Reporting for racial slurs/substance abuse

jodispamodi · Dec 10, 2017

In my state the BON requires that if you know a nurse is working while impaired you are mandated to report them. The keywords here are "know", since this was reported on a friends social media, it would basically be hearsay. I mean, I guess, if the person directly said to me "I'm snorting coke and then going to work, and snorting lines in the bathroom" I would report, but if a friend said she told me she's snorting coke and going to work, I would encourage the friend to report it. But if I didn't see it or hear it with my own eyes and ears, ...

As far as the racial slurs, if she is talking about specific patients, and making them identifiable I most likely would report under Hipaa, or possibly as verbal abuse/hate speech but if she talks this way about everyone (she does have the right to free speech), I would confront her on the terms she is using but not likely reportable, she wouldn't be my friend anymore for sure. But who knows at work she may refrain from improper comments, or she may use them and someone at her own work will report her. jmho.

Julius Seizure · Dec 10, 2017

As far as the racial slurs: Its extremely distasteful, I completely agree. BUT, your ideas about racism and nursing should not be used to affect somebody else's employer/employee relationship. I wouldn't do anything with this information.

As far as the drug use: I would encourage the friend who originally received the text messages to contact the board of nursing about it. If they wouldn't, I would check with my state laws and board rules about my own obligation to report it. To be clear, I would NOT contact her employer. I WOULD consider contacting the board of nursing directly.

And I would not engage in further interactions with this individual. I read that she keeps finding ways to contact you. Have you told her that you don't wish to interact? If so, my advice would be to stop responding entirely at this point, and if she persists in trying to engage you, think about if you feel it meets the level of "harassment", or if it is just an annoying person.

TriciaJ, RN · Dec 10, 2017

Julius Seizure said:
As far as the racial slurs: Its extremely distasteful, I completely agree. BUT, your ideas about racism and nursing should not be used to affect somebody else's employer/employee relationship. I wouldn't do anything with this information.
As far as the drug use: I would encourage the friend who originally received the text messages to contact the board of nursing about it. If they wouldn't, I would check with my state laws and board rules about my own obligation to report it. To be clear, I would NOT contact her employer. I WOULD consider contacting the board of nursing directly.
And I would not engage in further interactions with this individual. I read that she keeps finding ways to contact you. Have you told her that you don't wish to interact? If so, my advice would be to stop responding entirely at this point, and if she persists in trying to engage you, think about if you feel it meets the level of "harassment", or if it is just an annoying person.

I completely agree with this. Using racial slurs on her own time is not reportable to her employer. If they want to monitor employees' social media that's their business.

The only thing reportable to anyone is her drug use to the BON. Sounds like all you have is hearsay. You can present that to the BON for what it's worth and it'll be up to them to investigate. That's it.

Otherwise, please block this person from your life entirely. Look up the stalking and harassment statutes in your state and make a game plan for if she starts crossing the line.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 10, 2017

nurse_kimbo said:
I have an acquaintance who is also a nurse. We don't work at the same facility. Recently she sent me some nasty texts about a friend of mine who is African American, and she used some really nasty racial slurs. I politely corrected her terminology. She assured me that yes, she did mean to use that word. This was pretty upsetting to me. I don't believe that there's any place for racism in nursing. Especially for someone who is so blatant about it. I thought about reporting her comments to her employer. In the meantime, a friend sent me screenshots of texts that the same woman had sent her detailing her illegal drug use. She talked about smoking pot, snorting lines, drinking, and driving home after.
Y'all. I don't even know how to feel about this. I'm disgusted and disturbed. She works in pediatrics. I feel very strongly that I should make her employer aware. I've never done anything like that before though.
I guess my question here is...should I? I wanted the opinions from peers who aren't directly involved. Am I just being a busybody? My concern is for her patients, for obvious reasons. If I do report, will it even be taken seriously? I do have proof (my screenshots and the other girl's). I've never been involved in a situation like this and it's just making me sick. Thanks in advance for any advice and/or opinions.

It sounds as if this acquaintance is someone you don't need to be friendly with. Uses racial slurs against a friend of mine and resists correction -- this is someone I don't need in my life. Block them on facebook, block their phone number and forget about them. But you don't know how she behaves at work, so leave her employer out of it. She gets to be a jerk at home. If she's a jerk at work, it's really none of your business.

As far as the drug use -- you really don't know anything about that. These are second hand texts, screenshots, etc. If anyone should do anything about that -- and I'm not advocating that anyone should -- it's that other girl, not you. She's the one that found the texts or whatever. I'm not sure I'd want to be friends with that other girl, either, the one who is stirring up trouble by forwarding "guilty" texts and photos to you.

Bottom line is leave it alone. You don't know how she acts at work or if her bad behavior during her off hours affects her work, her patients, her job. You don't really KNOW anything -- you just have innuendo and "guilty" texts that you cannot authenticate. Steer clear of both of these girls in the future. It's easy to get sucked into someone else's drama, but not at all easy to get OUT of the drama. Just leave it alone.

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Dec 11, 2017

You need to block her or whatever you need to do to cut off any contact with this train wreck. As far as reporting her, what are you going to report? That she's a racist? That's she has a substance abuse problem maybe? If none of this happened at work or influenced her patient care then this is not a nursing issue. Mind your business and walk away from this dumpster fire.

Clear Gummy Bear · Dec 11, 2017

You corrected someone after they used racial slurs? Why? She knew what she was doing. Since you do not work with her there is no way to tell if she treats African-American patients any differently. The only thing you could do it post it on social media and hope it goes viral and cause "outrage" causing her to lose her position. She could be treating the African-Americans less than kind at work. I have no idea. I will say there is a history within the medical field for unfavorable treatment of African-Americans.

nancy welch · Dec 12, 2017

She could just be a bully and setting you up so she has a reason to start trouble with you...ignore ignore ignore, those are keywords..she may not be using at all, just like fishing she may be setting you up to run with the bait..to give her a reason to pick on you..if she truly is using, give her enough rope and she will hang herself eventually.I would stay away like from poison ivy..

debirn918 · Dec 12, 2017

My concern is this seems to be a texting issue. Dare I think someone else might be signing this nurse's name to texs and the additional 'proof'. Smear campaign could be occurring. If you have other, meaning objective proof, then yes you need to report to appropriate persons. The Nuse Practice Act in my state requires this. To me, it seems kind of strange that the info is supposedly coming from this nurse, but it is from different phones. Think hard and maybe speak to her in person. Be safe and let us know the result.

MissourigalRN · Dec 12, 2017

I would most definitely keep out of it. Meddling with someone else's career and life will be putting yourself in an awkward situation. This person sounds to be already unstable as it is. Let it be, cut yourself out of this person's way. It will handle itself in the long run.

BadwomanM · Dec 12, 2017

debirn918 said:
My concern is this seems to be a texting issue. Dare I think someone else might be signing this nurse's name to texs and the additional 'proof'. Smear campaign could be occurring. If you have other, meaning objective proof, then yes you need to report to appropriate persons. The Nuse Practice Act in my state requires this. To me, it seems kind of strange that the info is supposedly coming from this nurse, but it is from different phones. Think hard and maybe speak to her in person. Be safe and let us know the result.

Yes, this. You really have no idea if this is the actual person or not. It's unfortunate, but too much is 2d and 3rd hand information to make a valid report.

Peter0705 · Dec 13, 2017

This is a classic example of some nurses being back stabbing *******. If they don't work at your hospital, then it's none of your business You pretend to care about the patients? I bet you've been a nurse for less than two years. How can you call these nurses your friends. With friends like you, who needs enemies?

Julius Seizure · Dec 13, 2017

This is a classic example of some nurses being back stabbing *******. If they don't work at your hospital, then it's none of your business You pretend to care about the patients? I bet you've been a nurse for less than two years. How can you call these nurses your friends. With friends like you, who needs enemies?

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