My Involvment Got Told From HR to Staff

[New mommy 26, BSN, RN]

Hey all so I am literally 4 months from the end of 6 years of monitoring. Just to give some background...I absolutley diverted and absolutley was a nightmare participant in my states recovery program so badly I surrendered my license in 2011. I petitioned for voluntary monitoring not working ad a nurse in 2014 after the birth of my daughter. I went through the process of monitoring to prove my sobriety in 2017 I was granted the ability to practice with another 3 years of monitoring. I worked as a case manager once I passed the boards again. When Covid hit I was like perfect I am going back to the bedside they need me now. And I landed a job in a LTAC. I was caring for a group of patients last weekend that had heavy narcotics. I gave the patients pain medications as prescribed. The next night a friend called me to let me know that the night supervisor approached her about a certain patient who had pain meds given to him twice during my shift. This poor guy has a stage 4 I could put my fist into and was over breathing the vent. The nursing super isor told my friend who was defending the use of narcotics optics in this patient said well if you knew who was on the cart these nights you would not be defending her. I have a new job in a nursing home starting tomorrow and am scared to death to go back. I have literally had 6+ years of clean urine what would you do. My fear is they will start a rumor and an investigation that will be unfounded but will make me suspect and delay my release. What would you all do?

[TriciaJ, RN]

If you didn't do anything wrong, then hold your head up and keep practicing like the honest, competent nurse you are. You gave the meds to the patient, documented this, documented the result, right? Make firm eye contact when you answer any questions, and just answer the questions without elaboration.

Practice saying this (at least to yourself): "I have six years of sobriety and I did not relapse. I gave the meds to the patient for his comfort and documented appropriately. My practice speaks for itself."

Do not be afraid to go back to work. Do not allow yourself to be intimidated by rumours and what-ifs.

Wishing you the best.

[Totheendandback, ASN, RN]

I am very sorry this is happening to you. The same thing happened to me. I was completely innocent but a few nurses at my old place of employment did not want to believe it. These nurses would spread lie after lie and it always got back to where I was working. I did seek legal counsel during this time but I quickly realized that this would be a VERY expensive battle. I am a single mom of 4 kids and I couldn't afford to keep fighting. I still cant figure out why anyone would do this to a fellow coworker. I ended up retiring from nursing, my licence is still active without any marks on it but I will never go back to acute care nursing. This is very sad for me because I absolutely LOVED nursing and helping others. I changed career fields and am working in a field I never thought I would be in. I do not make as much money as I did nursing but the lack of stress I have is well worth it. I wish you the best and hope everything works out for you.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

People can be jerks.

Not like your situation however I recently started working in acute pysch. Infact the same facility I was a patient in many years ago. Not many of the same staff around but some.

And of course, the rumours started going around "did you know tenebrae was a patient here, blah blah blah". So I took the bull by the horns and said to a few of the team " just so you know, yes, I once was a patient here, last admission was approximately 15 years ago. If you have any questions, I am happy to ask"

You should be rightly proud of your journey and all the amazing things you have done along the way. Just keep doing your job, it sounds like your patients are really lucky to have you.

And BTW, if I had a patient with a stage four pressure injury I could put my fist in, I would be giving as much pain relief as I could and as often as I could. I think people freak out about giving patients in LTAC narcs, I mean heaven forbid if it makes them a bit more comfortable in their final however long they have left. Friend of mine was telling me about some of their doctors who would chart morphine xmg q2 as long as resps are above 12.