Accused of False Charting

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I have been accused of false charting vitals. It's an on going investigation with HR at the moment. I am currently enrolled in nursing school and I don't want to have to drop out if they find me guilty. I never purposely charted wrong. We are always short staffed and to get things done in a good amount of time I write down the vitals I have taken and chart them at a later time. They are now going over security footage and told me I was never in the room around the time I charted vitals but I could have easily charted under the wrong person and didn't notice. I've put so much time and money into nursing school and I really don't want it to be all for nothing if this will stop me from becoming a nurse.

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does anyone know what will happen or has a similar problem. 

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

When I was I in my third semester of the RN program, I switched roommates' meds and merely received a scolding and was put on probation. No harm came to either patient.

It seems that if no harm resulted as a mistaken VS documentation, it really isn't a big deal, blueskyssssss, butcha never know what people will do.

Good luck!

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thank you 

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I feel like there must be something more to the story, even something you might not know about. I know that all of the techs I work with write down vitals and then chart them in a batch. unless they all back time them, it's unlikely that they're charted at the exact time they're taken. If someone is telling you they're looking at security footage for tracing your steps I think there's something bigger going on.

If it's really only about the vitals, then it sounds like you're fine based on the explanation you provided and they would come to the same conclusion with an investigation.

Good luck. 

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Specializes in Critical Care.
8 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

I feel like there must be something more to the story, even something you might not know about. I know that all of the techs I work with write down vitals and then chart them in a batch. unless they all back time them, it's unlikely that they're charted at the exact time they're taken. If someone is telling you they're looking at security footage for tracing your steps I think there's something bigger going on.

If it's really only about the vitals, then it sounds like you're fine based on the explanation you provided and they would come to the same conclusion with an investigation.

Good luck. 

yeah IDK what it could be specifically but this situation screams red flags. remember too that youre in school and learning and have people overseeing you. they have responsibility over you and should be over seeing your care and charting and correcting you in the moment if youve made a mistake. blaming nursing students for charting problems and it leading to an investigation is very weird. if you are further questioned just stick to what you have already said. do not get defensive. do not offer extra information - that will be grabbed onto and used against you in unfair and inaccurate ways. 

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Specializes in ER/School/Rural Nursing/Health Department.

When I worked in the ER we rarely had time to chart--I'd often have pages of notes on my patients and would back time important things but otherwise chart midway and at the end of the shift.  It was just how we did things in a busy ER...

Vitals doesn't seem important enough in itself to review security footage over...  Do you know if a nurse or tech complained about you for some reason? Or were the vitals needed by a physician and they weren't in the chart on time? Or were the vitals important like in a post op situation?  Was there an adverse effect with that patient that made specific charting "more important"? 

I guess I would talk to your floor supervisor or nurse manager and see if there is more to this issue.  Honestly, I don't think being fired as a tech would even need to be reported to nursing school or when you sit for boards though if this goes farther you should check.  I would explain to HR that you batch your VS so you can get multiple done prior to going to the nursing station to chart. 

Good luck and I hope you have a good outcome.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
3 hours ago, blueskyssssss said:

 They are now going over security footage and told me I was never in the room around the time I charted vitals but I could have easily charted under the wrong person and didn't notice. 

this right here is an example of something I WOULD NOT SHARE or offer and something that could be grabbed and used against you. they'll jump right on you accuse you of being a careless nurse whether or not you charted on the right or wrong patient. Is it possible? Sure. But you haven't been given that info. If you don't know, you don't know - you have not been told that you charted on the wrong patient. do not offer this idea to anyone 

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a nurse reported me and I don't believe it was "more important" it was just out typical Q4 vitals. 

4 minutes ago, RuralMOSchoolRN said:

When I worked in the ER we rarely had time to chart--I'd often have pages of notes on my patients and would back time important things but otherwise chart midway and at the end of the shift.  It was just how we did things in a busy ER...

Vitals doesn't seem important enough in itself to review security footage over...  Do you know if a nurse or tech complained about you for some reason? Or were the vitals needed by a physician and they weren't in the chart on time? Or were the vitals important like in a post op situation?  Was there an adverse effect with that patient that made specific charting "more important"? 

I guess I would talk to your floor supervisor or nurse manager and see if there is more to this issue.  Honestly, I don't think being fired as a tech would even need to be reported to nursing school or when you sit for boards though if this goes farther you should check.  I would explain to HR that you batch your VS so you can get multiple done prior to going to the nursing station to chart. 

Good luck and I hope you have a good outcome.

I was told it was a nurse who reported me for not doing my regular Q4 vitals. I have been bullied for they last year by many people I work with. this isn't the first time someone has reported me for something I didn't do. I want to quit but I don't want to look guilty if I quit in the middle of an investigation so I am letting it play out and turning in my badge.

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So you’ve been reported multiple times regarding negligence basically?

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On 1/26/2022 at 2:07 PM, ElleInMe said:

So you’ve been reported multiple times regarding negligence basically?

No, it was a one time thing 

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The previous reply inspired me to create an account: why do we assume someone is guilty when if you've been a nurse for a while you most likely have been the victim of a workplace bully?

I've observed nurses targeted because they are cute.....or simply efficient and gifted at their job.

Find a younger nurse/nursing student and give them advice and guidance: do this patiently and in kindness. Don't always assume the worse in others. 

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