Falsified a Blood Sugar

[Heartbrokennurse11]

I am a new nurse and worked in a LTC facility where I was recently terminated for falsifying a Blood Sugar reading. I feel horrible about it and I just want to crawl under a rock. I was running late passing meds and I completely forgot to take a BS for a patient who is diabetic but is not on any medications or insulin for their diabetes. I was freaking out... this is my first job out of college and I thought I'd be in big trouble if I didn't record this Blood Sugar so I made one up. Needless to say they caught me and fired me. Going forward, I am worried I will get my license suspended or revoked bc of falsifying the medical record. Any input on what I should do as I move forward in my nursing career?

[NurseCard, ADN]

I'm sitting here reading this post a couple of weeks after you wrote it

OP, and trying to think of something to say that is NOT condemning of

you, and without having read the other replies. :)

You KNOW that what you did was wrong. You know that blood sugar

checks are ordered for a reason, and since you didn't actually do the

blood sugar check... no one can know for sure if the client's sugar

was really actually a nice, safe 120.... or a dangerous 40, or 500.

Right? You know that what you did was wrong, I am sure.

*I* know, that you were in a hurry to get everything done. I

know that you very likely had too high of a patient load, too

much stuff to do...

Remember... nursing is a 24/7 job, no matter what anyone says.

If you are nearing the end of your shift and simply unable

to get everything done that NEEDS to be done... get done

everything that you can, then TELL the next shift coming on,

"Oh, I was not able to check Ms. Jones' blood sugar, is

there any way that you could do that please?". Especially

if you are working in one of those facilities that absolutely

forbid overtime.

If oncoming nurse says "sure"... you are covered. If they

say "I really can't do that, is there any way you can do it

really quick before you leave". Well... a few extra minutes

to do a blood sugar is better than getting fired for

falsifying.

I DO realize that tasks pile up so high sometimes in LTC,

that if you always followed my advice above... you might

be asking the oncoming nurse to do twenty things!

But... please don't falsify. If you aren't able to do it,

ask someone else to, if you possibly can.

Good luck to you. :)

[Susie2310]

Did you read the original post?

The patient was not on any type of diabetic medication. Sounds like diet controlled or "borderline diabetic".

The problem is the falsification of records. I've never seen orders written for non medicated diabetics.

A better question is how was the fraud uncovered? Did OP self report?

Yes, and my post stands. I'm an RN. Hypoglycemia can be just as deadly to a patient who is not on diabetic medication as it can be to a patient who is; diet controlled or borderline diabetic notwithstanding. Not all patients who suffer from hypoglycemia are on diabetic medication. Hyperglycemia can have serious consequences for the patient too.

There was a physician's order to check the patient's blood sugar. The physician wrote the order for a reason.

The problem is not just falsification of records. And the fact that you haven't seen orders written for non medicated diabetics is meaningless.

It seems to be escaping you that the OP made up a blood sugar and that there could have been serious consequences for the patient.

[InScrubs_Wyoming307]

She lit that place up like the 4 the of July....I LOVE THAT! I'm so glad you took your own BS. Boo hiss to the lying nurse!