Is this resident abuse and should be reported?

Nurses General Nursing

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caliotter3

38,333 Posts

8 hours ago, JKL33 said:

"Or"--??

I think you should stay out of it, and that's just one of the reasons.

OP, start reporting questionable or too many situations, and soon you will find your peers (and even some nurses) looking very closely, at your behavior.

DTWriter

322 Posts

This is interesting.

Couldn't the CNA claim self-defense?

Where I worked as a psych RN, my colleagues and I were taught the "legal way" of removing a patient's hand when grabbed.

OP, is there a protocol in place for when a resident grabs an employee?

DeeAngel

830 Posts

Stay out of it and make yourself a perfect person before sticking your nose into what others do. Or ignore this advice and be shunned at work. You pick.

Lipoma, BSN, RN

293 Posts

Specializes in SRNA.

Jesuuuuus, nurses/CNAs just be looking for any reason to report a coworker "because they need to protect their own license".

The resident is AO and made unwanted contact...it's best you stay out of it lol.

If you saw a parent swat a kid's arm away from them OR yell at them for being annoying are you going to run and call child services?

Puppy Kisses

18 Posts

Specializes in RHIT with a crap load of medical experience..

The CNA needs to document this behavior by the resident.

sthorsty

1 Post

Specializes in Mer-surg/Ortho.

If the resident is alert as you say then this is a really ridiculous question and you may want to consider not working in that environment anymore. LTC is an unbelievably stressful area of nursing and you’re going to get people fired like that.

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

What's next?

Somebody rolls their eyes? Scrunches up their face? Shakes their head?

Hey! Even Pope Francis was seen smacking away a female onlooker's hand in a crowd. The replay looked like he was just KNEE-JERK reacting to an unexpected grab. And then when you consider that Popes have been victims of violence, I understand the reax.

Just me.

85 Posts

I am not going to say whether or not it was abuse, I don't know. I wasn't there and didn't see it. As mentioned it may have just been a natural response.

However, I think it is commendable that you had concern for the situation. Yes, elder abuse does happen everywhere, including nursing homes.

If you have genuine concerns about abuse in the future do report it, don't just relax and stand by. Don't feel badly for being concerned.

On 1/20/2020 at 4:38 PM, Lipoma said:

Jesuuuuus, nurses/CNAs just be looking for any reason to report a coworker "because they need to protect their own license".

The resident is AO and made unwanted contact...it's best you stay out of it lol.

If you saw a parent swat a kid's arm away from them OR yell at them for being annoying are you going to run and call child services?

And if there are suspicions of abuse are we not mandated reporters? I am not saying this or the quoted portions are abuse.

JKL33

6,777 Posts

On 1/22/2020 at 8:53 AM, Just me. said:

And if there are suspicions of abuse are we not mandated reporters?

There is a line between actually suspecting abuse and simply wondering if the thing done was wrong due to one's own abject ignorance. In that case the person should find out what they don't know. They should also eliminate their own biases from the general process. There have been a few posts here recently that have impressed me with people's pressing concern about their "ethical duty" and whether or not they should report various things--while at the same time displaying ulterior motives. That's quite the irony. I guess their conscience is only piqued by others' alleged problems, not their own.

This OP didn't even see what happened as evidenced by their use of the word "or" to describe the event that has them so concerned. And it was a BIG "or." The OP actually wrote that the staff member in question either moved her arm away from the patient's grip "or" HIT HER. Come on now. NO.

Imagining that it is possible that someone could have done something is not the same thing as suspecting abuse/neglect. People can "suspect" anything to the extent their own imaginations will allow. Especially if they are completely ignorant of the facts or simply don't like someone.

Lipoma, BSN, RN

293 Posts

Specializes in SRNA.
1 hour ago, Just me. said:

And if there are suspicions of abuse are we not mandated reporters? I am not saying this or the quoted portions are abuse.

We are critical thinkers as nurses. If we can differentiate between the sick and not sick...We can differentiate between scolding and abusing.

Per OP, the resident made unwarranted contact...the Healthcare provider responded... Not elder abuse.

CNA made unwarranted contact that causes temporary or permanent injury (psychological, emotional, physical)... Elder abuse.

Public layperson makes unwarranted contact... Assault...

Public layperson makes unwarranted contact... 2nd party responded with force... Self-defense.

If I reported every parent that walks through my ER who scolded their kid because they aren't behaving (ie running in/out the exam room or destroying the ER) there would be PIs everywhere.

Now if a parent was scolding a child acting ordinary or if said child is behaving ordinary to their milestone but is overtly withdrawn.... Then yes I'd report it IF I suspect abuse.

Just me.

85 Posts

I guess I failed to get the point across...if in the future any of us suspects abuse we report it. I DID point out myself I didn't know if this was abuse.

Hypothetical situations won't replace real life.

My point was, that if you suspect abuse report it and I stand by that. And if I am wrong for reporting, I know I did it in good faith.

JKL33

6,777 Posts

6 minutes ago, Just me. said:

And if I am wrong for reporting, I know I did it in good faith.

Good faith, yes.

If you didn't see something and therefore your imagination is free to conjure up what might have happened and then use your ethical duty as an excuse to wreak havoc on someone, that is not good faith.

The (non-) witness in the OP has another option, arguably quite preferable: Advocate for a care conference regarding the resident in question so her care plan can be optimized to minimize these kind of encounters, and so that all staff have a plan for how they are to respond.

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