Did Nursing Supervisor do the right thing?

[EtoseLvr03]

I work on a "chronic" unit (our patients are here for months or even years). Each nurse is assigned a certain amount of paperwork (pertaining to our patients) that is due each month. I am always current on my paperwork load for the certain patients that are assigned to me.

I have this one patient assigned to me since the spring of this year, 2010. Previously, this patient was on another unit, assigned to another nurse. There was supposed to have been an annual nurses note/assessment done on this patient last year, by the nurse who was assigned the patient at that time. However, that nurse did not do this paperwork then.

My supervisor (who has been our supervisor for less than a year) told me that I have to do it. I told my supervisor I didn't feel comfortable, since this assessment was pertaining to the patient from 2008-2009, and this patient wasn't even on my unit then. I also voiced that it is not fair for me to be doing another nurses notes that were assigned to her/him. Her explanation was, "well I'm not tracking down who was responsible for this at that time, because I don't feel like doing that." Was this action by my supervisor fair?

[clemmm78, RN]

How does the assessment pertain to 2008-2009? That doesn't make sense. Assessments are supposed to be done about issues that are at the moment. They can be compared to behaviours and so on from a while ago to document changes but not the actual assessment done from before.

Whether or not the other nurse did it doesn't matter. The patient is now yours and your responsibility. Do the assessment. As the patient's nurse, you need to know what is going on and the only way to actively and thoroughly know this is to do it yourself.

Enough with the "was this fair" stuff from people. Really.

[EtoseLvr03]

It was a yearly assessment that was due in Dec. 09. There was another nurse that was supposed to do this yearly assessment at that time back in Dec. 09!!! Now do you understand Clemm???

[mamamerlee, LPN]

If you did not know the patient at the time the yearly assessment was due, you cannot do that assessment. At the very least, if that other nurse is still working there, she should be approached to do it.

You can only document on what you know. Is there a new baseline assessment from when you began caring for this pt? That would start the new year, I would think.

[realnursealso/LPN, LPN]

How does this brilliant mind propose you write a yearly assessment of this patient for that year when you did not have him/her as a patient? Stupid supervisor had better "track this person down". Wonder what thought process was happening when she/he thought you should do last yrs assessment? You know, sometimes I swear, people don't think things through, or use common sence.

[CNL2B]

I don't think you can legally backdate an assessment if you weren't caring for the patient at the time -- that would be falsifying a medical record.

If the paperwork is overdue, I believe your boss can fairly ask you to do the paperwork NOW (which is what she is asking you, right?) Regardless of who dropped the ball, the paperwork needs to get done. The patient is yours now. It sounds like it is your problem now to me (whether it got dumped on you or not) -- sorry, not meaning to sound harsh, and I know it's no fun to have to do stuff that you know that should have been done before (in this case, it sounds like months ago.) But, oh well. I guess that's what we get paid for.

[Crux1024]

If youre "forced" to write up an assessment, make sure you date it currently. Someone else paperwork is not your issue, the supes job should be to track down that person and ask them. Sounds like they are basically asking you to lie about it. Say no to backdating the assessment, your license can depend on it.

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

I'd say she's asking you to do something that could cost the facility big fines (aka Medicare Fraud). Assess the patient, date it the day you do the assessment and make an occurrence report that states the '09 assessment could not be found. The SHE can explain to the lawyers what happened.

[DebblesRN, ASN, BSN, RN]

If it were me, I would do the assessment and make sure it is dated for the day you do it. If they want to put it in the file for December--that's on their heads and they can take that chance. Is it fair?? No. But the assessment needs to be done, even if it is late. If the other nurse is gone, who else is going to do it??

Boo to the nurse who left it undone. Now she has compromised the patient's chart, and inconvenienced everyone else.

Hope you get that patient's file back on track. You are a professional, I know you'll do a great job!! :)

Some people sure do word their replies HARSHLY. Jeez.

***By the way--sorry--I think a bunch of us were posting pretty much at the same time or close to it. LOL We all said the same thing. :) ***

[skylark, BSN, RN]

Maybe I am missing something here, but how exactly would you know what the client's condition was in December 2009?

If they want an assessment, fine, but make it 100% clear that it is current, and not related in any way to the one they have requested. You cannot be expected to provide info on a condition that you have personally not witnessed.

[nursinger]

If you don't feel comfortable doing something, then don't do it. Why wasn't this error caught a year ago? They should be checking every month to see who has a yearly assessment due and then made sure they're done just to avoid incidents like this. If it were me, I wouldn't be doing it. I'd most definitely do a current assessment because he/she is my pt at this time. But a year ago on another unit? No way. It's not your fault it wasn't done and you shouldn't be made to "fix" the problem. They could write me up all they want, it's still not going to make it my problem to fix.

[steelcityrn, RN]

don't do it!