So about a month ago I came here looking for advice about being suspended for a co-sign waste discrepancy. I just got an email from HR saying they need to meet with me this is the email
i copied the email...
“As you were informed by your manager, ***** **** on Date deleted..., HR, Management and Pharmacy are conducting an investigation into your medication handling and administration practices. We need to meet with you in connection with the investigation. Please contact me at your earliest convenience. Failure to contact me or otherwise cooperate with the investigation will result in the termination of your employment. If you’re employment is terminated, we will be obligated to report you to the State of Michigan Licensing Bureau.”
this happened a month ago, I’m contingent so I started looking for work right away. I secured a job. I feel like this is a trap and I was under the impression they are required to the state anyways. I talked to a lawyer when this all went down and he said, hospitals usually don’t let lawyers attend internal meetings.
Did anything happen with the other nurse, that you co-signed with? just curious.
And it sounds like there is nothing on their end to try to say you were diverting. No confession, no drug test, no evidence of anything it sounds, Other than a pretty shady narc documentation system, evidently... At least that's one positive when the BON eventually contacts you.
Also in the future it may help to have a strict policy of always having waste witnessed before giving a med. Personally, it wouldn’t matter if my dying mother were screaming in pain the waste gets witnessed before the med leaves the Pixus area. Also getting a serum and hair drug test now may be worthwhile to demonstrate you were not using if your attorney agrees.
Sounds like such a shady place. I am seriously wondering if they will contact the BON. They have nothing on you, you didn't tuck tail & run when threatened as they wanted you to. If the BON is contacted, all it will do is hurt them.
Sounds like such a shady place. I am seriously wondering if they will contact the BON. They have nothing on you, you didn't tuck tail & run when threatened as they wanted you to. If the BON is contacted, all it will do is hurt them.
Just because they say they are reporting you to the BON does not mean that they will.
Just because they say they are reporting you to the BON does not mean that they will.
I would also talk to your attorney about sending a letter to the hospital to the effect of "Please note that I will aggressively protect my reputation. I have acted with nothing less than professionalism in the course of my duties at your hospital. Please be aware that any false or malicious allegations against my professional reputation will result in not only potential litigation against the facility, but also against the individuals making such false and malicious allegations. In addition, I consider such slander or libel as a breech of your professional duties and licenses and will make appropriate complaints to relevant boards of nursing, medicine, and other state and federal agencies as may be appropriate."
In my opinion these people are nothing less than "bullies with a license" and it is unfortunate that they believe that they can ruin the personal and professional lives of people just trying to take care of the needs of their patients without consequence.
Unfortunately the damage is done. The less than handful of co-workers that still talk to me have informed me of outrageous rumors. People talk, it’s out of my control. My focus is finding resolution and being allowed to continue working as a nurse. We are human and makes mistakes. I will fight for my license I worked so hard for. There have been many issues with the narcotics safe practice standards and I wrote about in my statement which the manager was aware of and nothing done. I have become their scapegoat and they want to see me burn before taking any accountability.
I am curious, what exactly does the employer report to the BON related to termination and narcotics? Does the employer simply file with the BON that an employee was terminated due to non-standard practice involving missing narcotics and the BON takes it from there to investigate? Or does the employer send details of their internal investigation and impression?
I believe in another post the OP said they were missing narcotics that were not administered and not documented as wasted. Isn't the BON going to take action on non-standard practice regardless of diversion vs abuse?
I am curious, what exactly does the employer report to the BON related to termination and narcotics? Does the employer simply file with the BON that an employee was terminated due to non-standard practice involving missing narcotics and the BON takes it from there to investigate? Or does the employer send details of their internal investigation and impression?
I believe in another post the OP said they were missing narcotics that were not administered and not documented as wasted. Isn't the BON going to take action on non-standard practice regardless of diversion vs abuse?
Abbey I'm so sorry this is happening to you. Fight with for license. Hire a good lawyer if you need to. BostonFNP to answer your question most state require employers report something like diversion to the BON. At least in my state they will send over everything they can if they believe diversion happened (no matter if it's abuse or diversion).
As a nurse leader I have several questions. Does your facility have peer review? If so why was this issue not taken to that committee? Was your practice outside of the guidelines of the facilty's P&P? If so what were the barriers to you following the P&P? Since the allegation is that you failed to co-sign a waste appropriately what was the remedial action they took to ensure that you knew the proper way? How do they know what you did was inappropriate? Are the suggesting that you were working with someone to divert narcotics? I would advise you to 1) go the the HR meeting 2) be prepared with a letter of resignation outlining your concerns 3) listen dont speak 4) use an audio recorder on your phone to record the conversation (you may need it for the BON to refute their claims 5) do not sign anything (they can write refused to sign), 6) if they threaten to report you to the BON, ask what are the charges 7) do not get defensive. We often say things we regret when we try to defend ourselves ? thank them for this experience and walk out with your head held high 9) remember you are not under arrest, you can leave any time
2 minutes ago, Michelle Gomez RN MSN MBA NEBC said:
As a nurse leader I have several questions. Does your facility have peer review? If so why was this issue not taken to that committee? Was your practice outside of the guidelines of the facilty's P&P? If so what were the barriers to you following the P&P? Since the allegation is that you failed to co-sign a waste appropriately what was the remedial action they took to ensure that you knew the proper way? How do they know what you did was inappropriate? Are the suggesting that you were working with someone to divert narcotics? I would advise you to 1) go the the HR meeting 2) be prepared with a letter of resignation outlining your concerns 3) listen dont speak 4) use an audio recorder on your phone to record the conversation (you may need it for the BON to refute their claims 5) do not sign anything (they can write refused to sign), 6) if they threaten to report you to the BON, ask what are the charges 7) do not get defensive. We often say things we regret when we try to defend ourselves ? thank them for this experience and walk out with your head held high 9) remember you are not under arrest, you can leave any time
Abbey I'm so sorry this is happening to you. Fight with for license. Hire a good lawyer if you need to. BostonFNP to answer your question most state require employers report something like diversion to the BON. At least in my state they will send over everything they can if they believe diversion happened (no matter if it's abuse or diversion).
That’s pretty subjective.
In this case if there was a pattern of missing narcotics (wasted narcotics with no co-sign) over a long period of time, what does the employer report? That they fired the employee over discrepancy? That they suspect due to the pattern is was malicious?
crazin01
290 Posts
Did anything happen with the other nurse, that you co-signed with? just curious.
And it sounds like there is nothing on their end to try to say you were diverting. No confession, no drug test, no evidence of anything it sounds, Other than a pretty shady narc documentation system, evidently... At least that's one positive when the BON eventually contacts you.