Ethical Dilemma

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in geriatrics, long term care, oncology.

What would you do if you knew of a situation where an ADN was representing herself as a nurse practitioner? She told the manager of the nursing home that she could do the same job as the NP for less money so they got rid of their NP, and now the ADN tells families she is an NP. She "practices" like an NP but without an understanding of pathophysiology or critical thinking skills her clinical judgment is so bad patient deaths are way up, of course it could just be that the patients are old.....When one old man with terminal cancer became short of breath, instead of following the palliative care plan she just crushed up several morphine tabs and fed them to him in ice cream. Would you tell somebody or would you keep your mouth shut and hope somebody else blows the whistle? What would you do?

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Specializes in ICU.

If she is telling people that she is an NP, then she is breaking the law. It needs to be reported to the state's BON.

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If she is telling people that she is an NP, then she is breaking the law. It needs to be reported to the state's BON.

Absolutely. I don't even know how there's a question here unless this is hypothetical. Even then, the answer is clear. They are breaking the law and endangering literally everyone around them.

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this has nothing to do with ethics and everything to do with legality.

yes, report her to the BON immediately!

how the heck is she writing scripts?

i don't understand how she is getting away with this.

does she sign her name jane doe, np?

can we talk ballzy?

yikes.

BON...tomorrow am.

leslie

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If she is telling people that she is an NP, then she is breaking the law. It needs to be reported to the state's BON.

mag, how far back was this thread?

i just noticed it's dated 3/17....

and you're the 1st response?

leslie

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She's a huge danger to the patients. Report her to the BON first thing tomorrow morning before more patients pay the price.

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Specializes in ICU.
mag, how far back was this thread?

i just noticed it's dated 3/17....

and you're the 1st response?

leslie

It was about six pages back.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

She is in violation of the nurse practice act for her state. She is also practicing medicine without a license. This should be reported immediately TO THE BOARD and to law enforcement. You can tell her boss also, but I would not rely on anyone else to report her. Are the people that hired her so stupid that they did not check her license?

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Specializes in Home Care, Primary care NP, QI, Nsg Adm.

Officer; "arrest that woman".... (for the "too intense", just making a point. Must be reported if what is stated is the actual fact; it is really unethical, potentially dangerous and probably against a variety of rules and regs.)

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Specializes in TELE/MICU/SICU/CCU.

omg, how could you sit and watch this?! call the police! this is so sad, these are peoples lives!

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.

"Ethical Dilema"!!!???

Assuming everything you just told us is true:

That's about as flagrant a violation of professional nursing ethics as they come! :eek:

Please tell me you contacted the authorities soon after you posted ....

- Roy

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