Advice please?

[samilynn]

I just got my RN last summer and just recently got my first permanent job on a rehab floor in a long term care facility. Yesterday a patient was sitting out by the nurses station. He asked for a bag of pretzels from the snack cart and I gave them to him. Well 20 minutes later he ended up choking on the pretzels and had to be sent out to the hospital. At the time his nurse had said he was on a regular diet. When rechecked today, we found he was actually supposed to be on a mechanical soft diet. My DON said that giving him pretzels is considered abuse.

What will come out of this?? I've never had anything like this happen before and I don't know what to expect.

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

Sounds to me like whoever was supervising this patient's care forgot to review the dietary instructions. Glad the incident didn't go on your record-which you clearly don't deserve. Humph! I think that nurse, and your supervisor, owe you apologies. YOU definitely were between a rock and a hard place! But as Asystole RN pointed out, check your local laws-if such a situation ever arises again, you need to know where you stand from a legal point of view.

[Scarlette Wings]

"my don said that giving him pretzels is considered abuse."

i would want the term abuse to be a little more clarified. it seems more of an error or mistake, but abuse? that is a strong word to use over a dietary discretion. i would likely just refuse to give anyone else's patients anything unless i could see their written diet order.

if the nurse who told you that it was okay does not stand behind what she told you then at least that is one person you know that you can't trust. i would be concerned working for a director who accuses someone of abuse instead of being supportive. i am sorry that this happened.

[Jessie71385]

Wow, I have never thought that would ever be considered abuse. I am an ADNS at a LTCF. I know that I would not reprimand my nurses for a simple mistake. Things happen... If you didn't give him the pretzels, he would get them himself, or get something else that he wasn't supposed to have. You are human, don't beat yourself up.

[Asystole RN]

Wow, I have never thought that would ever be considered abuse. I am an ADNS at a LTCF. I know that I would not reprimand my nurses for a simple mistake. Things happen... If you didn't give him the pretzels, he would get them himself, or get something else that he wasn't supposed to have. You are human, don't beat yourself up.

Because it isn't abuse.