nonlicensed personnel using RN password and logon

[centraltexas]

I need some guidance in whom I need to report some questionable behaviors at the workplace.

We had a RN out on FMLA. Our direct supervisor at this Home Health company told 2 nonlicensed personnell to use that nurses login and password and go in and sign off on over 1000 coordination notes.

I live in Texas. I was the Palliative Care nurse for this company and worked both the Hospice and Home Health sides. When I brought up other questional behavior I all of a sudden was treated like an enemy. I went in to work one morning and looked at my schedule to find my Palliative Care patient was no longer on my schedule. I was the only Palliative Care nurse at this office. When I questioned what happened to my pt I was told a new RN would be going out to do her Recertification but not as a Palliative Care pt, she would be a Home Health pt. This pt had been hospitalized with a decline in status the prior week. A few days later I received an email from our regional manager stating she has turned in all the appropriate doccumentation for me to no longer be shared by Home Health and Hospice because of an "incident" involving me. I was then a fulltime RN CM for the Hospice side. I asked for explanation regarding the alledged "incident" but never have recieved a response. The nurse that went out to Recert the pt was a nurse I would not check off while I was her preceptor because I felt she was unsafe. Once I stated I would not sign off on her I started being treated very different and that nurse wouldn't speak to me after that. I feel like I have been bullied and discriminated against with this company but I don't know what to do about it. Advice would be greatly appreciated.

[KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN]

You need to put in your 2 week notice and run as fast as you can. What this company was doing is not just unethical but criminal. I'd bet my life that your manager is putting together a portfolio of nit picky mistakes you have made and is going terminate you and might even go as far as try to ruin your life.

[klone, MSN, RN]

You should a) look for a new job, and b) contact the local OIG office or your state board of nursing. If someone else is using a nurse's log in and password to sign off on her documentation, that is fraud and it's illegal.

[KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN]

If you are still hell bent on finding someone to report all of this to, it would be wise to consult an attorney to be in your corner because if you take this to the next level there will be repercussuions.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

WHY is your supervisor even able to know what employees' passwords are??? I have never worked anywhere this would have been possible b/c my supervisors don't have access to our passwords.

In any case, this WOULD be falsifying documentation.

[generalRN2008]

Get a new job. Protect yourself and leave. If the company used one nurse's login for charting by others , the company will do it to anyone. You never know what is being charted under your name by others and you can not prove it in court unless there is a computer solely used by you. The company is treating you different for fear you may report them to Medicare for fraud as you can for the charting issue.

[KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN]

Does the nurse who is out on FMLA know that her computer credentials are being used? If she doesn't she needs to know ASAP because when this agency gets busted, and it will, that nurse will go down with the ship too. She needs to be able to prove she was not anywhere near those computers when the fraud is taking place.

[TheGooch]

Does the nurse who is out on FMLA know that her computer credentials are being used? If she doesn't she needs to know ASAP because when this agency gets busted, and it will, that nurse will go down with the ship too. She needs to be able to prove she was not anywhere near those computers when the fraud is taking place.

Well if she is out on FMLA I think it's documented so I seriously doubt she would have a hard time proving she was near the computer when this was going on while she was gone.

[centraltexas]

This is exactly what i'm afraid of. It's so sad that people get away with this type of behavior. I know the right thing to do is report this and expect them to be punished, but at the same time I also know that people like this wouldn't hesitate to try and make life a living nightmare. I'm not sure what type of attorney deals with these types of issues.

[centraltexas]

I'm really not positive that she is aware of what has happened while being out. My supervisor made changes to my employment to where I no longer work on the Home Care side and only for the Hospice side without even discussing it with me. She is no longer my superviser,but I am still with the same company. She knows I know too much, but she doesn't know I know this information that I am aware of. I am doing what I can to make some changes in my employment.

[centraltexas]

I believe you are correct. There is no telling what else they have done that I don't know about. I need to find an attorney that can help protect me so I can report this behavior to the appropriate intentities.

[centraltexas]

Very small office and the office manager has everyones passwords and logins. This supervisor has worked for this company for a long period of time and is known to be very sneaky.