False accusations.

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I work as an LPN at an assisted living facility while I'm in school to be an RN.

I got a call over the radio Sunday that a grumpy family member wanted to complain to someone about his father's care (something that had nothing to do with me.) I said I'd be there in five minutes. A second later I got a call from a CNA saying there was an emergency in the room next to the grumpy family member's father's room. I rushed to that room and found the CNA with the resident who had fallen and broken both his legs. So I called for an ambulance and did all the things necessary to send someone to the hospital. Then, literally as we are pushing the screaming man out the door of his room, the grumpy family member confronts me and says, "Are you the guy that said he would come to my father's room 'in five minutes'?" And I said, " . . . yeah, that's me." Anyway, the guy complained that I chose to treat the patient with the broken legs before listening to him complain about his father. So I listened to his complaints, told him I would pass them on, and went back to work. By the way, his complaints were stupid.

The next day my supervisor tells me that the grumpy family member complained to someone that it took me a half hour to arrive to help the resident with the broken legs.

I don't even know if this will get me in trouble, but it has me pretty angry and upset. What are everyone's thoughts on this situation? Especially if I get fired over this can I sue the scumbag for damages? I have witnesses who can say I was there in a minute.

I won't do this, but part of me is tempted to find where the guy lives and break his legs. I just get kind of irritated when people randomly make serious false accusations against me.

Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

My face is on fire just imagining you standing there listening to a rant while a human being is laying on a cold floor with multiple fractures. I am amazed anyone (anybody), nurse or otherwise, would think it ok to stop even one second during this (((emergency))) and "listen" to a family member (not even another patient need).

If room 3233 wants a glass of lukewarm water and a sugar wafer with vanilla cream filling- it trumps a patient's family member request anyday. Wow, I'm still in shock this happened to you, but I know from the threads its a "Daily" reality now. We are in a dangerous cycle when "Satisfaction" trumphs "Outcome."

God Be With Everyone of Us!!! Management Has Left the Building!!!!:brb:

A simple phone call would have (maybe) averted all that. As RNs we need to multitask and that means consider everything at once and act accordingly. Once I received the emergency call I would have radioed and told whoever to tell the family member that an emergency happened and you would be with them as soon as possible.

Your attitude is extremely unprofessional. Hopefully if you become an RN you will have a better outlook. You're going to be working with a lot more then just a grumpy man and you need to be ready.

No, his attitude is very professional. LPNs, believe it or not, are perfectly capable of doing what needs to be done WHEN it needs to be done just like RNs can. He may not have had time to ask someone to babysit the family member en route to the EMERGENCY situation.

I won't do this, but part of me is tempted to find where the guy lives and break his legs.

Well, I certainly don't think you are unprofessional, Capp.

You said, "I wouldn't do this" and so, congratulations on your restraint!

Now (I wouldn't do this) but part of me would be tempted to loan you the GPS so you can find where the guy lives and also (I wouldn't do this) loan you the bat so you can break his legs.

But we're not going to do this, now are we?

NO!

Phew!

Professionalism preserved!

:D

Specializes in LTC and School Health.
A simple phone call would have (maybe) averted all that. As RNs we need to multitask and that means consider everything at once and act accordingly. Once I received the emergency call I would have radioed and told whoever to tell the family member that an emergency happened and you would be with them as soon as possible.

Your attitude is extremely unprofessional. Hopefully if you become an RN you will have a better outlook. You're going to be working with a lot more then just a grumpy man and you need to be ready.

I used to me a LPN in ALF, the OP did everything correct. Time is crucial. I don't have time to radio to tell the family member xyz, my nurse brain would have went straight to the emergency. If I saw the family member on the way to the room I would tell them give me a some time as I'm running. I hope that any RN will NEVER prioritize a family complaint over a fall.

OP your documentation should be enough to CYB.

poor tyvin lol...crushed her thoughts

An emergency is an emergency, plain and simple. When an unexpected emergency happens, then you can not have time to think about "welll I should tell Grumpy first that I am needed in another room...." Unfortunate for the CNA, who I hope did not get seriously hurt--however, I am sure your CNA will attest to when it was that you arrived to the room. Patients' families need to realize that their loved one is in a nursing facility, not the Ritz Carlton. And that daddy didn't get shaved today needs to take a back seat to one of your CNA's on the floor with a patient with broken legs on top of her. And if your administration doesn't support this I would find somewhere else to work.

We like to joke that it's not "right to work" but the "right to get fired." :roflmao:

Anyhow, the only negative is the 30 minutes for EMT/ambulance to arrive. It seems heinous that it would take 30 minutes for them to come for two severely broken legs. The response time for an ambulance to arrive on calls should be within 6-8 minutes (better if it is even less - below 5 minutes). "The price of just a few seconds lost: People die" USATODAY.com

I do 100% agree with the prioritization of the person with the broken legs (common sense, really!!! :)), but why is the EMT/ambulance in your city so slow (30 minutes to arrive)?

Hopefully with this health reform, we can get this fixed. There obviously needs to be more funding for medical response care (especially in your area) and cut this time down with improvement.

Well anyone can sue but since all states but one are work "at will" they can fire you for almost anything. Is this in the US? Most employers will try to protect themselves nonetheless and slowly build a case against you unless the offense is so egregious it speaks for itself. Also if you are in a protected class the employer seems to be a bit more cautious.

I thought your response was totally reasonable and human. It is normal to be upset and angry when someone lies about you trys to destroy your reputation and make your life difficult. Are you supposed just take it...I think not. Any manager that cannot really gather the facts and see what really happened here and then do the right thing is a coward. Had you taken care of the man complaints first then you really would have violated the standard of care in this situation. If possible give families as little information as possible. I would have just said I was busy with an emergency. I know that in close quarters this can be impossible sometimes but the less information they have the less they can try and twist and use against you.

OP you did the right thing. You were paged to an emergency and were focused (appropriately) on that. There was no time to stop and let the family member know, because your patient/resident needed your full attention NOW and you gave it to them. Job well done. You listened to the family member when you were able, and it is not your fault that he refused to acknowledge that an event happened between the time you said you would speak to him and the time you were able to get there.

Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

OP, you were right on the money.

BTW, anyone seen tyvin?

OP good for you. I have had parents make up things about me when i was a pediatric nurse because as a charge I sometimes had to be the bad guy. Once in a while managers do take thier sides. However in your situation, i doubt any manager with 2 brain cells to rub together will think you should have dropped it all to listen to some whining. You have your witnesses and your charting which is your legal document. There will also be the 911 recording/log of when that was called, and as the nurse you can't just leave his side..HE HAD 2 BROKEN LEGS OMG. I have to just LOL thinking of the idiot family member...Narcissist much?

AngelfireRN...i was thinking the same thing. She has no idea the anger she drew with her remarks.

OP...i have left work many times in tears, I have been a nurse for nearly 2 decades (graduated in 94) and still have issues...my worst professional year was this last year...horrible!

LVN's are just (beat me if you wish) nurses who have more on the job training then classroom. I have always felt that if you took core classes and had REALLY good preceptors you could learn nursing as a whole ON THE JOB. Beleive me when i say..i spent my first years in a clinic raising my babies...started working in a hospital nearly 9 yrs after graduating...i was worse then a new grad...if it hadnt been for a good 3 month orientation with a fantastic preceptor i'd have fallen on my face. Its 10% book, 90% sweet blood and tears to be a nurse...atleast A GOOD nurse.

Well done OP.

Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Meh, brush it off. I have literally had patients yell at me because it took too long to get their kiddo tylenol....AS WE ARE ACTIVELY CODING A PT! We tell them we are dealing with an emergency and well they simply dont care. Its all about me me me this day and age. Get used to it, its only getting worse.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
We like to joke that it's not "right to work" but the "right to get fired." :roflmao:

Anyhow, the only negative is the 30 minutes for EMT/ambulance to arrive. It seems heinous that it would take 30 minutes for them to come for two severely broken legs. The response time for an ambulance to arrive on calls should be within 6-8 minutes (better if it is even less - below 5 minutes). "The price of just a few seconds lost: People die" USATODAY.com

I do 100% agree with the prioritization of the person with the broken legs (common sense, really!!! :)), but why is the EMT/ambulance in your city so slow (30 minutes to arrive)?

Hopefully with this health reform, we can get this fixed. There obviously needs to be more funding for medical response care (especially in your area) and cut this time down with improvement.

I am not sure what area you work in......or if you deal with the transfer of patients to other facilities....or work in pateint care areas at all.......but in any area when a patient is to be transferred out of a facility to another....even if they are coding......after calls are made, there is paperwork that is required to be filled out...med sheets to be copied...things that need to eb done.

Even If they use 911.....this paperwork must be completed before the patient leaves the facility or be subject to fines and removal from CMS approval/accreditation....are in violation of federal COBRA laws (anti-dumping)....state regulations....etc.

The ambulance may be there in less time but to pack stabilize immobilize, complete copies of chart and paper work and out the door in 30mins.....deserves a standing ovation.

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