Board investigation/ disgruntled terminated coworker

Nurses Stress 101

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I work in mental health as the only RN. As such I delegate the task of passing medications to non licensed staff. Recently, one of those staff came on shift and changed a doctors order that I had written as a telephone order and another staff had transcribed correctly, a temp nurse had checked and signed off on noting it. It was a PRN that had time parameters. She decided that If it had time parameters then it must need to be scheduled. So she changed it. ( she had transcribe this kind of order correctly two days earlier, and again later that afternoon, but his one some how she was confused and sure I had trained her to do it this way so that she could successfully write up the other employee and the other nurse.) so because she changed a doctors order ( among many other issues, including she was rescinded earlier in the year and retrained for medication errors) she was let go. I don't know all the other issues only that there were some as I am not management. She has now filed a complaint with the board of nursing against me ( I know it is her because she sent me a text stating that this was far from over believe her then bragged to other coworkers that she was retaliating by turning me in to the board to make my life hell). The letter I got says failure to meet nursing standards for documentation, medication administration and supervision of staff. I don't even know what that means and the board won't talk to me until my appointment the middle of December. I document very well, pounded in my head in nursing and dental hygiene school. I rarely pass medication and other then the delegation piece I don't supervise staff. I have my delegation very well documented. I am so stressed and don't know what to do. Everything I read online says to hire an attorney even before you talk to the board, but that seems so over the top when it is a disgruntled employee issue. Anyone been through this? Any ideas?

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Contact your malpractice/personal carrier, if you have one as license defense is a service provided by this coverage.

You can contact a nurse attorney through the taana attorney referral service here: TAANA | Attorney Referral

Since you are a nurse, not an attorney you might want to consider contacting an attorney experienced in going before the board of nursing in your state. Be certain to inform them of the evidence you have from the terminated employee (the text message threat).

Good luck. Thread closed for staff review.

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