Published Apr 29, 2008
suanna
1,549 Posts
I read a post by another member today who was concerned about 3 reports to her BON about her care. The issues she described are common at my workplace but to my knowledge no one has ever been reported to the BON from my unit. I can recall only 2-3 instances in the entire hospital in the 20+ years I've worked there that the BON was informed about a nurses actions and 2 of those involved admitted self administration of redirected narcotics on the job. If every incident of incomplete charting, narcotic count being off, missed meds, unsecured meds, or the MAR not matching the drug count was reported to the BON we would have to have a hot line installed at our desk. Is reporting incidents to the BON common where you work?
rita359
437 Posts
Never have and cannot imagine myself doing so. If I were worried about someones practice I would report it to my immediate supervisor with specific instances to back up my concern. There are a lot of things that can happen that would not be exactly "by the book" but, considering how busy and hectic a shift can be, are the best an individual can do. We would probably all be out of nursing if every little thing were reported to the BON.
pagandeva2000, LPN
7,984 Posts
I have not seen any nurses reported to the BON, since I became an LPN in 2006, or even before, for that matter. I agree with the above, though, that it is literally impossible to follow procedures and protocol by the books due to the sheer volume of patients we serve. Sometimes the best we can do does not always equate to the textbook starndards. Most of us would be unemployed, for sure.
RN1989
1,348 Posts
Unfortunately I have seen it used by administrators as a punishment, usually for nurses they didn't like because the nurses weren't p.c.
I've also seen those same administrators refuse to report truly dangerous nurses because they did not want to admit that they had hired those nurses and in one case, that a nurse they brought in from another country actually contributed to a pt death.
noc4senuf
683 Posts
Yes I have. And would do it again if it meant my residents were not receiving the care they deserved.
1. Narc count was consistently off after a certain LPN worked in different areas of the building. With the pharmacy's help, did some tracking amd found she would take whole cards of narcotics at once. She even faxed to refill orders from her home when she was not even working by takng the paperwork home with her. She now has a suspended license. (she also had issues at other facilities).
2. Two nurses sign-out GT meds for over a week... they didnt give any of them. But, both insisted they did. Sincethe nurses at that time had to initial any meds punched out of the card and none of the initials were their signatures.
3. An RN who had issues on his record from 15 years prior had lig Ativan missing on his shift after helping another nurse supposedly administer it to a resident. Discovered later, he gave the resident water (seen by another employee). He then called into work over the next several days and even came into the building once in a stupor.
4. An agency RN came to work and refused to work the floor if an LPN (employee of the company) was going to work the desk, it was beneath her... she walked out.
buzkil
80 Posts
Kinda harsh to report someone to the BON for that.
ecnav
69 Posts
have not yet but, i certainly would if i witnessed or knew something, grievous. each of us has an obligation to society - not to management, not to coworkers, not to the legal system but, to the truth. coming to the aide of someone who is being injured or preventing someone from doing the injuring is a basic human instinct. we rely on -need- our intelligence and bravery to overcome the emotional obstacles to truth; presented throughout the social milieu, serving to short-circuit our moral instinct.
James Huffman
473 Posts
this wasn't to the BON, but it was interesting. A nurse I worked with years ago just got an odd feeling about a new surgeon. Something just wasn't right, so she did some investigating, and finds out he's not a surgeon. Nor an MD. Never even went to med school. He had worked as a corpsmen in the military, so I guess we should be thankful for small blessings.
She reports her findings, and manages to get him removed from his new-found profession. The only problem is that this is a small town, and word gets around. And the guy in question had done a back surgery on my mother a year before. (The surgery actually went quite well). And when it hits the newspaper, my mom is furious, and assumes I knew all along, and that I had just taken this confidentiality thing a little too seriously. It took a while before she believed me, I think.
TheCommuter, BSN, RN
102 Articles; 27,612 Posts
BTW, I've never reported anyone to the BON.
Dolce, RN
861 Posts
this wasn't to the BON, but it was interesting. A nurse I worked with years ago just got an odd feeling about a new surgeon. Something just wasn't right, so she did some investigating, and finds out he's not a surgeon. Nor an MD. Never even went to med school. He had worked as a corpsmen in the military, so I guess we should be thankful for small blessings. She reports her findings, and manages to get him removed from his new-found profession. The only problem is that this is a small town, and word gets around. And the guy in question had done a back surgery on my mother a year before. (The surgery actually went quite well). And when it hits the newspaper, my mom is furious, and assumes I knew all along, and that I had just taken this confidentiality thing a little too seriously. It took a while before she believed me, I think.
WOW! That's scary that he was allowed to practice medicine!! Its hard to believe stuff like this actually happens. (Glad your mom is okay).
skittlebear
408 Posts
True, but it's abandonment.BTW, I've never reported anyone to the BON.
Isn't it only considered abandonment if the nurse accepts report first and his/her releif leaves?
I also have never reported anyone to the BON.
She had gotten report and was on the floor for about an hour. She left at the beggining of the med pass.