Falsifying degree at work....

Twinboys98 · Jul 13, 2010

Unfortuneatly, she IS the charge nurse! And, our Director loves her. Therefore not a good case to report. It doesn't keep me up at night, but many of my co-workers are irked and I decided to throw the question out to other unbiased nurses and see what comes back.

Thanks for all the responses....I laughed about the Puerto Rican basketball team! LOL

I have an ASN degree and proud of it! I've been a nurse for 19yrs and just sign RN on my docs.

j621d · Jul 13, 2010

I think the bigger issue is if she should find herself in a lawsuit. You know the attorney would love to find something to get his/her teeth into, and this would be perfect. To me, it doesn't matter how you sign, but if you find yourself in a courtroom, you may not be viewed as credible.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jul 13, 2010

As long as she had her RN I would just live and let live. It will be her bad if she ever gets called into court for a case and has to explain herself. No skin off my nose.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Jul 13, 2010

I think the bigger issue is if she should find herself in a lawsuit. You know the attorney would love to find something to get his/her teeth into, and this would be perfect. To me, it doesn't matter how you sign, but if you find yourself in a courtroom, you may not be viewed as credible.

I don't think it would make any difference in a lawsuit.

Mainly because the scope of practice for a BSN is the same as an ADN because we both pass the same NCLEX.

In a lawsuit, scope of practice and holding to the minimum standards, is what matters.

We have NP's that have let their license expire that work in our unit...believe it or not. To me, if I was an attorney, that would be FAR more relevant in a lawsuit because you can prove that the knowledge was higher because of previous training.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jul 13, 2010

I think any opposing lawyer would make a big deal about lying about your education level and use that to imply the nurse was lying about other things.......

Lucky0220 · Jul 13, 2010

I seem to think it's plain old insecurity.

Cherish · Jul 13, 2010

You said she's a charge nurse. Maybe she feels that by putting BSN behind her name she'll seem more substantial. In any case she's wrong but unless she isn't doing anything else wrong or compromising patient care. I wouldn't hound on it too much. She's wrong for doing it but oh well if it makes her feel 'important' or substantial then she's twisted but it works for her.

It's kind of like those big girls who wear pants that make them have a muffin top and show cleavage. You know it's wrong to walk outside like that but if it makes them feel confident so be it, even though it's just plain wrong. :clown:

cherrybreeze, ADN, RN · Jul 13, 2010

I don't think it would make any difference in a lawsuit.
Mainly because the scope of practice for a BSN is the same as an ADN because we both pass the same NCLEX.
In a lawsuit, scope of practice and holding to the minimum standards, is what matters.
We have NP's that have let their license expire that work in our unit...believe it or not. To me, if I was an attorney, that would be FAR more relevant in a lawsuit because you can prove that the knowledge was higher because of previous training.

I disagree, I think it WOULD make a difference in a lawsuit. No, the scope of practice isn't different, but it goes to the matter of ethics and willingness to lie. It would be a knock to that person's credibility; like someone else said, "if they are willing to lie about that, what else are they willing to lie about?" It could be a problem if there was ever a lawsuit of some kind, I have no doubt.

kcochrane · Jul 13, 2010

I don't think it would make any difference in a lawsuit.
Mainly because the scope of practice for a BSN is the same as an ADN because we both pass the same NCLEX.
In a lawsuit, scope of practice and holding to the minimum standards, is what matters.
We have NP's that have let their license expire that work in our unit...believe it or not. To me, if I was an attorney, that would be FAR more relevant in a lawsuit because you can prove that the knowledge was higher because of previous training.

Actually it would bite her in the butt. If she is falsifying her signature by adding on a degree she doesn't have, the lawyer could eat her alive. "So, Mrs so and so, what else are you lying about?".

Posted this before reading the last few posts...sorry its a repeat. :)

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2010

Well, I have to disagree with everyone that an attorney would have a "field day" with it.

Attorney's have to focus on what is "material" in court cases. In other words, is the infraction relevant? ADN vs BSN? It's not relevant.

For example, we all know that you can get sued for medication errors in the hospital. But the legal requirement is harm.

So if a nurse gave a patient an aspirin by accident that was supposed to be given to another patient, and that patient had no adverse reaction and was not allergic, yes, it's a med error, but not a collectable offense because there was no harm.

Claiming you have a BSN vs ADN does not present the appearance to anyone that you are more CLINICALLY experienced or have higher CLINICAL knowledge than someone with an ADN.

It's simply, not relevant to the case.

Now, if you claimed or suggested to staff that you, let's say, had a PALS or ACLS certification when you do not and there was a code, and they relied on the fact that you had this knowledge and it was discovered later that you didn't....then that is RELEVANT because someone else may have been asked to assist that did have the necessary credentials vs someone that did not and an attorney could easily prove that the outcome COULD HAVE POSSIBLY been different.

The term is called "material misrepresentation". "Material" meaning "relevant" to the current situation at hand.

You can't convince a jury with, "If you are willing to lie about that, what else are you willing to lie about"...because the opposing attorney would simply ask the plaintiff, "So, you have never told a lie about anything in your life....ever?"

You can't pick and choose.

SWS RN, ASN, RN · Jul 17, 2010

I agree, It may go against her as to her "character" but not criminal.

There has been no harm done, no malpractice etc. so no attorney is going to get involved just because some nurse signed BSN instead of just RN....no crime.

wooh, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2010

I agree, It may go against her as to her "character" but not criminal.
There has been no harm done, no malpractice etc. so no attorney is going to get involved just because some nurse signed BSN instead of just RN....no crime.

They won't get involved because of that. True. But if there's a malpractice suit that she becomes involved in, everything she charts will become suspect because she lies every single time she signs that documentation as having a degree that she does not have.