am I going to be in trouble?

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i'm so scared right now. a state surveyor just called me at home to investigate a fall of a resident. i wasnt assigned to this patient but i heard her cry and went into her room and found her sitting on the floor. when i assessed her, did rom she didnt complain of pain but when she was assisted back to wheelchair thats when she started to complain of pain. at that time because i wasnt her nurse i notified a nurse who is in charge of her. now the state surveyor wanted to know what happened and asked me questions. eventually she was sent to the hospital for fracture and came back. is my license going to be on the line because i sat her back to wheelchair? am i suppose to be honest to the state surveryor or should i have try to cover my ass? this is the first time this has happened to me so i'm so scared.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

They called you at home? Do they do that? Please tell me you did an incident report at work, that is what you need to refer to. Personally, I would have told this person when I was going to be at work and had my DON on speaker phone with me to witness this.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I wouldn't say anything to the surveyor. Speak with your manager first and go from there.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
i'm so scared right now. a state surveyor just called me at home to investigate a fall of a resident. i wasnt assigned to this patient but i heard her cry and went into her room and found her sitting on the floor. when i assessed her, did rom she didnt complain of pain but when she was assisted back to wheelchair thats when she started to complain of pain. at that time because i wasnt her nurse i notified a nurse who is in charge of her. now the state surveyor wanted to know what happened and asked me questions. eventually she was sent to the hospital for fracture and came back. is my license going to be on the line because i sat her back to wheelchair? am i suppose to be honest to the state surveryor or should i have try to cover my ass? this is the first time this has happened to me so i'm so scared.

i have never heard of then calling staff at home. that could have been anyone on the line. i hope you did not give then any information. call your don now. i

don't see where you did anything wrong with your resident-sometimes if the fracture is not displaced they won't have pain initially.

it's up to your administration to investigate the incident and report to the doh.if the doh wants to interview staff they do it in the facility. i've seen situations in which family members have pretended to be "with the state" or legal representation to intimidate staff for information/i hope this is not the case. please keep us posted.good luck-it is unbelievable if the surveyors think calling you at home is appropriate.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I agree that sounds strange. Did you verify the caller's identity via Caller ID or by checking the number and calling back?

I would also notify an investigator that I would speak to him/her during working hours, or in my attorney's office.

IMO, it sounds as though you acted appropriately at the time of the incident. It's just the "investigation" that sounds questionable.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

It could have been a lawyer on the phone for all you know.

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.
it could have been a lawyer on the phone for all you know.

my thoughts exactely--or the resident's crazy daughter!!

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.
my thoughts exactely--or the resident's crazy daughter!!

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

some people are so stupid. so now i'm wondering, say yes this person was a lawyer and msrn did give them information under the pretense of her believing that the person on the phone was a state surveyor, how would that hold up in the court?

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

MS. RN where are you? Inquiring minds want to know, did you give the "state surveyor" information?

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

Did you follow your facility's policies? Did you have help getting that patient up, pain or not? If so, don't let yourself be intimidated. Do you think your DON is the type of person who will back you up or might she/he "feed you to the wolves?" In this litigation-hungry society you may have a family member looking to make a buck. How much did you tell this so-called "surveyor"? How do you think being "honest" may not be the best way to go? It sounds like you did the right things, ROM etc, before getting her up. I would be honest but be sure to emphasize everything you did to assure her safety. Emphasize your commitment to giving impeccable patient care....etc.

I am SO sorry you are going through this. My gosh, don't nurses have a hard enough job the way it is? I hope your administration is strong and an advocate for you. That is the way it should be. This will be an opportunity to see what they are made of. Please keep us updated....

:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

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Specializes in ICU/ER.
i'm so scared right now. a state surveyor just called me at home to investigate a fall of a resident. i wasnt assigned to this patient but i heard her cry and went into her room and found her sitting on the floor. when i assessed her, did rom she didnt complain of pain but when she was assisted back to wheelchair thats when she started to complain of pain. at that time because i wasnt her nurse i notified a nurse who is in charge of her. now the state surveyor wanted to know what happened and asked me questions. eventually she was sent to the hospital for fracture and came back. is my license going to be on the line because i sat her back to wheelchair? am i suppose to be honest to the state surveryor or should i have try to cover my ass? this is the first time this has happened to me so i'm so scared.

ok this whole thing freaks me out. how did they get your home number? i just cant believe it was an actual state surveyor. how did they know they were even talking to "you" the real nurse vs your crazy sister in law that could have answered the phone.

something smells fishy here. my bets on the family member made the phone call.

keep us informed though. i am dying to hear what happens.

geesh i have a hard enough time leaving work at work now to be afraid when the phone rings!!

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I have never heard of a state surveyor calling anyone at home, but anything can happen. We usually refer them to Risk Management if a summons is to be served. I would call Risk Management, the DON and supervisors immediately, and no, I would not have given any information on the telephone. In fact, I don't even give that job my true telephone number for reasons such as this and many others. I really hope that you didn't give any information, and I also hope that you informed a head nurse or nursing supervisor what happened to the patient and charted who you reported to as well as their response to you.

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