Need advise ASAP

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am a little bitter so I will apologize in advance for grammar and spelling. I am currently employed at a LTC facility. I have been there for 17 months, with no corrective actions. Last week a nurse from the other floor called me to report that several patients had c/o not receiving their medications that pm...including narcotics that had been signed out for. I advised her to fill out resident concern forms and to notify supervisor ASAP. This is not the first time a complaint has been filed against this particular nurse for not administering meds including narcotics. I myself reported her for signing out narcotics 5 hours after sending a pt to the hospital and another nurse reported her for signing meds & narcotics to a pt with a G-tube and the syringe not being opened at shift change. (no syringe found in garbage either)

My last day of work was very busy and during my last med pass I missed 2 omeprazole and when I realized it it was too late to give. I circled the meds, notified the MD, notified oncoming nurse and supervisor. Today I receive a phone call from DON to tell me that I was suspended until further notice. She said that I had circled 15 meds on the MAR and I did not do that. I explained to her that I had circled 2 and my steps of reporting. She said that 15 was circled and that was not going to be tolerated. I DID NOT circle those 13 other meds. Now my question is how do I proceed? I have a meeting with her next week. Do I remind her of the reported previous incidents with the other nurse with not even an investigation? Also I really believe this is all because I filled out a med error against her for not hanging an IV antibiotic for a pt with a PICC line. Any advise is appreciated, and I thank you in advance.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Its been awhile since I've worked LTC but when you circle med times, don't you initial? So..it wouldn't be your handwriting.

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In our facility we initial the box next to the time for that date and if we don't give the medication we circle our initials. So it would be very easy for someone to circle my initials.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Oh gotcha. Then - I would just talk directly to your supervisor and state that you didn't do this.

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I did tell her on the telephone which 2 I circled. Her response was "well they don't appear to have been tampered with". Not really sure what she meant, how can she tell by eyeballing a circle, when it was made? I just received a call from a nurse that worked yesterday and she said " I can't believe what they are doing to you". My response was how did you hear and she said "they was discussing it in the hallway in front of everyone." :angryfire I didn't say anything to her except to thank her for her concern. I am smart enough not to get mad and run off at the mouth...even though I really wanted to.;)

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I would ask that the process be changed so that its not so easy to falsify a medical record!

But other than that I would just not sign anything, make her produce the documents that are "incriminating", type up a written statement about what you did, including as much details as possible and then brush off your resume and get it out there ASAP.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

I am afraid the writing is on the wall. They want you gone.

This is why I carry . I would be talking to them at this point.

I agree. Start looking for a new job.

Also, I always fill out an incidence report and have the charge nurse sign it when I miss a med or something similar. This way the event is documented before people can start messing around with the details.

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Specializes in CVICU.

This seems like a case of the whistleblower getting the boot. Sounds like you've done all the right things... unfortunately, you seem to have stirred their pot in the wrong direction :( Good luck with everything, and yeah, I'd be looking for somewhere else to work... a place that actually cares about patients getting their meds and will do the proper things when a nurse is potentially diverting narcotics.

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Specializes in Home Health.

I think it's time for you to have a talk with your Board of Nursing about posible falsification of your records by someone else.

Isabelle

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I'm so sorry to hear what a messy situation you are facing. Your description of your actions sound like you did everything right when you discovered the missed dose. Did you also write a note in the chart that the doc was notified? That would add to your defense here Stick to your guns!

Please let us know how you make out.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
In our facility we initial the box next to the time for that date and if we don't give the medication we circle our initials. So it would be very easy for someone to circle my initials.

So someone could come in, use the same color ink that you used, and circle whatever on the MAR, making it appear that you didn't give the medication. And your DON has no clue that someone would do such a thing or why they would do it.

Veryangrynurse, you have the right to be outraged. You have just been thrown under a bus.

I am sorry this is happening to you. If you go through old threads, especially under Gerontology Nursing, you will read stories of other nurses who have gone through similar situations. It can be tremendously comforting to learn you are not alone.

Please take care, let us know what happened, and resign ASAP if you have the chance. Better that than to be fired, which sounds like the next (illogical) step.

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Specializes in LTC, SNF, PSYCH, MEDSURG, MR/DD.

didnt you chart what happened at that time?

document document document

especially now that someone is out to get you.

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