Help, I am very conflicted about turning peer into nursing board

[auntie72]

I have a floor nurse that administered medication to a patient after the order was dc'd, he failed to draw stat labs, and this patient ended up at the hospital with renal failure and anemia. That same nurse also initialed that he gave a procrit injection as a one time order, but the pharmacy never sent out the medication because it requires admin approval. These 2 instances where written up and given to the DON and the administrator. The MD was very upset and the administrator said this employee would be fired however he is still working and the write ups havent been issued to him. These write ups would have been his dismissal becuase he has already had so many and was given his final last week. I am torn. I feel like since our admininstration isnt doing anything about the unsafe care this nurse has a history of that I should report it to our local nursing board. I know everyone makes mistakes, however this is his trend and it puts our patients at risk. Please give me your thoughts.

[caliotter3]

Since the admin fired the DON, it is reasonable to believe the ball may have been dropped or thrown in the wrong direction. As long as you are firm about your desire to see something done, then report and let the chips fall where they may. Somebody has to follow through and the logical person to do this got fired.

[beveled]

Snitches get stitches.

Word.

Beat me to it. I understand he ****** up buuuut. I hate snitches I would rather talk to an admin instead of snitchin

[futrldnrse]

I understand where you are coming from because patient safety does come first but as some mentioned earlier it does seem like your on a crusade with this one nurse. I know you are a MDS coordinator but that is not a nurse manager nor a DON nor an administrator so with that being said I do partially agree with a previous posting regarding staying in your lane because it kind of seems as though your swerving and its getting out of control. Besides the mistakes you mentioned that you've caught, how do you know about all these other writeups he has gotten in the past and how do you know that if he has one more writeup he is supposed to be fired and you even know that he received a writeup last week and you even know that he has not received your writeups but that is administrative duties which when a write up is presented this event usually isn't shared with others. It seems like every step and mistake you are in the mix. You copying chart to put in a desk whether or not it's for the BON does not matter, you still are violating HIPAA. I believe if the BON comes to do an investigation I can guarantee that they will be able to access records themself but you copying records for admin, yourself etc is beyond unnecessary and makes it all seem more than a patient advocate it seems like personal motive. Oh by the way you may want to be careful because the whole description of the situation you've described on here has given quite a bit of information and if that nurse was on here reading your post he could then be the one making a decision to turn you for potential violation of HIPAA and sharing information regarding facility practices. Before you go ruining someone's life by going straight for the jugular by going to the BON, there are possibilities: more education, probation, more training, etc. Maybe I missed it but I never heard you say you've personally talked to him about this or any of all the other writeups you just so happen to know about or is that not your responsibility either. Good luck!

[Isabelle49]

Report to your BON, you can do so confidentially. Your name will be made available only if there is a hearing, and in this case it is possible. I wouldn't worry about it though, what if you or your loved one where under that person's care. Sounds like a dangerous person who won't admit to errors and doesn't care if another suffers, and then again, that may be the point.

[enchantmentdis, BSN, RN]

Are you in charge of this particular nurse? If not, is it really isn't your business how they are reprimanded? Also, how did you become privy to the information regarding the reprimands and that the person would be fired? Maybe this person is popular with management and weasled out of getting fired. The infractions they committed and whether or not they are being fired or disciplined should not be common knowledge on your ward. Some things should be private.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Consider the can of worms you are opening ... when the state arrives, life will be very unpleasant for all concerned.

[WorriedAbout2Morrow]

Snitches get stitches.

Word.

Hell yeah!!!! LOL.

[DookieMeisterRN]

This is a terrible situation. Harm to this patient has occurred, possibly long term consequences, due to several med errors, omissions and lies. What is incredible to me is that people are thinking that the OP is out of line for being a concerned advocate for the patients in her facility. This is part of her job and I would be very worried if it was left for management to attend to as it seems like it will be swept under the rug.

Seriously, what if this was your loved one that was the victim of a substandard nurse with obviously no moral ethics?

[DookieMeisterRN]

Are you in charge of this particular nurse? If not, is it really isn't your business how they are reprimanded? Also, how did you become privy to the information regarding the reprimands and that the person would be fired? Maybe this person is popular with management and weasled out of getting fired. The infractions they committed and whether or not they are being fired or disciplined should not be common knowledge on your ward. Some things should be private.

Really does it matter? If you were to not say anything when having knowledge of errors you'd be seen just as guilty as the nurse making the errors. Would you want that nurse in question taking care of YOU?

[KSU-SN]

To everyone bashing the OP calling her a snitch and telling her to mind her own business.....think of it this way: would you want that male nurse taking care of your mother, father, brother, sister, or yourself? Knowing what you know now, I guarentee you would not be ok with him being responsible for yourself or anyone close to you....so why should he continue to be allowed to carry on with what hes doing and harm another person's family member?

[KSU-SN]

oops, JUST read the previous couple posts before me that pretty much say the same thing i did

[TriciaJ, RN]

"Snitch" is a playground word, refers to children who deliberately try to get other children into trouble. Very unprofessional and insulting to use that word to refer to adults trying to do the right thing.

You are right; you are a patient advocate and you are witnessing unsafe care. You do not need "proof". It is up to the BON to investigate and determine if there is cause for action. If you do not act on your responsibility to speak up, you are really complicit. That's the position a dangerous nurse puts you in; you have to speak up or you're equally at fault.