improper charting vs backstabbing?

[ferretface]

A coworker charted that a patient complained about me. She charted "Patient c/o (my name) being rude." Instead of coming to me, this coworker discussed it w/another coworker who told her she should chart what the patient said. (We all work the same shift, so I was there). I am upset that this coworker didn't come to me w/the complaint first & explain the situation. (which is that the patient was upset & verbally abusive b/c her procedure had been delayed). How do I handle this & is this type of charting legal? I feel an incident report should have been made out rather than writing complaints about another nurse in the record.

[navyguyhm3]

sounds like they're just pigs who want to make themselves look good, even though, it makes them look distasteful and pigheaded. Did you maybe p**s one of them off, and this is their way of slapping you in the face? to me, they seem like they're in high school with the little petty antics. Maybe, you can get them for slander..writing your name in a legal chart that can be viewed by anyone caring for the patient, making you look incompetent in the eyes of the MD's and other HCP's. worth a shot, i think!

[navyguyhm3]

is there more to the story than you have portrayed, I don't see how two nurses can discuss this and then put it in a patients note. is there beef between the nurses, are they trying to get you fired???

That's what asked. I'm thinking Ferretface can maybe hit them with slander or defacement of character, since it was written in a legal doc. that will be viewed by other HCP's who in turn will view Ferret as an incompetent nurse.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

This is a classic example of libel, which is defamation by written word. You should tell the author of the note that you are consulting with an attorney about suing her for libel (even if that's not true). Bone up on libel and explain that you now have every right to sue her. You could also let your boss know what you're thinking. I'm no lawyer but I think you could probably get legal action to have it removed from the medical record since it doesn't relate to the patient's medical condition. Good luck.

Eh, what? They said she was "being rude," which is a matter of opinion. Opinions really aren't what libel and slander causes of action are aimed at. If the note said "Patient said Susie told him that she has syphillis" we might have a story here.

To the OP, I'd just chart right behind her exactly what was said by you and the patient so they have the gist of what went on. The other night I had to chart that the pt reported to me that another nurse didn't give him his pain medicine because she didn't draw it up in front of him, and "he can tell when it's in there and when it's not." I just wrote what he said, didn't put the nurse's name and I told the nurse what he said and what I did because I wanted her to be sure to draw it up in front of him from then on, and undoubtedly he's going to make the same claims against every other nurse on the floor too, so I wanted to warn them about it as well.

[DPSGraduateNurse]

My first question would be, what did you think happened to have caused this complaint? (always 2 sides to a story). Secondly nurse sound like she may have done more harm than good. Yes, she could have to your manager which may have resulted into disciplinary actions?!? But she choose to write it on the chart instead of telling you face-to-face - as if she was trying to avoid the confrontation but not getting you into serious trouble at the same time.......#IJS!!

[Nurseinprocess]

Let me get this straight, we are never to mention other nurses' names in charting; but is it okay to mention Doctors' names to cover our butts?

[systoly]

I'd let it go. The chart is for the patient's care nothing else. The person who charted this is on the hook not you. The nurse who charted this had an upset patient and more important than anything would be what she did about it. How did she help the patient? Also, she's already in the negative for either charting subjectively, or, if "rude" was charted in quotation marks, for not investigating the patient's concern. Again. let it go. This is poor charting, indicative of poor care given by the person who did this charting. Sometimes you just gotta let them dig their own hole.