Would you File a Complaint?

[everchangingRN]

My dad was recently in a bad fall. The ambulance picked him up without placing him on a backboard or in a neck brace. Then when at the hospital, they didn't either. Nor did they listen to me when I said he has a head injury and can't move his arm. They didn't do a neurochecks or given him a sling when I asked for one. One particular Nurse was very rude and told me "you don't work here you just can't run the show" because it was at the hospital where I used to work. She then kept kicking us out of the trauma bay, and wouldn't let us in for hours. (ME, my sister and my Mom.) I asked for another nurse to take care of my dad and she ended up calling security on me after cursing at me. My question is - would you file a complaint with the state board of nursing? I have already filed a complaint with the hospital and have heard nothing after 3 months!

Thanks for your opinions.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

According to my class on legal issues in nursing, the BON does not deal with malpractice. But my prof (a lawyer and nurse) states that this is a very common misconception about what the BON does, especially among nurses.

The BON deals with licensing issues, not malpractice issues. There could be a situation in which both apply. For example, if the malpractice happened because the nurse was intoxicated, then that is both a licensing issue and a malpractice issue. The intoxicated at work part is the licensing issue.

I don't know about your state, but I can tell you for an unqualified fact that they investigate practice issues in my state. I had to testify at a hearing at which an LPN's license was revoked due to multiple practice issues.

[Wuzzie]

I don't know about your state, but I can tell you for an unqualified fact that they investigate practice issues in my state. I had to testify at a hearing at which an LPN's license was revoked due to multiple practice issues.

Mine does too but so far, outside of the issue of cursing (which is pretty weak and not even addressed in our BON standards), I haven't heard anything even remotely re-portable to the BON.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

If our respective boards of nursing disciplined everyone who used profanity in the workplace, none of us would be working, and they would waste all of their time investigating workplace language rather than things that involve patient safety.

I find it laughable than anyone would consider profanity to subject to the morals clause of any nurse practice act. If something trips my trigger and I happen to let a curse word slip, that does not make me immoral or incapable of making moral judgments in regard to patient care.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

If an elderly man came into my trauma room without a board and collar I wouldn't apply one. They are going out of favor, even on scene. I'd have him stay on the stretcher until a doc could examine him, in a position of comfort.

Neuro checks would involve watching his movement and asking him about his injury. So orientation, clear speech, equal movement of face and limbs, and pulses/cap refill. I would note unequal pupils, but that is a late sign of trouble, and can be caused by previous surgery. If everything else was fine, I wouldn't be upset over unequal pupils that stayed that way. Its very easy to do a neuro assessment and have the family think you're just chatting.

I would not put his arm in a sling, I'd use pillows and positioning to make him as comfortable as possible. I want to see his fingers for CSM checks, and the movement to apply a sling is going to be painful in itself. After the fracture was reduced, we need an order to use a sling, and the docs are more likely to go without if asked. But my previous hospital put everyone in a sling on discharge...so it might be a common practice clash between what two nurses have seen.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

She then kept kicking us out of the trauma bay, and wouldn't let us in for hours.

She "kept" kicking you out of the trauma bay? Hmm, I'm thinking that is revealing more than you realize about the behavior you and your family exhibited in an admittedly very stressful situation. Perhaps, just perhaps, some self reflection is in order.

Is it okay for a nurse to curse at you? Absolutely not. That seems like a hospital issue, not something to report to the BON.

As to your father, if you believe that his injuries were caused or worsened by malpractice, that's something you need to take up with an attorney. But know that you will have a burden of proof, which is as it should be. Make sure that you are not trying to take out your horror at your father's accident on well meaning professionals who surely (hopefully) know about current standards of practice.

Hope your Dad is feeling better.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

My dad was recently in a bad fall. The ambulance picked him up without placing him on a backboard or in a neck brace. Then when at the hospital, they didn't either. Nor did they listen to me when I said he has a head injury and can't move his arm. They didn't do a neurochecks or given him a sling when I asked for one. One particular Nurse was very rude and told me "you don't work here you just can't run the show" because it was at the hospital where I used to work. She then kept kicking us out of the trauma bay, and wouldn't let us in for hours. (ME, my sister and my Mom.) I asked for another nurse to take care of my dad and she ended up calling security on me after cursing at me. My question is - would you file a complaint with the state board of nursing? I have already filed a complaint with the hospital and have heard nothing after 3 months!

Thanks for your opinions.

If you were not allowed in the trauma bay for a period of hours, how do you know that they didn't do neuro checks?

It really does sound like you were giving them an awful lot of "advice." It *usually* takes some fairly bad behavior to get removed from a family member's side. Even just based on your own report of the incident, I'm left wondering if your behavior wasn't a tad bit inappropriate as well. It would be interesting to hear the impressions all of the other medical professionals involved. It does seem odd that *every single one of them* apparently didn't know what they were doing and that you knew better in every instance what the appropriate actions were. I don't know, maybe you are a trauma expert and know more than experienced paramedics, trauma RNs, and ER physicians. It's possible, but not very likely. But then again, egregious things do happen, so without knowing the whole story, it's really hard to come to any conclusions about this incident.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

If our respective boards of nursing disciplined everyone who used profanity in the workplace, none of us would be working, and they would waste all of their time investigating workplace language rather than things that involve patient safety.

I find it laughable than anyone would consider profanity to subject to the morals clause of any nurse practice act. If something trips my trigger and I happen to let a curse word slip, that does not make me immoral or incapable of making moral judgments in regard to patient care.

there is a difference in swearing in the presence of, and swearing at.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

In California and I am sure in other states BON's have moral turpitude clauses included in the Nurse Practice act. This topic has come up before and I did some research as to what legally constitutes and actionable act of moral turpitude.

I checked the California BON Nurse Practice Act and found that there is a clause requiring a licensee to refrain from acts of moral turpitude. It also states that if a licensee is convicted of a crime of moral turpitude they can have their license revoked. The following is the legal definition of an act of moral turpitude.

"Turpitude means a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice. Moral turpitude refers generally to conduct that shocks the public conscience. Offenses such as murder, voluntary manslaughter, kidnapping, robbery, and aggravated assaults involve moral turpitude. However, assaults not involving dangerous weapons or evil intent have been held not to involve moral turpitude."

Based on the legal definition above cursing at or in the presence of another person while objectionable does not meet the criteria for a report to the BON. It is however a matter for hospital management to deal with.

Moral Turpitude: When Nurses Do Things That Are Intentionally Evil - Articles Archive - Nursing Jobs, RN Jobs, Career Advice at Working Nurse

Hppy

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Hppy,

If swearing will make you lose your license, I'd better give mine up now, and I'll notify ALL my coworkers. Even the local Bible banger has been moved to profanity by times.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Hppy,

If swearing will make you lose your license, I'd better give mine up now, and I'll notify ALL my coworkers. Even the local Bible banger has been moved to profanity by times.

Fortunately swearing does not rise to the legal definition of moral turpitude.

Hppy

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

What do you do? Nothing. Mind your business, people do this more often then you think.-and it doesn’t affect you. ??‍♀️

[everchangingRN, ASN, BSN, MSN]

I am glad I took a break and did not read any more of your responses. My family was never in the way, I was an ER and ICU nurse. They never secured my dad. The nurse calling security hated me because I got manager and she didnt when I use to work at this hospital. All of you who said I was angry. Yes I was because my dad didn't receive proper care. Now he is paralyzed on one side.