Abandonment?

[msnurse]

We had a nurse that was called into the nursing managers office. When she arrived she was presented with a letter that was written by one of her co-workers. The contents of the letter upset the nurse and she told the nursing manager and supervisor that she was clocking out and leaving for the day. She had not patients in her care at the time. Would this be considered abandonment?

[Ortho_RN]

We were always taught.. that if you had not accepted the assignement yet, then it is NOT abandonment.

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

I think she may have been wise to leave. Because- if the content of the letter was so upsetting, she may not have been in the best state of mind to care for pts.

I read in my BON newsletter that it is not pt abandonment if the nurse has not yet received report, and has not accepted the assignment.

Maybe her boss was not thinking in that she upset this nurse so much and then expected her to be able to give competent care to pts.

[Gerinurse101]

Hello all,

I was justing researching this topic and I came up with this from the archives of Allnurses.com.

"The approved definition says patient abandonment is a unilateral severance of the established nurse-patient relationship without giving reasonable notice to the supervisor so that arrangements can be made for continuation of

nursing care by others"

If I understand this correctly, a "No call, No show" would be considered abandonment because that would not be reasonable notice to the supervisor.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by Gerinurse101

"The approved definition says patient abandonment is a unilateral severance of the established nurse-patient relationship without giving reasonable notice to the supervisor so that arrangements can be made for continuation of

nursing care by others"

Makes sense. But approved by who? Is there a source?

[Gerinurse101]

It came off the ANA.org website.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Thanks.

[Brownms46]

Many states have come out and spoke on this very situation, as too many employers, especially LTC facilities were threatening nurses with abandonment, and being reported to the board!

If you don't accept an assignment, or if you don't go to work or call in, you have not abandoned any pts! If say you knowing left a pt home or a facility, (as yes someone did this), thinking that a nurse was coming to take charge, then you and or the nurse who didn't show, could be charged with abandonment!

The nurse who left, because she didn't give report to an oncoming nurse, and leave the pts in the care of that nurse. The nurse supposedly coming on, but doesn't show, can be charged with abandonment, because she told the other nurse, she would accept the pts, and would be on her way!

There have been times when I have arrived on a unit, to find the nurse already gone, and if I hadn't showed up I could've been charged with abandonment, because I had accepted the assignment, the facility had left the nurse caring for those pts. go home. I hope I explained that right!