Accusations of abuse

[Quadhelper]

Hi All!

I have a particular problem which I don't know will affect my future as a nurse. I am (used to be) currently a overnight awake counselor at a local organization in NJ while doing nursing pre-reqs and having a full time job during the week and doing the counseling gig on the weekends. So one night about a week ago I am sitting at a members home and we are chatting, and we sit down at about 2 to 3 in the morning, he shows me his edema on his feet and says if I can put some cream on his swollen feet. I say sure, we talk and slowly he drifts into sleep and so do I. I curl up in the chair which is located next to him and at about 6:30 I get a spasm in my leg and accidentally kick him. Now I automatically wake up and he says, why did you do that for? I profusely apologize, check if he is hurt. I don't see any signs. But he insists on going to the hospital. I call the on-call supervisor and I'm a little flustered but explain the whole situation anyway. She says, and I quote, "let me pretend I didn't hear that and tells me to redirect the member". I says ok and so we go walk down to get some coffee at a dunkin donuts and then some milk. He tells everyone on our way to get the coffee that he realizes its a accident and that he doesn't want me to get fired. Literally to everyone on the streets. Then when we come back to his apartment, he calls up two of his friends, who are also disabled. And we talk about what happened in his apartment. I end my shift at 9 and leave. But before I leave the on-call calls me and asks what she should wright down for the incident report, she says "I'll put this down as a headache" I agree to it.

I call the case manager and we talk about it also. Now 2 days later the director calls me in and I tell everything exactly how it happened. By the way he says that later that night the patient went to a hospital and they found a contusion on his leg (after this meeting I called the case manager and he says the discharge summary states that he has cysts in his legs, and says that it has nothing to do with contusions). He says he will report it to the state.

So now my problem, what could be the worst penalty possible? Abuse, assault? I have only been at this job for a month and at this particular members house a total of 4 times. Now I hear the member is making up stories about me. Meanwhile I have 3+ years working as a live in a BA in Psychology and never had a criminal record.

[Ansumana]

I think you're stressing for nothing. With any finish or career, if the patient decides to push it and makes a big deal about, then you could be in big trouble. But it seems as if the patient realizes it was an accident and isnt tryin to make a case out of this. The reason why others don't want to be involved is because if this does happen to become a huge thing, they are protecting their own asses as if they never heard of it so don worry about them. As long as the director or whoever he head cheese is says that you're not in trouble, you're ok. They usually only take disciplinary action, again, if he patient pushes the problem which he isn't.

And will this be on your record? I think so IF it was being pushed by the patient but it isn't. The most thing tht will happen is hat you will get talked to and besides, you're new. Bosses should expect things not to go crystal perfect with someone who JUST got into he field. But even if his did get on your record, this shouldn't affect nursing because you will constantly be moving and really won't have time to sleep

[Quadhelper]

Thanks for the info Ansumana!

I have talked to other people who take care of him and they have said that he is accusing me of kicking him more than once, and that now he is making up stories. I was there for only 4 days. He is a schizophrenic. To be honest everyone has said the same thing but I just can't get it out of my head I am just so anal about things like this. Did I mention that the state is investigating this incident?

[Ansumana]

I guess it's a protocol type thing where they have to bring in the state. Just keep cool. The state are just ordinary people like you and me. They are super human agent smith type people that will drag you away

[MusicEMT]

Stick with your story... Document everything.. and be cool and youll be fine!