Incident report- retaliation

[ICRN2008]

I had to write up an incident report last night on a med error involving the 2 nurses before me (as well as myself to some degree). I gave report back to the day nurse this morning, and I let her know about the incident report as a courtesy (so that she wouldn't be blind-sided if she was approached about it today). This nurse got really mad and basically insinuated that I had probably cost her her job. Apparently, she already has some issues and had been warned that if she had another incident she would be let go. I felt horrible, of course, but at the same time I'm not going to lie (on my charting or verbally) in order to save someone else's hide. IMO we all make mistakes, and as adults we have to own up to them and learn from them.

I have had to write up incident reports in the laboratory before, and I have never run into this kind of response from another "professional". Based on this nurse's behavior, I am now concerned that she is going to go back through my charting from last night and try to find something to "catch" me with to retaliate.

I know that I wasn't wrong to write up the incident, because that is part of my job and I am unwilling to lie. However, I am wondering that if in my attempt to be nice and give this nurse a heads-up I unwittingly created a worse situation for myself.

I'm just worried and feeling bad in general. Any encouragement would be appreciated. TIA.

[squeakykitty]

It might be a good idea to write down everything about your interactions with her, and what you did during your shift in case she tries to lie or sabotage you. And check back on your patients carefully. I thought of this because of a couple other posts I've read here about CNA's drying a wet toothbrush with a hairdryer and messing with the tube on a tube feeding to get people into trouble.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I was always under the impression that incident reports were not punitive? Rather, they are meant to show possible glitches in policies and procedures. I think the OP did the right thing. We have to fill out incident reports on things like incorrect counts, patients coming from the floor/ER without the proper paperwork or allergy bracelets, contamination of instruments etc.

[leslie :-D]

incident reports are not supposed to be punitive.

but if you are implicated on one, some tend to take it defensively.

leslie