Co-worker switched hospices, now poaching our pts.

Published

Specializes in LTC, Sub-Acute, Hopsice.

A co-worker left to work for another hospice and has raided a facility where we had quite a few patients. Close to half of them went with the other hospice, supposedly to stay with that nurse. In my opinion, this nurse should never had told these patients which hospice she was going to. If she was unhappy at her job, she should have just moved on. She also has poached a couple of our home paitents, she was in one patients home when our nurse came to do a visit...the family of the patient actually hustled her out the back door so our nurse would not see her (our nurse saw her car). I feel this is a conflict of interest (being lead case manager at a facility where she was with the previous hospice) and by being in a patients home who was still on our hospice service when she no longer worked for us. Also, there was one patient who was receiving phone calls from the "new" hospice, saying that "your nurse now works for us, don't you want to switch to us?" Which to me seems to be a HIPAA violation.

I never thought this nurse was so unethical that she would try to make herself look good to her new employer by gaining "new" patients for them in such an underhanded way. Has anyone else had this happen? We had a couple of very frustrating weeks at the hands of this nurse, although we have recovered the census. Any thoughts?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice.

Not illegal but clearly unethical ... your company may wind up suing her.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This type of behavior is not uncommon, but definitely frowned upon. She has burned her bridge with your agency. Not a wise thing to do, as she has established a bad reputation and it will certainly stick with her in the future.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

We had a nurse who did the same thing. She worked for us as DON for about a year and then went to work for another hospice. We had 3 or 4 families call to say they wanted to change hospice providers and a few asking why _______ wanted them to change. I actually saw her car at one pts home when I was making an extra to change a foley. Shortly after I left the family called to say they wanted to change providers. It is unethical as heck! She has since left the other hospice and works in home health.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Home Health, Hospice.

Such a big no no...shame on her.

on the flip side: The Patient/Family does have a right to decide what Hospice to go with, however, if the Patient/Family is "told"...big no no, HIPAA violation..Sharing Patient info...big trouble for her if the Previous company decides to go after her. Not good. Plus, Her name will get around as a "patient stealer"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

shake a bag of potatoes...a little dirt and occasionally a bug or two falls out..

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice, Home Health.

bad form. legally, she has no right to approach pts or families now that she is no longer working 4 ur agency.

linda

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion