Asked to Write a Formal Explanation

Nurses General Nursing

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I am an RN in CO at an Addiction RTC & today, while on break I layed down in the station to rest. I fell asleep during that & allegedly a CNA tried to awaken me once & I didnt wake up. After 20min of napping I woke up myself & during that nap the CCA called another RN at a sister facility claiming she was concerned of impairment, as I am not able to afford my heart meds (due to a company email hack where I spent 1000$ on gift cards when CEO email was hacked.) I passed my UA & Breathalyzer as well as neuros. Now I have to write a statement. Needing any help, suggestions, etc on this.

Msg from Doctor: Hope you’re feeling OK. With the concern by the cca will need to go through proper protocols. I’ll just need you to write up a formal explanation. I’ll see if I can come in during your shift Sunday or Monday to meet.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

You should talk to your carrier.

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This is confusing, to me. Are you in a home type of setting? Are you the only nurse there? Were you on an official, off the clock break? Is the nursing station a designated break area?

What, exactly, are you supposed to be explaining in this formal letter? The heart meds/email hack/gift card angle seems bizarre. I don't think I would mention any of that in a letter, even if it's been mentioned informally.

It probably would be best to seek legal advice. If you choose not to, I advise that you say very little and keep things very simple.

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Specializes in NICU/Mother-Baby/Peds/Mgmt.

A CNA allegedly tried to wake you yet you woke up yourself after 20 minutes? Why would she try to wake you before 20 minutes? Even if your break is 15 minutes... really? My view is if you're on break it's your time to do what you want, as long as it's not illegal. I think someone here is fudging the truth and it's not you. I agree, keep it simple and next time you go on break set an alarm.

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If you were on your break what does it matter? Why were they needing to wake you up?

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You fell asleep/were impaired because you couldn’t afford your heart medications because you spent 1000 dollars on gift cards that turned out to be a company ceo e-mail scam?

Sorry, your story is super confusing. Maybe start again with the story? and contact a lawyer or your malpractice so you can make the best choice in handling situation.

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There was no malpractice, so you don't need to talk to your insurance carrier. ?

I would refuse to write a statement...or, keep it to a couple of sentences. "I fell asleep for 20 minutes. I woke up and returned to work". Seriously, there is nothing else to tell .

1) They have zero evidence they tried to wake you up. I honestly think this is made up bullcrap.

2) You passed your tests.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
1 hour ago, Jory said:

There was no malpractice, so you don't need to talk to your insurance carrier. ?

That's what we pay them for - to provide legal advice for work-related issues. There doesn't have to be malpractice in order to avail ourselves of the services we pay for.

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So you have a heart condition that you cannot afford medications for that made you tired?

If it was just a problem of you didn't get enough sleep and just wanted to rest for a minute but didn't expect to fall asleep I would just say that and that you can assure it won't happen again. But I'm not a lawyer and would hate to give you advice that got you fired, that's just what I would do but I also don't have any medical condition that would make me tired.

Also did any of this happen in front of a camera? Can they prove that the CNA actually tried to wake you did the CNA take one look at you and decided to report you? I'm curious as to why their first thought was impairment.

If the situation is because of your medical condition, I would consult a lawyer. If you don't have access to a lawyer I would sit down with someone and really get the story straight before writing anything down. I don't think "I can't afford medication" will be an "oh ok, you're off the hook" answer. If you have a medical condition they can't discriminate but at the same time the facility needs a nurse who is alert. If it has to do with a heart condition, I would think you should disclose that to your workplace for accommodations but again, I would consult a lawyer about this.

Good luck!

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Short simple. I was on my break. I chose to nap during my break. I woke up and successfully worked the remainder of my shift.

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6 hours ago, klone said:

That's what we pay them for - to provide legal advice for work-related issues. There doesn't have to be malpractice in order to avail ourselves of the services we pay for.

You may not realize this, but if you keep calling your "just to run questions by them", they will consider you a higher risk and they will refuse to renew you. You don't have to make an actual claim.

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Specializes in ER.

Get them to make a request in writing for your explanation, with all the evidence they have, CNA s statement, video, whatever. You don't need to reply until you get all the information.

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