Re: protecting yourself against complaints

Originally Posted by Ion

Support tort reform.

We need to sue, incarcerate and severely punish people who make false allegations.

While I definitely think that people should be held accountable for false accusations made, I don't think that incarcerating two older women with psych issues would help anyone. I agree with the suggestions here about communicating with you manager/facility about the problem and insisting they support you. You are a professional and they need to treat you as one.

Don't leave nursing, especially not before trying other facilities. A good work environment can be key to feeling good at the end of the day. You already love nursing and most people are good people. Hang in there.

Emma "pep rally" Peel

P.S. Did you get individual malpractice yet? It is cheap, not like for M.D.s

Re: protecting yourself against complaints

Originally Posted by Emma Peel

While I definitely think that people should be held accountable for false accusations made, I don't think that incarcerating two older women with psych issues would help anyone. I agree with the suggestions here about communicating with you manager/facility about the problem and insisting they support you. You are a professional and they need to treat you as one.

Don't leave nursing, especially not before trying other facilities. A good work environment can be key to feeling good at the end of the day. You already love nursing and most people are good people. Hang in there.

Emma "pep rally" Peel

P.S. Did you get individual malpractice yet? It is cheap, not like for M.D.s

Guilty is guilty. This is the same logic as putting someone back on the street who butchered a group of kids because they had psych issues. If the false allegation of a patient has the potential to affect a nurse's career, then the person making the false allegation must be held equally responsible. At the least, legal action against them for falsely attacking a nurse would have them same effect as having them walk around with a placard over them that says "I am a liar, and my word is worthless".

We need to quit victim attitude and set the precedence that nurse do not take physical or legal abuse. We have the right to self preservation in all forms. Creating a paper trail of the client will not only help this nurse and the organization in the future, but also protect other people who may suffer false allegations from the party in the future.

Re: protecting yourself against complaints

Am4182, I am sorry that this is happening to you. I work in a Psych floor and I have heard issues like this-----patients “mostly” accusing the male staff of things like these (and one was actually “suspended” and no one exactly knows what happened to him afterwards because we didn’t see him again after the incident), but that is not to say that the female staff are absolved too-----because I have also seen a female technician being accused of such and such by a confused old lady while doing a 1:1 at night time-----and what she did was to summon the charge nurse in the room, wrote a note on the chart, and wrote an incident report, as well as tell the manager about it. When issues like this happen, you have to protect yourself and be “noisy” as can be so that everyone who needs to be aware can be aware of it. Also, I warn the technicians and other nurses that they should be careful in going in to the patients’ rooms, what might seem as an “innocent and friendly” touch might be misinterpreted by the patient-----especially if she has delusions or is confused. Because of the type of population I work with, Even if I am a female, I always ask another female staff member to accompany me to the room whenever I give an IM in the gluteal area. One male nurse asked me to go with him too in the room of the patient to give an IM shot. Sounds strange but it’s always best to protect yourself. No one wants to be accused of inappropriately touching a patient. Because in the end, it could be her word against yours. When I explain to my co-workers the rationale, they seem to understand. I know it can be busy but I just find a way to do that. You might be a good and a diligent nurse who wants to give out medication and do the treatment right away. But make sure you also protect yourself. I hope you don’t quit nursing. Perhaps, a better working environment would be helpful. Good luck!

Re: protecting yourself against complaints

so if I am going to do any nursing task that involves touching the patients private area, e.g. applying cream or giving IM's etc, how would I get a colleague to witness it?

Does the colleague stand just outside the curtain while you are doing your nursing task or does he/she go together with you and stare at what you are doing to your patient?

Re: protecting yourself against complaints

It is rare that I give the IM in the gluteal area, but when I need to and I do, I make sure someone is with me inside the room. The co-worker of mine doesn’t have to stare at us, but her presence in the room is enough. It is also rare that patients need to apply something in their private area but when it happens, I make sure that someone is also with me. I do that because of the patient population that I work with---they are sometimes delusional, paranoid, or confused. And with what happened to other co-workers of mine, I don’t think I’d be willing to take a risk. I just tell my co-worker that I am uncomfortable doing it alone and that I need someone to witness it. You can think of ways how to protect yourself, something that can be applicable to the unit you work in. Also, it depends on the type of patient you are dealing with.

Re: protecting yourself against complaints

I'm a gay male so although I don't know how much that would protect me in a legal crisis I'm sure it would weigh on my side. It sure helped when a female colleague tried to make accusations.

Of course I realize this doesn't help if your orientation is normal.....

Re: protecting yourself against complaints

Originally Posted by Miwila

I'm a gay male so although I don't know how much that would protect me in a legal crisis I'm sure it would weigh on my side. It sure helped when a female colleague tried to make accusations.

Of course I realize this doesn't help if your orientation is normal.....

Dude- your orientation doesn't help you at all!!! Many folks in this country still think that homosexuality is perverse. A good lawyer would literally skewer, saute, and cook you right on the stand especially if we are talking about a minor of either sex.

Re: protecting yourself against complaints

Originally Posted by Miwila

I'm a gay male so although I don't know how much that would protect me in a legal crisis I'm sure it would weigh on my side. It sure helped when a female colleague tried to make accusations.

Of course I realize this doesn't help if your orientation is normal.....

Your orientation is as normal as a straight guy's.

Re: protecting yourself against complaints

Originally Posted by Emma Peel

While I definitely think that people should be held accountable for false accusations made, I don't think that incarcerating two older women with psych issues would help anyone. I agree with the suggestions here about communicating with you manager/facility about the problem and insisting they support you. You are a professional and they need to treat you as one.

Don't leave nursing, especially not before trying other facilities. A good work environment can be key to feeling good at the end of the day. You already love nursing and most people are good people. Hang in there.

Emma "pep rally" Peel

P.S. Did you get individual malpractice yet? It is cheap, not like for M.D.s

Obviously you have never been put into this situation. I was falsely accused of sexual harassment by a co-worker who had supposedly received two complaints from others. I was disciplined. Then months later a patient file a false allegation of professional sexual misconduct. If the DON had of investigated the allegation properly, they would have found out her long psych history, her history of both criminal and professional allegations against men and the fact that her allegation changed significantly in a span of 5 hours. I provided them with a witness (I now have a sworn statement from them) that they NEVER questioned. I quit - but then they filed action with BON. I have now spent over 9 grand defending myself against an action that only I have investigated. I am filing suit against everyone.............I am done with the crap. Let the patient's name get dragged through the mud. Let her psych history come out - I have had to go through TWO psych evals one reg and one psycho sexual- both which show me completely normal with NO deviant tendancies!!!!! The co-worker who filed the first one has a long history of being a trouble maker in the workplace. Plus the manager wanted me gone.....she has a long history of NOT investigating sexual harrassment complaints but the bogus complaint against me got top priority - why is that? maybe because I filed an EEOC case against her.......well I support TORT law - and I have a dam good attorney - get out your checkbooks people - the cost of healthcare just went up, just because a manager and a DON couldn't do an investigation.

Re: protecting yourself against complaints

Originally Posted by rolland542

Obviously you have never been put into this situation. I was falsely accused of sexual harassment by a co-worker who had supposedly received two complaints from others. I was disciplined. Then months later a patient file a false allegation of professional sexual misconduct. If the DON had of investigated the allegation properly, they would have found out her long psych history, her history of both criminal and professional allegations against men and the fact that her allegation changed significantly in a span of 5 hours. I provided them with a witness (I now have a sworn statement from them) that they NEVER questioned. I quit - but then they filed action with BON. I have now spent over 9 grand defending myself against an action that only I have investigated. I am filing suit against everyone.............I am done with the crap. Let the patient's name get dragged through the mud. Let her psych history come out - I have had to go through TWO psych evals one reg and one psycho sexual- both which show me completely normal with NO deviant tendancies!!!!! The co-worker who filed the first one has a long history of being a trouble maker in the workplace. Plus the manager wanted me gone.....she has a long history of NOT investigating sexual harrassment complaints but the bogus complaint against me got top priority - why is that? maybe because I filed an EEOC case against her.......well I support TORT law - and I have a dam good attorney - get out your checkbooks people - the cost of healthcare just went up, just because a manager and a DON couldn't do an investigation.

What they did is no different than if they had physically put a knife in you. They assaulted your character, your career, your well being and everything else. Anyone who respects character and believes a man's word is his legal contract with life should understand what they did to you.

I hope the best for you. Stand tall and stare down the demons.