BON Reprimand For Being Late To Work 3x

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Regret,

Reprimands are typically in the public record, but they are the lowest form of discipline.

If asked about BON discipline on future job applications, you have to disclose it.

You must disclose if you apply for licensure in another state.

A BON-issued reprimand for being late to work is quite odd. Discipline is usually reserved for violating the Nurse Practice Act.

Tip: Whenever you receive discipline from the BON, it's to your benefit to show remorse. Being deeply regretful is good, but saying you "started documentation on my scheduled arrival time" will not help your cause. Also...that's confusing.

Being late to work 3 days in a row is not a mistake, it's a pattern, and it's not respectful to your colleagues waiting to give handoff and go home.

I am sorry you are in trouble, it's no fun-but thankfully, its minor. 

[JKL33]

Nurse Beth said:

A BON-issued reprimand for being late to work is quite odd. Discipline is usually reserved for violating the Nurse Practice Act.

The way I read it is that it's possible the reprimand is not primarily (or maybe at all) about being late but about

Nurse Beth said:

but started documentation on my scheduled arrival time

false documentation.

[Sam121]

Isn't this more of a job specific intervention and maybe a reprimand from the employer at the most, and not a BON jurisdiction thing Nurse Beth?

[Wuzzie]

Nurse Beth said:

Yes, it is, and that's why it's puzzling. There is more than meets the eye here.

I wonder if the employer reported them for "patient abandonment". If that's the case it's fraudulent. I just can't believe any board would get involved in tardiness issues. 

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Tardiness is an employer issue and not a BON issue. Must be more going on here.

[delrionurse]

Nurse Beth said:

but started documentation on my scheduled arrival time, I deeply regretted this.

I also interpreted this as the reason she/he was reported. Documentation was started when the nurse was not present. 

[Wuzzie]

delrionurse said:

I also interpreted this as the reason she/he was reported. Documentation was started when the nurse was not present. 

Oooo. I missed that detail. They got her on fraudulent documentation then. Oof dah. That's going to have some hang time. Unecessarily vindictive on the part of her employer in my opinion.

[JKL33]

sleepwalker said:

Yep...that was my read as well

Yes, and just to clarify my first comment I didn't mean that the things documented were necessarily false but that it was made to look as if they were done by the OP at a time that they couldn't have been because s/he wasn't there.

[Jeff Keeth, BSN, MSN, RN]

I'm totally confused by your issue. If the problem is being late for 3 days in a row,  then you need to put yourself in the position of the nurses getting off after 12 hours of work. That's very selfish. If it's being late & documenting you were on time then that's essentially stealing. Either way, it's not a good situation to be.

[Robmoo, ADN, BSN, RN]

Jeff Keeth said:

I'm totally confused by your issue. If the problem is being late for 3 days in a row,  then you need to put yourself in the position of the nurses getting off after 12 hours of work. That's very selfish. If it's being late & documenting you were on time then that's essentially stealing. Either way, it's not a good situation to be.

Being late isn't the issue with the BON it was back timing her documentation to before he/she had actually arrived on the unit.  For example, documenting an assessment at 0700 that was not actually done until 0830.

[NICURNTN]

If her place of employment uses electronic charting, it would time stamp when her entries were made anyway. Everyone is right about thinking there's more to this, however, I would seek out the advice of an attorney if I were her. It seems awfully harsh for something to carry with you for your career for tardiness. I also understand the angle of false documentation. It seems like such an unfortunate situation. If there is a reason for her tardiness such as a personal problem that she needs help with, perhaps she could reach out to her EAP. I wish her the best of luck. There's always forgiveness and redemption. 

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

Yeah dude, it doesn't sound like the reprimand was from being late!  Nurse Beth, you should change the headline to "Reprimanded for falsifying documentation"