Am I in violation of code of ethics?

allnurses Guide · Apr 1, 2015

I am an LPN and I work at an adult daycare as an LPN although there's very little clinical work that goes into my job. I have one dressing change a day and I pass meds to only 4 members. Most of my days are spent playing games and doing crafts with the members as there is very little nursing work to do.

My job is exactly like yours, and whether there is "very little clinical work" or not has absolutely nothing to do with it.

In fact, I would argue that you would be more useful to your clients if you were addressing their problems in a professional manner. Instead of playing Bingo, be on the phone with Social Services.

Sounds like there is plenty of nursing to do. Nursing is more than band-aids and pills.

In fact, adult daycare has a huge psychosocial component. If you don't have a social worker, then you need to step up to the plate and learn your resources and use them appropriately.

I am apparently a very naive nurse though cause I promise you I did not understand the severity of how wrong my actions were up until now. I have been licensed since 08, had a few jobs and decided at the time nursing was not for me and started working for my dads company. Long story short, working for my dad for a few years was not all I had planned on and I've been back in the nursing field for a year. Point is, I have very little experience as a nurse.

This is exactly why any nurse who is in such an autonomous position needs to have solid experience. There are a lot of judgment calls as the only nurse on duty. No one else there has your knowledge and are looking at you to make the call. It's an "easy" job, but it's not as simple as it appears, if you're doing it right.

That said, whether you have little "real" nursing experience or not, you have no excuse to step out of bounds. I'm pretty positive we all learn this stuff in nursing school.

I'm not trying to be a jerk.

I almost feel badly for you because you seem so naive and that really could get you into trouble.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Apr 1, 2015

My job is exactly like yours, and whether there is "very little clinical work" or not has absolutely nothing to do with it.
In fact, I would argue that you would be more useful to your clients if you were addressing their problems in a professional manner. Instead of playing Bingo, be on the phone with Social Services.
Sounds like there is plenty of nursing to do. Nursing is more than band-aids and pills.
In fact, adult daycare has a huge psychosocial component. If you don't have a social worker, then you need to step up to the plate and learn your resources and use them appropriately.

THIS!!!

Your patients need you to be their nurse (not their friend), their patient advocate. If you don't have a social worker then you need to become one in a way. As the PP said learn your resources!

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Apr 1, 2015

I can get my license taken for taking someone into my home out of the kindness of my heart? I know as a nurse we have professional boundaries to uphold but part of why I got into the profession is because I love helping people. I never had any ill intentions or ulterior motives doing any of the things I've done. The Bon wouldn't understand that?

Yes. This crosses professional and ethical boundaries. The BoN isn't there to protect you it's there to protect the public. You can lose your job and license and face criminal or civil charges. Many scammers do so out of the kindness of their heart

Nursey916 · Apr 1, 2015

Criminal or civil charges for what?

enuf_already · Apr 1, 2015

Criminal or civil charges for what?

Accusations stemming from boundaries violations. If any of these patients you are taking home accuse you of anything inappropriate (whether true or not) you could find yourself in a heap of trouble. Things like inappropriate touching, theft of property, coercion, could be career ending even if you were totally innocent.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Apr 1, 2015

Do you have malpractice insurance? If not now would be a great time to get it!

elkpark · Apr 1, 2015

Accusations stemming from boundaries violations. If any of these patients you are taking home accuse you of anything inappropriate (whether true or not) you could find yourself in a heap of trouble. Things like inappropriate touching, theft of property, coercion, could be career ending even if you were totally innocent.

Also any allegations of exploitation (abuse) of vulnerable individuals.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 1, 2015

Criminal or civil charges for what?

After reading all of these responses to your first post (and I'm sure you must have read them, as they were written specifically for you, right?).....HOW can you ask THIS question?

Are you honestly saying that after reading all of this, you have absolutely NO idea what criminal or civil charges you could be facing from now until the statutes run out??

You can (and might yet be) accused of theft, sexual misconduct, or coersion. A hard-up family member might decide you tried to trick Grandma into giving you a very valuable item that was pledged to her; the fact that this never happened doesn't mean a lawsuit won't be filed. A confused patient might claim you kept his medications at your house, so he had to go there to get them. Another might say you told her that she could only have her medication if she agreed to go to BINGO with you; you witheld pain meds because they wouldn't go shopping with you like Mrs. Smith did. And so on.

For the nurse who never crosses these boundaries, never takes patients out of the facility, it's a pretty easy in/out investigation, open and closed. For the nurse who DOES this, and does it regularly and openly.....not so easy, and not so open-and-shut.

We ALL have the best of intentions toward our patients. We do not, however, react unprofessionally on those intentions if we wish to keep our licenses and stay out of prison.

Nursey916 · Apr 1, 2015

Ok well I'm not a scammer so don't try to throw me in that category. A scammer takes things from people, which I have not done.

Nursey916 · Apr 1, 2015

I get the point. Thanks for the advice. No need to keep posting. I'm feeling very attacked at this point. I actually got the point about 25 posts ago :)

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Apr 1, 2015

We're not saying you're a scammer, but people are people. They will lie or since you work with the elderly just be forgetful.

My mom works in APS & I see this kind of thing all the time. They point fingers all.the.time. It's easy to cover yourself when you haven't done anything & have the proper documentation. But when you have done things like this, you can't cover yourself at all. All you can do is hope for the best.

If I were you I would stop bringing the patients over & get malpractice insurance. I know you are trying to be nice, but it will only bite you in the butt. Start looking into what services are offered in your area. If you need to, make calls to the APS in your area. That's what they are there for.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Apr 1, 2015

Criminal or civil charges for what?

Exploitation of vulnerable population which in turn will affect not only your license, can land you on the OIG list which limits your healthcare employability for any entity that accepts Medicare or Medicaid. Also ultimately bar you from working with pediatric, geriatric, and developmentally disabled populations.

Professional ethics charges can easily lead to civil charges for taking advantage of adults or developmentally disabled/cognitively impaired populations. Regardless of your intent the BoN and possibly the court won't care. Nurses are held to high ethical, moral and professional standards.

Most frightening is why on earth you felt it appropriate to not only bring a member home for a holiday (major ethical and liability risks there) but take a displaced domestic violence victim into your home! The displaced domestic violence victim did not necessarily need to be referred to the police but at least to a properly trained domestic violence shelter or organization. You put not only your client at risk but also your home and self.

You seem to not fully comprehend that your actions have placed you, your license, your livelihood and your employer at risk. Regardless if others do similar acts. Read the post from another member who has a similar job and the great potential for difference you can make if you change your approach and perspective. You need to be a professional, their advocate NOT their best friend. You can be caring without all the risk.