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Discussion

need advice

I am working in home health care, doing QA in the office as well as visiting patients in the home. I notice that ancillary staff sign my name as the receiving nurse for patients who aren't even my patients. I have talked to my boss as well as the office staff to not sign my name, and they still continue to do it when I am not in the office. And when I am in the office, they ask me to sign as the receiving nurse for orders for discharge or recertification (for example) for patients who are not under my supervision/care. My issue is that my signature is being used and forged. Can I lose my license for having my name signed with these doctors orders? Does my name/signature being used as the receiving nurse make me liable for these patients? I have no problem with keeping up with my own cases, communicating with doctors regarding the patients I am working with, but does it make me a bad nurse to be saying "that's not my patient" as my argument to not sign these documents? What can I do further if I have noted the issue of forging my signature verbally and nothing has been done to stop it? PLEASE HELP!

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    :twocents: write a letter to the administrator, cc the don and the medical records director, noting this problem, giving dates/names of past incidents of which you're aware, to whom you have already complained (with dates), and putting them on notice that they have all been cc'd on it. dispassionate, professional, cool.

    send it certified mail (you get the little green card back when it has been delivered, signed by the person who took delivery). that will cover your butt if it ever comes up again without your knowledge. and perhaps they'll realize they can't let it keep happening anymore.

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    I guess you will have to take more firmer measures, as opposed to what you have done already.

    a signature on a document means that you totally agree and have given your consent to what is written on a document, (even if it means your death warrant).

    forging one's signature is even worse and can be viewed as an act of impersonation, which therefore makes it illegal.

    so then you need to take stronger steps, by literally "putting your feet on the ground", and make sure this doesn't repeat itself.

    first start by writing a letter to the head of administration or chief medical director, copy to: the Head nurse. notifying them officially of the challenges you have been facing, attaching photocopies of the documents as proof(if possible), quoting the date and time. and to whom you complained verbally to/ number of times you complained. by taking these steps it becomes official , and the facility will surely look into the matter.

    GoodLuck to you.

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    I would think your butt would be in a sling if something happened. Even though you didn't sign your name, you know people are doing it and you haven't done much to stop it (official in writing), you know?

    I would be really, really peeved to think people were doing this and would complain up the food chain in writing.

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    • Author

    Thank you all for the advice! I have typed my letter and I am asking one of my nurse mentors to look it over. Please pray for me!

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    @crn11 i will put u in my prayer. all that matters is that u do the right thing. stay calm. Goodluck to you.

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