Being written up

[Springdaisy04]

I was written up for something that happened over a week ago. One of my patients who suffered a stroke and is not able to move her arms and legs very well and has difficulty with speech asked me call her husband one night. I dialed the  number for her like I've numerous times before.  They video chat. I stayed a little bit because I had to hold the phone for her. I could not understand what she was saying to her husband. After the conversation ended, the husband called the facility  saying his wife said she was punched in the mouth by her aid. I reported it to the supervisor and it was investigated and the CNA was suspended but has since returned to work. I initially said I was not in the room during the phone call which I  was. I was wrong for lying. Now they were accusing me that I am the one who put the idea in the patient's head and that the family confirmed. Those are all lies, I never said such things. I was with the aid when she was providing care to the resident. I know nothing happened. I know it looks bad when I said I wasn't in the room during the phone call with the patients husband.  I just meant that I didn't stay there long because I put the phone in the patient's hand so she can continue talking with her husband. I then left the room. I explained that to the DON and Administrator.  However a week after the fact. I was called to the office and written up for not being truthful.  I understand that but why did they take so long to decide to write me up. Why did they not write me up when it first happened if they felt I deserved it. Why wait so long. It doesn't make sense to me and seems a little fishy. Maybe I am exaggerating, I don't know. Please any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks again. Sorry for the long post.

[JKL33]

Important to remember that the person receiving this sort of phone call from the husband would be obligated to report having received such a call.

The OP didn't really have the option of not reporting this.

It's just that reporting it could have gone like this: "I received a call from Mr. S.  He states that during a phone call Mrs. S told him that [CNA] punched her in the face. I was present with [CNA] during patient care and know that this did not happen. I believe that there may have been a miscommunication between Mr. and Mrs. S because it is very difficult to understand Mrs. S's speech. Just before Mr. S called to make this report, I helped Mrs. S make a phone call to him and during the time that I was in the room (before I left to attend to other duties) I really couldn't understand anything she was saying."

[areason4stars, ASN, RN]

On 9/27/2020 at 11:22 PM, Springdaisy04 said:

I stayed a little bit because I had to hold the phone for her. I could not understand what she was saying to her husband.

I initially said I was not in the room during the phone call which I  was. I was wrong for lying.

  I just meant that I didn't stay there long because I put the phone in the patient's hand so she can continue talking with her husband. I then left the room. 

I am a little confused did you have to hold the phone for her the whole time? Or did you place it in her hands and left the room?

 

Besides the major issue of lying, maybe they now  think you were in the room the whole time and they are concerned you didn't engage with the patient/ family member when she informed the husband about the abuse initially and reported it right away. Instead the report procedure wasn't followed until after the husband called the unit. Maybe  with them thinking you were in the room for the whole conversation they are questioning why nothing was started on your end right then vs waiting until family member  called the unit.....

[areason4stars, ASN, RN]

On 9/29/2020 at 8:43 PM, londonflo said:

 

Did you realize the aide was innocent of the charge, was suspended, probably there was financial loss and loss of reputation?

 

 An allegations  would still need to be reported and investigated regardless of  knowing its false.  There is no choice/discretion at least not at my facility. 

[DesiDani]

Wait what?!?!

The pt accused the CNA of abuse. You lied and said you weren't in the room. You admit that you knew that it never happened, the family thinks you planted the idea in her head ( guessing dementia). The pt must have some deficits since you had to hold the phone.

 

The CNA got suspended for something that you said never happened and the family thinks was a planted idea and YOU are worried about a write up?!?!

Really?

 

[DesiDani]

On 9/28/2020 at 5:46 AM, Been there,done that said:

The phone call is not the issue.  The alleged assault is the issue.  You reported the issue and  followed procedure.

 You were written up, because the powers that be are throwing you under the bus for the incident. 

Get outta Dodge.  

The only one that got thrown under the bus was the CNA. It looks like the pt's family thinks so too.

[DesiDani]

On 9/27/2020 at 8:22 PM, Springdaisy04 said:

I was with the aid when she was providing care to the resident. I know nothing happened.

 

On 9/27/2020 at 8:22 PM, Springdaisy04 said:

I reported it to the supervisor and it was investigated and the CNA was suspended but has since returned to work.

RN: "I know you got suspended for something I KNOW YOU DIDN'T DO"? "At least you got your job back ?"

CNA: ?

 

Talk about oblivious.

I do apology if anyone is offended by this post.

[londonflo]

8 hours ago, areason4stars said:

 An allegations  would still need to be reported and investigated regardless of  knowing its false.  There is no choice/discretion at least not at my facility. 

Yes, I agree. The OP left out a valuable piece of information that should have accompanied the report. The action of 'being written up' has caused more distress to the OP than the fact that an innocent CNA was suspended because the OP left out pertinent facts.

[DeeAngel]

Stop talking to anyone about this, remove this post and get an attorney through your malpractice provider.  Not one more word to anyone, you are being set up to be goated.  Refer all future questions to your attorney.

[amoLucia]

Desi & london - You guys are right. That's what is most distressing about this post. It appears OP's biggest concern is that she was unable to pull off her 'cover her butt' attempt, and for that she's been 'busted'.

However, this post is a very good example to demonstrate that staff must speak up & follow P&P, totally truthfully and in a timely fashion, when pt situations go 'hinckey'. This episode has turned out to be one big ERROR after ERROR. A big snowball avalanching effect.

 

 

 

 

 

[londonflo]

3 hours ago, DeeAngel said:

get an attorney through your malpractice provider.  Not one more word to anyone, you are being set up to be goated.  Refer all future questions to your attorney.

Why would the OP need a malpractice attorney? Because of her veracity in hindsight?   By her own admission, she lied. If anybody has a grievance it is the CNA who should consult an employment law attorney and sue the facility for the suspension and the OP for dishonesty (by omission). 

 

 

[areason4stars, ASN, RN]

15 hours ago, londonflo said:

Yes, I agree. The OP left out a valuable piece of information that should have accompanied the report. The action of 'being written up' has caused more distress to the OP than the fact that an innocent CNA was suspended because the OP left out pertinent facts.

Gotcha. Sorry I thought you were implying that if she knew it was false that it shouldn't have been reported , but now I see how you were just saying that she should have included the information about being in the room during the CNA care in the repot. My apologizes. 

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

Did you really lie or were you just trying to make sense of the situation?

I might have said the same thing if I was in your shoes, but I would not admit to lying. Not every untruth is a lie. 

You were there and heard nothing about your patient getting punched. 

When you heard that the patient reported being punched, did you at first assume you must have left the room when that happened? When you are confronted with something that surprises you, take time with your answer. Nurses aren't liars. But we miss things sometimes.

Anyway, administrators have to show that they've done something when there is a report. Uncreative administrators sometimes write people up as their action plan.

I think that's the most likely situation here. 

It took a week, because thats how long it took for whoever was investigating this problem to decide that their plan was to discipline you,  as though you were the problem.