A patient flat out lied about me

Published

There was a patient who came into the clinic and when they found out they were going to need an IV they said "no I don't want this test, I'm a needle phobic and I'm leaving, please call my doctor and tell them I refused". So that's what I did. I also notated all of this information on their chart and that the doctor was aware.

I was very nice and understanding with this person. I even offered to have the doctor give them lidocaine prior to the IV and they refused. This patient said I wish all nurses were as kind and understanding as you've been with me. The following day I get a call from the DON who said this patient called to complain about me refusing to start their IV because they had lousy veins and I basically told them to just leave. I am stunned. I shouldn't be, but I am stunned, and hurt. Thankfully my DON doesn't believe any of it but had to fill out an SOE just the same. That's what hurts me.

Specializes in M/S, ICU, ICP.

i am so sorry. somehow it feels like such a betrayal when you work extra hard with a patient and then have them stab you in the back. there is hurt, shock, but this sense of betrayal that really puts the cherry on top of that bitter pill.

sadly patients will flat out lie about you, to you, in front of you, or behind your back. i don't know why. i have never understood it. i don't understand it when one nurse does it to another. i don't understand it when a doctor lies saying he was busy in the icu or er or where ever and he was out back eating a big mac.

i know it hurts. that means you are human and still have feelings and care. never loose touch with that part of you or you will become like them. that's the only thought i have on how to survive. the pain is there and real, grow from it. i am sorry you are going through this hard knock lesson all the same.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in M/S, ICU, ICP.
no patient is your friend.

they will turn on you in a second.

document everything every single time.

cover yourself.

report everything.

you can find a better employer.

so very true. i applaud the short sweet sadness of your entry.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
I had a patient lie about me and was told by management that I should have used "better communication skills." I'm still not sure how better communication skills would have changed that patient's character for the better to where he didn't lie. And even if it had, it was his momma's job to raise him right, not mine!

Ahhh, Management's answer to everything...."you should have used better X-skills".

They short our staff, pull our tech, pull our secretary, admit pts to hall beds, and add several required pieces of paperwork such as the 7-point hourly rounding form to our load. They start requiring "grand rounds" at 0800 in the morning, like it isn't busy enough with AM accus, sliding scale, meds, MDs that have to have their hands held during rounds or they will have a melt down. An MD decides to do what should be labeled concious sedation bone marrow at the last minute on an unmonitoring pt/floor, despite the fact that he knew for the last 4 days that he was going to do a bone marrow but couldn't be bothered to tell anyone to prep the room. I get assigned 1 pt that is crawling out of bed, and has already fallen once, and 2 that have complained to the pt rep and I have been instructed to give "extra special" care, though I have 12 pts w/an LPN and 14 units of blood products to give. Then they admit a pt to a "hall bed" and its mine. Said pt goes into SVT at shift change, and we end up cardioverting them....adenosine did not work...remember this is an unmonitored floor.

They assign a float to my pts. I opt to take my transfer (Mr.SVT) to cardiology, so that she has a fighting chance to survive her shift. I clock out 45 minutes after my shift should have ended.

I get called on the carpet by the higher ups(not my manager, she was an angel) about clocking out late. I explained to the bean counters why. And they respond...in their pumps/loafers, pearls or tie......

Wait for it.....

Wait for it......

" Why Caroladybelle, it's really just a matter of improving your time management skills"

Love that management speak.

PS. It isn't just Momma that teaches morals......Dad deserves some of the blame too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Been there heard that, about a gazillion times....never fails to mzake my blood boil. I'm not lazy, and if I stay over there's a good reason. Yet... so all I have to say is AMEN Sister!!!:mad:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

I would call the patient and confront them. People who slander others can be taken to court - I know a nurse whom people were telling lies about who did this, and she won her case as well.

I wouldn't admit to anything though I would state categorically that the patient has lied and put down my side of the story. Why you have to fill out paperwork for this is beyond me. It seems like we nurses are always the bad ones - although your boss believes you, I know nurses who would be instantly blamed for all this. Some bosses are not so forgiving or so non judgemental.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.
Ahhh, Management's answer to everything...."you should have used better X-skills".

They short our staff, pull our tech, pull our secretary, admit pts to hall beds, and add several required pieces of paperwork such as the 7-point hourly rounding form to our load. They start requiring "grand rounds" at 0800 in the morning, like it isn't busy enough with AM accus, sliding scale, meds, MDs that have to have their hands held during rounds or they will have a melt down. An MD decides to do what should be labeled concious sedation bone marrow at the last minute on an unmonitoring pt/floor, despite the fact that he knew for the last 4 days that he was going to do a bone marrow but couldn't be bothered to tell anyone to prep the room. I get assigned 1 pt that is crawling out of bed, and has already fallen once, and 2 that have complained to the pt rep and I have been instructed to give "extra special" care, though I have 12 pts w/an LPN and 14 units of blood products to give. Then they admit a pt to a "hall bed" and its mine. Said pt goes into SVT at shift change, and we end up cardioverting them....adenosine did not work...remember this is an unmonitored floor.

They assign a float to my pts. I opt to take my transfer (Mr.SVT) to cardiology, so that she has a fighting chance to survive her shift. I clock out 45 minutes after my shift should have ended.

I get called on the carpet by the higher ups(not my manager, she was an angel) about clocking out late. I explained to the bean counters why. And they respond...in their pumps/loafers, pearls or tie......

Wait for it.....

Wait for it......

" Why Caroladybelle, it's really just a matter of improving your time management skills"

Love that management speak.

PS. It isn't just Momma that teaches morals......Dad deserves some of the blame too.

So true. Ahh the pen pushers, who tap away on their computers all day, and who leave on a Friday before a public holiday at 3pm 'to get through all that nasty traffic so they arrive early for their holiday destination'.

Next time say something like you could let the SVT patient die instead of actually doing your job and being a good nurse.

And BTW I don't clock out late anymore (I can't anyway due to insurance coverage & I wouldn't get paid). If something isn't done, I let the next shift carry on. Too bad if they complain - nursing is also about handing over work that ISN'T done as well. And if the next shift of nurses complain......

tell them to go to management and get them to sort it out.

Management suck big time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.

Some patients lie out of confusion - my mother once accused staff of stealing from her in an LTC. I was quick to tell the staff I didn't believe her accusation and did everything to reason with my mother. She wasn't a malicious person - it was a confusion issue, but it could have been nasty for the staff.

Some patients are looking for a scapegoat. As a clinical nurse specialist I had a patient with Hepatitis C who was very upset that his wife had just turned HCV positive also and said I'd told him unrpotected sex was OK. At the time (1996) the jury was very much undecided about sexual transmission of HCV and that's exactly what I had told him. Because there were some studies suggesting that sexual transmission was possible, I always underlined this and never advocated unprotected sex. This guy was on my caseload the whole five years I did that job, and we did develop a very good relationship after that. I realise his reaction was one of shock, anger and possibly guilt, and I just don't think he even realised how dangerous his loose tongue could have been for me. Fortunately my manager and the hepatologist I worked with were 100% behind me.

Some people are just plain liars and your woman just sounds very malicious indeed. You were spot on to document yourself.

Trust nobody, cover your ass. Document everything. It's the only way.

Worse is when a colleague lies about you. In an occupational health setting I had a doctor lie about me - she claimed I'd ignored a fractured ankle and sent the guy back to work when in fact I insisted he see a doctor and tried to get him x-rayed. He was reluctant to follow my advice but did eventually do both. I have no proof, but this doctor had expressed disapproval of my lifestyle to other colleagues and I believe her motive was homophobia. She tripped herself up because our ultimate senior manager was also gay. That - along with other complaints of bad attitude, sometimes homophobic and somtimes racist, actually got her fired. Sometimes there is justice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion