed to follow V.S. She agreed to study and pass a new med test and be more careful. We wrote up the incident - again no real patient harm, she took a 6- hour course at a local hospital and passed and is now back in the game.

I am not comparing as the situation is totally different, but I feel that the nurse has a right to know that she is being reported - probably by the agency that sponsors her- I would also investigate this agencies policy on continuing ed and if they ask their nurses to pass a med test before sending them out in the field (I don't know if that is required in your state)

Keep us posted.

ill in the sense of a medical reason for her sleepiness....or ill in the sense of addiction.....either needs to be addressed....

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

unfortunately- if you think that there is an addiction or medical problem -it is doubtful that this will encourage her to seek help- chances are she will get off as there was no patient harm. I can't beleive she hasn't started another thread protesting your actions and claiming that her behavior was misunderstood- after all there are two sides to every story.

I'm sure you have noticed that we are experiencing a nursing shortage and BON is loath to add to that.

In any case- its really the agencies problem- I'm sure you wont let her near your facility again regardless of what happens.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

A word of advice...if this happens to you report report report.

I've been visited by the DPH AND the DEA and thankfully I had fully investigated this and had reported it to the BON.

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

Just curious, were you obligated to inform the nurse that you were reporting her?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, WCC.

Odd that this subject came back again.

I need to start copying nurses notes from charts today, to send to the BON. It was discovered yesterday that a nurse i had hired in April has been taking her daily TCU flowsheets and xeroxing them to use over the next week. The flowsheet is what we use to to meet our daily charting requirement on the medicare rehab residents. It follows the MDS questions (ADL's, transfers, walking, eating, bathing, etc). This nurse works the night shift and starts the sheet each day. Out of 22 charts in May, she did this in 20 of them. We haven't even begun to look at the other months yet.

I spoke with the BON and was told this is a "violation of the minimum requirements for nursing standards". I will be letting this nurse go today. And Yes, I always let a nurse know that I am reporting her. to the BON.

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

Wow did she think no one would notice....or care??? WHat chutzpa from a nurse making time and a half on the night shift!! she gives us all a bad name.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I had informed the nurse's agency that I was reporting her and advised them to let her know. In my years of nursing, I've never heard of someone xeroxing their notes! The height of laziness and how sad. I do have to say that I have some nurses who might as well xerox their notes because they all seem to say the same thing: Pleasant, ate well, bs present all 4 quads!

You might also want to check to see if you're obligated to report this to the DPH as well.

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