Manager charting and my documentation missing!?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I had an incident the other day when a CENA was with a resident in LTC and stepped on the peg tubing, ultimately dislodging it from her body while getting her undressed to take a shower. To make a long story short, I was not on the same floor when this happened as the resident is obese and had to go upstairs in the nursing home to a more accomodating area for showers and bathing. After being contacted by the nurse on duty upsatirs about the situation, she asked whether or not I wanted a foley catheter to be inserted for patency or for her to be transferred to the hospital. I opted with the transfer to the hospital and contacted the doc and he agreed. When the resident returned to the floor minutes later, I secured the site which had minimal bleeding with a stereile 4X4 gauze, and fully assessed and documented the actions that I took after the event, including vitals,the circumstances leading up to the event, etc. Well, the next day I did not work, but was told the following day by the midnight nurse to watch my back becuase our boss documented as is she was present the night when the PEG tube became dislodged. Problem is, the boss was not there and my progress notes of the events have disapeared and is no longer in the chart. The burse who told me about this said that i report that she recieved about the resident after her return from the hospital was that the resident took the PEG tube out herself which was blatantly untrue. So that nurse then looked in the Chart as she knows that I document very concise and she found nothing but our manager's writing. The nurse then told me that the organization that I work for (only 3 months) are very big on telling nurses what to chart and when to chart in circumstances like these. However, my boss never even approached me about her taking my progress notes out of the chart and replacing them with her own as if she was there. My boss only received report over the phone from me as a standard rule for all transfers. I don't smell a lawsuit in this particular situation but who knows?

Should I run from this job or just start keeping a log and copies of all of my nursing documentation?

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
Get ahold of and make copies of everything that pertains to this incident from the chart before that dissapers as well. This is why I have always maintained that you make copies of your incident reports and the nurses notes that you wrote. If there are other notes that support you, make copies of these as well. Worry about HIPPA another time. You won't lose your license over HIPPA. JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

You can be sanctioned for HIIPA violations. Sure you can write your statements and save them, but neither the incident report nor the nurses' notes are your property.

Specializes in Geriatrics.

How can a CNA step on a PEG tube? I wouldnt work there either. Just was a little stumped on the steeping on a PEG tube thing....

You can be sanctioned for HIIPA violations. Sure you can write your statements and save them, but neither the incident report nor the nurses' notes are your property.

Who cares? I would be more concerned with protecting my license and my job from a law suit. JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

OKAY-a technicality....an attorney can request a copy of the incident report and worse, the DPH can have a copy. It doesn't matter that you were at fault or not. If you had knowledge of the event, you should have made sure it was documented.

Actually, my sister is an attorney and I phoned as soon as I got home that day it happened. She has told me to make copies of everything from here on out, regarding nursing notes done my me. She has also advised me to rewrite a nursing note about the incident and copy the NM nursing note that she replaced in the chart. She has also told me to keep a log of events at this job until I leave.

Actually, my sister is an attorney and I phoned as soon as I got home that day it happened. She has told me to make copies of everything from here on out, regarding nursing notes done my me. She has also advised me to rewrite a nursing note about the incident and copy the NM nursing note that she replaced in the chart. She has also told me to keep a log of events at this job until I leave.

I told you so! You heared it from the experts. Make copies of everything, including incident reports and practice "defensive charting".

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

"I told you so"?? One so called expert's opinion wouldn't make me change the way I practice. I work in Massachusetts where there are more regulations than in any other state.

Legally you can not copy any nurse note record from the chart. You can keep track of dates, times, and actions on your own in a calander or on a report sheet so you can remember or recall if ever called into a court hearing. Just as you can not take the nurse notes neither can your employer or DON. What they have done is illegal and unethical. I would report this to the State Board of Nursing and would take a second look at staying on there staff. Remember, you have to protect your own license. Good luck to you.

Could you make another note in the chart and make it a late note?

Makes you wonder what else they are doing, huh?

Specializes in psych, long term care, developmental dis.

The more I think about this the more that I would recommend that you contact your state board of nursing and ask their advice. AND I would call state agency that regulates your NH and tell them what happened and have them talk with your facility.

I have worked with peg tubes in the past and yes a NA stepping on them can cause them to come out. (I am assuming that there was a feeding bag attached with tubing) It was an accident and it happens. I don't understand why your facility is trying to cover this up. God forbid if it was something REALLY BIG!!!

If my license is involved and they(NH) are messing with it and my livelyhood I would shout from the top my voice "Foul, Foul you can't do this and I am going to let everyone know about it!!!"

What was done is WRONG to both you and your resident. STAND UP FOR THE BOTH OF YOU!

Specializes in Hem/Onc, LTC, AL, Homecare, Mgmt, Psych.

Did you ask your boss what happened to your prog. notes from that evening? If so, what did she say? Did she deny their existance? Or admit that she replaced them?

Who wants to be involved in a conspiracy-- Ish.. not me. I wish you the best of luck. But I agree with the others, if I was in your place I would put in my letter of resignation and contact the BON or DHS.

Sara

Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.

WOW, what a dilemma. Personally I would not copy nurses notes but then how do you prove that you did anything? People are not to remove your notes. The only person who can do something to your note is you. You may amend...but if others are or worse removing it all together. Then leave. I think it is safe to say that trust is gone.

Do your residents a favor if and when you decide to leave....report the place.

Specializes in LTC.
How can a CNA step on a PEG tube? I wouldnt work there either. Just was a little stumped on the steeping on a PEG tube thing....

Esp with an obese resident...I do not get a pretty mental picture of that!

Run, run, Rudolph. Can you get the other nurse who told you about it to corroborate, and the resident/family as well? Not to mention the MD you spoke to...

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