Got a call from my state board of nursing this morning...that's right, I'm being investigated for false reports to DFS. Some angry parent decided to call the BON and lodge a complaint about me. Yesterday another parent was making vague threats of "cutting me up" for a report we all made.
I mean, I get it, a visit from DFS is rough, but I don't know, did you try maybe NOT BEATING your kids? That tends to stop the reports.
You are a mandated reporter. If you did not report the suspected child abuse, you would have broken the law. YOU DID YOUR JOB. Just show the board you did all the proper documentation and followed all of the protocols and you'll be fine. No BON has ever revoked a nurse's license for reporting child abuse in good faith.
This "parent" sounds like a spiteful POS. I hope these kids get taken from her. Sadly, they probably won't. She'll just probably get parenting classes. I wish there could be a State Board of Parenting. I feel like one should have a license to parent these days!
Two questions: Did YOU report her threat to the police? Do it now if you haven't. And how long has the abuse been going on and what led up to this?
Two questions: Did YOU report her threat to the police? Do it now if you haven't. And how long has the abuse been going on and what led up to this?
It was two different reports for two different families. The one threatening staff walked out of a meeting with admin and right into the SRO, who took her outside and had a chat with her. The one who called the BON and wants to have my license suspended has had multiple issues over the course of this school year (he is new to us this year). This one was a spanking that still hurt the next day and left bruises. The principal and I both agreed we saw bruises. DFS did not find bruises. DFS, SRO, and parent wanted to know why I didn't take pictures when I saw bruises. Excuse me, that is so inappropriate. I am not a forensics nurse, nor am I supposed to be taking pictures of children's butts. Never in a million years would that be ok. As to why DFS couldn't see what the principal and I saw, I have no idea. I did give him ice, which he kept coming back for, and in the end he had ice on his butt for the entire day. A spanking that hurt so bad the day after it required ice? Sounds like abuse to me.
absolutely sounds like a call - it's a no brainer. Even if dfs didn't see marks, your charting should have had some value along with the report that the student was uncomfortable the entire next day.
I don't know anything about school nursing, so take anything I see with a grain of salt. But if you're not allowed to take pictures of abuse, maybe next time call the SRO in to take a look. It's a legal problem (assault, child abuse, whatever) and I would think his say-so would mean a lot in court. Also, are you allowed to call 911 and have him sent to the hospital? I can assure you they can take pictures and testify about any bruises they see, and they are also mandated reporters. The way parents are now, I'd have as many people look at that kids rump as possible (discreetly so as not to embarrass him any more that necessary).
DFS did not find bruises. DFS, SRO, and parent wanted to know why I didn't take pictures when I saw bruises. Excuse me, that is so inappropriate. I am not a forensics nurse, nor am I supposed to be taking pictures of children's butts. Never in a million years would that be ok.
And if you had taken pictures, I'm sure said parent would be howling and threatening lawsuits all around for your taking photographs of their minor child, especially of their butt, without their explicit consent.
Not that I agree with said parent, but I could easily see how a possibly abusive parent would play this out. :/
It was two different reports for two different families. The one threatening staff walked out of a meeting with admin and right into the SRO, who took her outside and had a chat with her. The one who called the BON and wants to have my license suspended has had multiple issues over the course of this school year (he is new to us this year). This one was a spanking that still hurt the next day and left bruises. The principal and I both agreed we saw bruises.DFS did not find bruises. DFS, SRO, and parent wanted to know why I didn't take pictures when I saw bruises. Excuse me, that is so inappropriate. I am not a forensics nurse, nor am I supposed to be taking pictures of children's butts. Never in a million years would that be ok. As to why DFS couldn't see what the principal and I saw, I have no idea. I did give him ice, which he kept coming back for, and in the end he had ice on his butt for the entire day. A spanking that hurt so bad the day after it required ice? Sounds like abuse to me.
As a nurse surveyor/investigator who has gone out to investigate allegations of abuse and neglect, I cannot tell you the number of times a complaint has taken anywhere from several days to a week to reach the person assigned to go out and look into those issues. Sometimes, by the time we receive the complaint, bruises have faded, lacerations have healed, alleged victims have been relocated elsewhere, etc., for reasons ranging from the complaint intake department dropping the ball with processing the complaint, to alleged victims not being at home (gone out of town for a few days or out on a day trip somewhere) when the investigator shows up.
This is why we tell people, if you fax in or enter an online complaint, please call the complaint hotline (a direct line would be better) and let someone know that a serious injury has been reported/entered into the system so that a particular complaint can be expedited. Also, it is a great idea to obtain a business card from a system worker so that you can have a direct line to contact an individual instead of calling a main office and reaching an automated response line. If these things are entered into the system after hours, weekends, holidays, etc., it is not unlikely for serious complaints to be buried underneath retaliatory complaints.
Network! When you get a minute, call the main office, tell them that you are a mandated reporter, request a business card for future reference. In my travels, whatever city or town I was in, I always stopped by the local law enforcement precinct to let them know who I was, the nature of my business (because it sometimes involved them), and left a business card with them.
So, if ever you have a question or concern, contact the police department to see if they have a direct line to someone in the department you're trying to reach.
That being said, I myself, contacted DFACS twice within the past two years for individuals who were confined to the home and they still didn't do squat!! I spoke with the DA in a local courthouse, who only referred me back to DFACS.
As for taking photos, that's a sticky situation and it depends on the laws of your state. Situations that we have encountered with photos were not really admissible. We take photos without capturing the face, and what happens is a lack of proof that the injuries belonged to said individual. If the face was captured, then there is the violation of HIPAA and/or right to privacy. What do you do, especially when you need the consent of the guardian to take the photo, ya know?? You just have to really know the rules and regulations set forth by your State.
What a ridiculously sad situation. I'm glad you did your job. Since children can't speak up for themselves, they need others' help. It would make no sense to me, whatsoever, why you could or would be punished by the BON for doing what you are legally required to do. {{Prayers and Hugs}}
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
What a ridiculously sad situation. I'm glad you did your job. Since children can't speak up for themselves, they need others' help. It would make no sense to me, whatsoever, why you could or would be punished by the BON for doing what you are legally required to do. {{Prayers and Hugs}}
I'm pretty sure the BON is required to investigate all reports, even ones they know to be unfounded. They're just doing their job, just like you were doing yours. The parents are retaliating; it won't likely go well for them.
Meanwhile, you'll have a nice chat with your friends at the BON and that'll be the end of it. Do not sweat this. Any other threats do need to be reported to police.
Out of all the jobs I've ever worked, any issue with something to prevent liability involved taking pictures. If the BON of your state or the state itself, regarding laws, has rules against photography or video recording then I think it was a hard decision for saving your ass. I'm not an RN nor do I know the rules but if your job is able to bend the rules of photography or recording, meaning you have the privelege of doing so in an event like this, you should, next time, record or take a photo of the abuse. You are not being inappropriate because the tactic of taking a photo OF A SPECIFIC PART OF THE CHILD THAT SHOWS BRUISING AND NOT GENITALS is obviously EVIDENCE against the abuser (the person who called the BON and abused their child). "It's inappropriate to take photos of a kid" but you're not taking photos of their member or lady parts, you're taking photos of what even a judge in a court would describe as bruises. Common sense. If you feel taking photos was very wrong, at least record with you asking the child and showing something that has the date of the event you saw the abuse on the child that will show it was a legit video of the abused child.
The reason why I say you should have taken a photo or recorded a video, if you could, was because if you didn't and somehow when you thought you weren't in trouble and something came up that changed your mind, that photo could have helped you and in the event you didn't take it for the BON as proof you were reporting child abuse, you could have damn near lost your license. Because you felt like it was borderline wrong to take a photo of something that ACTUALLY IS BEING ABUSED you didn't go that far as to put the parent on the spot light. That's like giving a criminal a gun but not telling them what to do with it. Tsk tsk. I'll be making personal note of this story and reminding myself if I can take a picture or record for the BON while they try to investigate me to ensure "hey, I did my job. I don't want to lose my license of some sadistic ****", then present the photos to BON/police and once the kid and the parent are out of my hair, in the trash the photo goes never to be seen again (HIPPA and I am not a pedophile, just trying to put justice where it belongs)
Speaking of the abuse, for them to call the BON on you like that? Sounds like they know what they're doing. If you knew this person was this slick, you should have questioned the superiors above you or the BON, "Hey, if a child comes in with abuse, what is the best thing I can do to cover myself?" Once I get my license, I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure I don't lose my license because it's going to be what provides me a roof over my head and food in my belly and I can't have opportunists trying to take my hard work away.
I'm so sorry that is happening to you. I never really thought about the BON investigating "false" child abuse allegations. I guess they have to investigate all reports and assume that all reports are made in good faith. It sounds like a vindictive parent is trying to punish you for doing your job. You didn't do anything wrong but what you are required by law to do. Hold your head up high and let the process unfold. This once again proves that Nursing is a Thankless job.
Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
This hypocrisy is infuriating. You are a MANDATED reporter. We are constantly reminded that if we have ANY concerns, it's supposed to be reported. Here you are, doing the right thing, and you're getting flack for it. It really drives me nuts.
Then you hear about children being beaten/neglected/abused to death and all the media can say is "Why didn't anyone report this?!"
Irish_Mist, BSN, RN
489 Posts
You are a mandated reporter. If you did not report the suspected child abuse, you would have broken the law. YOU DID YOUR JOB. Just show the board you did all the proper documentation and followed all of the protocols and you'll be fine. No BON has ever revoked a nurse's license for reporting child abuse in good faith.
This "parent" sounds like a spiteful POS. I hope these kids get taken from her. Sadly, they probably won't. She'll just probably get parenting classes. I wish there could be a State Board of Parenting. I feel like one should have a license to parent these days!
Two questions: Did YOU report her threat to the police? Do it now if you haven't. And how long has the abuse been going on and what led up to this?