occupational health argument

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Hello fellow nurses,

I am looking for your input in this issue...:I recently started working at my first nursing job, and I had an awful experience with a nurse from occupational health that misinterpreted my PPD test. The first encounter was filled with negative vibes...I started telling her I have developed a sensitivity to one of the preservatives from the PPD/TB test shot, and my forearm tends to get red and swollen. She asked me where I am from, and told her from Eastern Europe, then asked me if I had the BCG vaccine done, I told her no, but she said I must have been had it done because most people from that part of the world received it (whaaaat? I have given them all my childhood immunization info, and the BCG was not a part of it, so I did not receive it). Still, she insisted that my sensitivity was actually a positive reaction, although I have been having the same reaction for the 5 times I had the TB test done and it was documented as a negative. I come back after 48 hours, the TB test site looks the same as any other time, and she freaks out saying that is a positive. I told her it is not, there is no induration, only erythema, but she insists there is an induration, and starts documenting it. I begin to lose my temper, and tell her that is a negative, and she gets all defensive saying she knows better than me she has 30 years of experience. On top of that, she alerts my manager that I have some kind of anger issues, and I have been called to meet up with 2 unit representatives to be scolded upon for my behavior.

What I wanted to ask you, is it legal what the occupational health nurse did? I believe she falsified my medical records. I have been sent to get a blood test for TB which came negative, and she told me the positive TB skin test is because of my BCG vaccination, which by the way, never happened!! I have never had the BCG and I do get a skin irritation from the preservatives, but that is not a positive TB. I now have false data on my medical records, and my managers think I have an anger issue because I protested against it :( What should I do??

Sorry for the long post !

Again, saying that people born in European countries have most likely received the BCG vaccination is not accurate, firstly assuming is not best nursing practice. I certainly hope that you do not go by practicing nursing with assumptions about patients, you need subjective and OBJECTIVE data to conclude your nursing assessment. How many years has it been since you have taken a refresher course in foundations of nursing? Maybe you still have the textbook, please review the assessment tecniques, it would def help you!

I was a TB Program Coordinator and Case Manager for several years, and 1 of the 1st questions asked of a suspected TB case or someone testing is, "Where are you from?" I realize there is a stigma in some places when it comes to people with TB, but place of origin/travel history is a very necessary step in determining risk with this disease. It also clues us in as to whether or not someone may have a false positive reaction to a TST/PPD. You really should be happy we have blood tests available, or they would probably be insisting on a CXR & treatment.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
Guys, nobody is trying to validate any feelings. I have the LORD for that, he is faithful and forever loving! I do not go longing for people`s acceptance, I already have my acceptance from the one who shed his blood for me! He is the way to true joy and happiness.

On top of this, I was curious if I can encounter some maybe Christian nurses here, that love the Lord and want to share his love to others through this thread. Clearly, no born-again Christians around here...:) That`s ok!

You could try the Nursing and Spirituality subforum:

https://allnurses.com/nursing-and-spirituality/

Or you could try the Breakroom if you just want to talk faith.

allnurses | Break Room for Nurses: Talk Family, Politics, & Entertainment

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I realize that it is hard for you as Americans to understand that having a list of mandatory vaccinations in a country does not mean that the parents took the child to the clinic to get every vaccination. The schools there do not forbid a child to come to school if he/she is not vaccinated. It is a totally different world there, but there are many positives also:)

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Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
I love the patients that swear on the Bible that they haven't used any drugs. Then I present them with the positive UDS, and they get all sheepish with the "yeah, I might have tried it once last night..."

I love it when our ETOHers still won't cough up how much they drink daily even as they are on the verge of going into full blown DTs.

And then the mundune misbeliefs. They do not have htn or dm because their meds control it. Or "no heart testing" eventually leads into the big cardiac work up they had last year but forgot about...etc.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I love it when our ETOHers still won't cough up how much they drink daily even as they are on the verge of going into full blown DTs.

And then the mundune misbeliefs. They do not have htn or dm because their meds control it. Or "no heart testing" eventually leads into the big cardiac work up they had last year but forgot about...etc.

Or when they say, "it was only a couple of drinks. A couple!"

True that: I find that my patients will deny, deny, deny all health history. Then I get the real story when I ask what medications they are taking, and out comes the labetalol, metformin, Synthroid, fluoxetine...

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Why Spanish people tend to be late for appointments or even skip them without notifying the provider? It is not because they are being impolite, it is part of their cultural practices, and now you have a clash of cultures: the one who believes being late is totally rude, and the other one who believes they have all the time in the world, and love living in the present instead of the past or future. None of these cultures is wrong or right, but both should try to make an effort to understand each other.

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You are missing the point of the question. Alive or deceased and cause of death of immediate family is part of your medical history. Your relationship with your mother is something a therapist wants to know.

My mom died when I was 26, btw.

NO, I am not missing the point of the question. Maybe in my culture that question is absolutely inapproriate. And MAYBE, if you elect nursing as a career you should prepare yourself to provide culturally appropriate care.

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I do love the fact that my thread has become surprinsingly popular ! haha

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Specializes in hospice.
NO, I am not missing the point of the question. Maybe in my culture that question is absolutely inapproriate. And MAYBE, if you elect nursing as a career you should prepare yourself to provide culturally appropriate care.

And MAYBE when one decides to practice as a nurse in an adopted country/culture, that nurse needs to learn to provide culturally appropriate reactions to her colleagues.

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And MAYBE when one decides to practice as a nurse in an adopted country/culture, that nurse needs to learn to provide culturally appropriate reactions to her colleagues.

I know you hate foreigners honey, but chill out...this country would not exist if it wasn`t for the immigrants that populated it. And listen, at my graduation ceremony, the masters graduates of science in engineering, and computer science, were all foreigners, mostly Indians, so say a thank you prayer for all the exquisite minds that come to your country to make it flourish!

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Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
Or when they say, "it was only a couple of drinks. A couple!"

True that: I find that my patients will deny, deny, deny all health history. Then I get the real story when I ask what medications they are taking, and out comes the labetalol, metformin, Synthroid, fluoxetine...

Yeah, a med list is golden. I take between 5 to 10 medical and surgical histories a day and find myself asking the patient why? a lot. That seems to jog a lot of memories when I think I am not getting the whole picture. Then you catch the folks who lie about checking blood sugars or pressures by honing in on specifics. We learn so much about physical assessments but good interviewing skills are so crucial..

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

1. She asked me where I am from, and told her from Eastern Europe . . .

2. On top of that, she alerts my manager that I have some kind of anger issues, and I have been called to meet up with 2 unit representatives to be scolded upon for my behavior.

3. I believe she falsified my medical records. I have been sent to get a blood test for TB which came negative, and she told me the positive TB skin test is because of my BCG

4. I now have false data on my medical records.

5. My managers think I have an anger issue because I protested against it :( What should I do??

Sorry for the long post !

I numbered things because I don't know how to do the multi-quote thing on my phone.

1. I knew a great nurse with a heavy French accent. When people asked where she was from, she always replied "Texas" (which was true, she had lived there).

2. If you really did lose your temper, she had justification for alerting your manager. Even if she wronged you, your employer expects you to act professionally.

3. I really feel for you, I did have the BCG & I have gone back & forth with employee health many times. But it's quite possible this nurse is simply incompetent, not malicious. Needless to say, I've dealt with incompetent employee health nurses.

4. Consider the possibility that the false information on your record is that a BCG vaccine was omitted. If you tested positive for BCG antibodies (on a quantiferon gold test), you probably have been exposed to it, most likely through a vaccine. Maybe the notoriously unreliable (per your account) health system where you grew up missed recording it.

5. Consider that if you really did lose your temper, you may have an anger issue, or it may be that you haven't culturally assimilated to the culture of your employer. I say this with all compassion, I struggled with cultural assimilation as I spent many of my formative years outside the US.

I wish you the best of luck & completely sympathize with the frustration of dealing with employee health types!

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