My NM accused me of falsifying NN

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Hey all. I had a post yesterday that my NM wanted to speak to me. So I went to work. I was prepared for anything she could say but not fow what she did. There was a pt who has an IV q 48h, was out and did not get her dose in AM. She does not like her med at night as there is too many blood draws when it is given, heck she gets stuck so many times a week. Last time it was scheduled at night she ended up crying and so upset. Our MD happened to be on unit when pt stated she did not want it at night and do I asked him what could be done. He changed it and then changed all her labs to one day, one stick only, which is better news for the pt. Well I guess my NM was upset it was changed. She stated that she talked to the pt and the pt's room mate and they said I never said anything to them. Off the topic but the room mate can not even remember when I gave her pills, prompting a call to my house in the middle of the night about it. I cannot help what they said after the fact, but I do know what I was told by the pt. And I charted what she said, even in qoutes. So the NM says she knows I "falsified" it and that she "had no choice but to tell" the DON about it. She also said that when it came between believing pts of employees she would believe pt first. I do not lie and I am so upset. I have worked at this place for 7 yrs, worked my way up from CNA. Have only had this position for a few months though. I am a mess. I do not know what to do next. Other than that I am just plain :angryfire that NM questions my integrity. ANy advice would be so appreciated.

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No advice, but lots of sympathy.

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That's a bummer, isn't it? Something similar happened to me, I was disciplined for something I didn't do, but the pt said it was me so as far as my NM was concerned, it had to have been me.

Make sure you document your side of it and insist it be placed in your file.

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and I also empathize/symathize with you in this situation

(I experienced someone in my own family start accusing me of planning to do all kinds of negative imaginary things, some people become delusional, and now another family member of mine is in the hospital and telling me that he thinks he experiences being "delirious" with "delusions" - the reason that I say these things is that people do experience, while in hospital, various psychological phenomena - and you might find yourself accused for something that didn't even happen, or that someone else did - simply because the patient has various problems with their mental functioning.

I agree that you must document what you know happened.

Your NM does NOT know that anything was "falsified" - maybe she doesn't know that people get forgetful.

(even my 87 year old father this week said to me that his "mother" was in to visit him during the week - and he isn't usually like this - when I asked "your mother?" he realized his error and then referred to his wife. My reason for explaining this is - things happens to any patient's mind when in such a stressful situation as being hospitalized, and then their mistakes or forgetfulness, or transference. This could very well be happening to the patients that you refer to - they may have forgotten, or maybe they didn't understand, or maybe things were so stressful that it becomes like amnesia.

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Specializes in Looking for a career in NICU.

By the NM telling you that she would always take a patient's word over yours, that sounds like a personality conflict rather than a true concern.

I would schedule an appointment with the DON and make sure she hears YOUR side directly. Remind her of the quote.

It is very dangerous to have a NM that will never listen to anyone that works for them.

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Document. Document. Document. Get your resume up-to-date, and look into finding a good labor lawyer.

Once management accuses a staff member of lying, it's like a big target being painted on that worker's back. You have just had your first warning that it's getting to be time to thinking of getting out of Dodge.

Don't sign anything without having time to read it over very carefully. If you have any questions about what any of the paperwork means, have your lawyer read it before you sign it. If you get fired on the spot for not signing, it just makes a better case for your lawyer.

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Make a one-on one appointment with the DON to discuss the situation. She made a huge allegation in regards to your falsifying docs and as she has no proof of that she could end up in some hot water and should.

Could the MD be of any help here?! Maybe the pt has complained to them as well?! Might be worth making a call to the doc given the circumstances.

Not sure where you work, but if you have a Human Resources Dept. you could and should involve them as well. This is part of their job.

I would sign nothing as you did nothing wrong. And you should tell them you will be seeking legal advice on this issue.

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Specializes in jack of all trades.

Get the doc to back you up and also check his notes. He may have made a notation as to why he changed it. Just be careful going over the NCM head. Last time I did this I ended up fired. I went to my primary supervisor as I was part-time and allotted to carry 13-15 case load (I was a medical case management consultant). When I came back from my husbands funeral I had a total case load of 36 waiting for me!! When I explained this was beyond what I could handle under the circumstance for the time being I was told get over it. So I went to the next level up and ended up terminated instead. Document, document, document as this person can also make it a BON issue if she really gets her dander in the air if she's accusing you of falsifying records/nursing notes. It can be considered misconduct.

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Specializes in CVICU, CCU, MICU, SICU, Transplant.

Just picking out something you wrote...

Why would your manager question the pt's roommate about this matter? The patient's care is none of the other pt's business. Sounds like your manager was fishing for any bit of info that she could find. Seems like a very toxic environment. In agreement with another post, document to cover yourself, update your resume, and RUN to the exit, bc they are gunning for you.

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