Conflict of interest? Family member? Please help!!

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2011

I'm pretty sure the BON doesn't have any specific guidelines for this situation, but don't quote me on that.

I think your facility will be the one with the say in the matter.

SoCalCrafter · Jul 23, 2011

I've written this reply three different times, and each time it gets longer. But I think you don't need to read my personal reasons as to why I wouldn't take the job. I think you simply need to ask yourself if you have a problem with it. Would you be able to work in a nursing home your great-grandmother resides in?

Just think about that for a minute...

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2011

I've written this reply three different times, and each time it gets longer. But I think you don't need to read my personal reasons as to why I wouldn't take the job. I think you simply need to ask yourself if you have a problem with it. Would you be able to work in a nursing home your great-grandmother resides in?
Just think about that for a minute...

Thats a good point acutally.

Either way, I would certainly inform the facility of it.

BeautifulDoeLVN · Jul 23, 2011

I also worked at a facility where my grandmother resided, but I also informed facility during the interview. I would let the Facility know ASAP, as far as the BON I don't think they have any specific guidelines, but it might be a conflict of interest.

I'd call the BON just to make sure.

pedicurn, LPN, RN · Jul 23, 2011

Hello,
I recently became a registered nurse and was offered a pool position at a nursing home that my great grandmother resides in.
It never came up during the interview. I start orientation this week. Is is considered a conflict of interest to care for her?
I checked the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing rules and regulations and couldn't find any information regarding this subject.
I'm going to call the BON on Monday and ask but was wondering for your input.
Thanks in advance!!

Yes ... providing care to a family member is a conflict of interest.

You need to tell your employer and ensure that you do not care for her

SoCalCrafter · Jul 23, 2011

Thats a good point acutally.

I was very young when my great-grandmother passed. I currently live with my grandmother to take care of the house in areas that she can't. If the time ever came for my Granny to move into a nursing home, I don't know If I would be able to work there where I could one day do my morning rounds and find she had passed through the night...

I'm not emotionally strong enough to handle that.

Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2011

Architects design houses for family members, teachers teach family members, police respond to emergencies of family members, lawyers represent familiy members, doctors provide care to family members, noone of the above is seen as a conflict of intrest, why do nurses feel they have to hold themselves seperate from any of those other professionals and see that caring for a family member is a conflict of intrest? There are plenty of people that work at nursing homes and care for their relatives. Nursing needs to get over itself and use common sense.

SoCalCrafter · Jul 23, 2011

Architects design houses for family members, teachers teach family members, police respond to emergencies of family members, lawyers represent familiy members, doctors provide care to family members, noone of the above is seen as a conflict of intrest, why do nurses feel they have to hold themselves seperate from any of those other professionals and see that caring for a family member is a conflict of intrest? There are plenty of people that work at nursing homes and care for their relatives. Nursing needs to get over itself and use common sense.

If this question had been about being in a hospital and treating a family member I agree. But the question was about a nursing home, where people spend their last days. Should she take the job? Under any other circumstances I would encourage "yes" but given that her great-grandmother resides there I not see a conflict of interest, but definitely a conflict of emotion. This is her great-grandmother were talking about, in a nursing home. I know personally I wouldn't want to work in the same nursing home my grandmother resides in (God willing she doesn't have to go to a nursing home)

MrsHijinx08 · Jul 23, 2011

I think you should most definitely let your employer know that your great-grandma is a resident at the facility, and if they're ok with it I would think long and hard about how you feel about working there. On one hand, it might be a benefit to be able to see your g-ma on a daily basis and to get to know the people caring for her. On the other, you might not be comfortable caring for your g-ma in a professional setting.

mrstookielpn · Jul 23, 2011

Please forgive me if I sound flippant, but I'm not understanding why one would decline a position on the grounds that the facility of choice is a location that a family member resides in. I understand if the facility has an issue with this and would agree with full disclosure at the interview, but I don't see where the BON should be involved. What if the situation were that one was already employed in a longterm care facility and a family member decided to make that place their home, I'm sure the facility would not turn the potential resident away. Again, I would notify the interviewer and be very careful about disclosing any information to well meaning friends and family. Good luck

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2011

In my facility we have had several family members of staff who resided at the LTC facility. All of our resident came to us after their family members were hired.

I don't think any of the family had direct patient care of their family member on a consistent basis as the family member was on a different assignment or floor/unit. We did have a few occasions where the nurse was a float to the assignment the family member was on. What she did was ask that the other nurse take "grandma" and she would take a resident from the other nurses assignment. She did that so that no one (other residents, staff or families of the other residents) would ever be able to say that Grandma got special or preferential treatment from the nurse. But that was the nurses choice, it wasn't dictated by the powers that be at the facility.