holes in the MAR

had a question posed to me at work tonight from another nurse-- would like some feedback on this--

it was told to this nurse by management that nurses could be fined $5,000.00 for every hole they have in the MAR

i feel that this is a bunch of garbage-- this nurse is really convinced that this is the honest truth

what do you all think of this----

ps-- this is in arkansas

[slinkeecat]

I think that is a scare tactic, but if you give a med you should document that you did it.

[Stargazer]

Fined by whom? Your institution? JCAHO? Your state BON? Your mom? One of your old nursing school profs?

My guess is NO on all counts. Either management is trying a scare tactic, or one of your coworkers is trying to stir up sh*t because she's bored, or just because she can.

[EricaCCRN]

Never heard this before. The worst I would think could happen is a write up for a med error. But who knows.....I am not a legal expert by any stretch.

[slinkeecat]

At my place of employment at HOOVILLE ( confidentiality issue as it is I made that name up...pretty good huh???) we generally point and jeer those who leave holes, sometimes we leave a sticky note that lets them know they missed a spot..... If it is a repeat offender we make them drink shots of ipecac...(not really) LOL We have a offical list that the night shift gives us each am telling us we forgot or omitted something..... It is not a big fat hairy deal..... I never have heard of the 5,000 smacker fine tactic... and if it were ever told to me then I would tell them to GET REAL!!!

[amy]

Actually, you can get fined. I believe that there must however be some type of process. In NY state, look on the office of professions website (find if you search "online professional license verification" in search engine) and you canfind all nurses licensed in NYS as well as what, if any previous or pending legal action against licensee, type of infraction, and fines/suspension of license. Try it, it's true.

[slinkeecat]

Yes Amy, but fined personally for not initialling the mar... not a federal offense.... The JAHCO can site a hosp and fine them for documentation discrepancies but actually fining a nurse.. prolly not and highly wrong to dock wages for this particular issue...I do not think the nurse would be fined.... the hospital, now that does and can happen

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Never heard of this one before. I would say...show me the documentation and have legal come speak to us.

[Love-A-Nurse]

i never heard of this. i just keep learning, and learning, and learning... :)

[hapeewendy]

hahaha when I first read the holes in the MAR thing I thought you meant when the holes break and you need to use those little sticky reinforcement things, I thought to myself, I can be fined if the holes in my MAR are broken?!??!

*hey it was 4am, I was sleepy*

I dont know about the whole fining for holes thing but if hospitals want to minimize that happening they need to come out of caveman times and get a better MAR system in the first place.....

I find our MAR's at work very assanine, sign here, only one med written on that page, five thousand recopies etc......

[shygirl]

Yes you can get fined. As they teach in school, "If it's not documented, it wasn't given." That constitutes a med error!