Lied on...what to do?

[NurseNinaFla]

The other night my supervisor gave me a personal inservice that my unit manager left for her to give me stating;

A TB syringe was left in the patients bed,a safety issue (a CNA found it etc..

Now here's the real story I did leave it in the room on the dresser next to the bed I distinctly remember setting it there and even positioned it so it would not roll off and thought (don't forget syringe) while I drew the circle around the site with a marker,then the resident wanted to be repositioned in the bed so I asked my CNA's on my shift to do this for her..no mention of a syringe in the bed by them either..so the following shift CNA found the syringe and ran with it to the manager which in turn rightfully so wrote a personal inservice..the issue I have of course is that the CNA lied about it being in the bed and I don't even know why she would do this,I haven't had an issue with her personally and she is a well liked and respected CNA,the thing is now I see her as a trouble starter and dishonest and it is quite upsetting to me that she would try to make me look bad..I am very detailed oriented and safety conscious and I know where I put the syringe,and yes I realise the bedside dresser isn't a good place to leave a syringe either,my question is this how should I approach the manager about this without looking like I'm in denial and without stirring up a hornets nest?...Thanks for your time!

[MissGwen]

Why wasn't the syringe put in the sharps?

I guess the best thing to do is to admit you should not have left it there. Everybody makes mistakes. Own it, learn from it, and move on.

Gwen

[mamamerlee, LPN]

Just because you left it on the table doesn't mean that it wasn't found in the bed. I wouldn't push it too far - apologize profusely, state you put it on the table, and realize you should have put it in the sharps container immediately, and don't know how it may have gotten in the bed.

Best wishes!

[Rabid Response]

The reason we throw sharps away immediately is because if we leave them lying around there's no telling where they could end up. You don't seem to be disputing that you did not properly dispose of that syringe, and that is the real point. It really doesn't matter how it got into the bed or if, in fact, it was there at all. Allow that you made a mistake, learn from it, and move on. Nobody's perfect.

[NurseNinaFla]

i guess the best thing to do is let it go and as mamamerlee advised,admit i don't know how it got in the bed (although i still feel the cna is lying) and try to be more careful..thanks!

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Just because you left it on the table doesn't mean that it wasn't found in the bed. I wouldn't push it too far - apologize profusely, state you put it on the table, and realize you should have put it in the sharps container immediately, and don't know how it may have gotten in the bed.

Best wishes!

This is true: you really don't know for certain that it never left the table. It's possible the patient may have mistakenly placed it into the bed, or it could have rolled/fallen/been knocked into the bed (and it doesn't matter how you positioned the syringe; unless you used duct-tape to secure that needle to the table, it moving is a very valid possibility). So don't be quick to call the CNA a liar because she may not be.

Like others have said: clairfy that you left it on the table, accept responsibility for leaving it in an inappropriate place (said table), and learn from the mistake. We all make mistakes--the trick is not to make the same one twice :)

[NurseNinaFla]

Thanks all I feel better..guess I'm a little mistrusting working with some very treacherous people over the years?..sad but true... I will admit my mistake and learn from it and put on a happy face!:)

[Katie5]

You can't. The bottom line is you left it in the room and it was found, every other thing is guesswork. Let it go and move on.

[CeilingCat, ASN, RN]

Don't assume someone was lying. It's so easy for a syringe to fall or be moved. You should not have left the room without it in the Sharps container or your hand. Chalk it up to a learning experience. Apologize and make it clear to management it will never happen again.

[Guest343211]

You tell the truth. What is yours: You didn't immediately dispose of it but you put it down. . .where you said. You didn't leave it in the bed. But you do take ownership of not immediately disposing of it.

She may have lied. I have been in this field for 20 years. You had better believe there are people that will lie to get others in trouble, to make points with others that may not like you, or to get ahead. . .you name it.

People don't seem to have a problem stretching the truth or lying anymore. They can act on righteous in certain venues, but they are still liars where it suits them and they totally rationalize their behavior in many ways. And too them, it may even seem right. I just recently had someone do something completely wrong and unfair on another nurse website--and no rationale was given or justified. But people will twist things to suit what they want.

I take some solice in believing that what goes around comes back around again. I have lived to see it many times. It doesn't make the lies or injustices pain-free; but it gives you peace when you see that at least someone up there has a way of balancing the scales.

Bearing false witness should be as serious and offense as stealilng or attempted murder or rape in my book? Why? B/c you have taken something from someone else or have attempted to take something sacred from someone else.

Dear OP, I wish I could say you will never see this again in nursing and in life, but alas, you will. Protect your patients and your license and cover you orifice at all times. Also I believe it's important to always have a pool or agency job in case someone at your regular place of employment can't so easily destroy your reputation. I have seen nurses and people do this to nurses--very unfairly mind you. But if you work for others that know you are good at what you do, do get along with others, and are reliable and safe, it brings some question to those that try to hurt your career.

I wish you the best. Just be very careful with people. There are people that are just totally backstabbing, and unfortunately you see this more than you should in nursing. So sad.

[Carmela5]

You did wrong by not putting in the needle in the sharps when you were finished with it. Your careless action could have gotten a visitor to the room or a co-worker stuck. Shame on you. Next time pay attention when your facility has Infection Control inservice. It's done for a reason. Your lucky your NM did write you up. I would have.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

this points to a systems error,,,no sharps container in the room