Patient complaint-freaking out!

[CrazierThanYou]

My manager called me today to tell me there was a complaint filed against me by a patient and that I'm now suspended while they investigate. She said it was filed late on Friday and that she had no information, including which patient it was.

Frankly, I'm freaking out.

I've never had a complaint against me in the 5 years I've been a nurse but the hospital where I work is termination happy. I've seen other nurses fired after a single complaint. Recently, a coworker forgot to return a vial of controlled medication and accidently took it home. She returned it the next day AND passed a drug test but they fired her anyway.

I had a patient last week who seemed very strange. I explained everything but he seemed very suspicious about everything I did. I had even mentioned it to the charge nurse. His family also seemed suspicious and the wife was angry that he was made ICU status after being admitted med surg status and no one told them. But his status was changed on a previous shift and I thought they knew. His daughter is also a nurse and was asking me about his medications, etc, in a kind of confrontational manner. I don't know if this is the patient who complained but its the only "situation" I can think of and I suspect it is.

So, I'm suspended for the next 2 days while my manager investigates. She said she will probably call me on Tuesday to talk to me about it. I'm just afraid I am going to get fired. I have never been fired in my life and I don't want to start now.

I don't know how I'm going to get through the next two days not knowing if I still have a job.

[Lamharr]

Please keep us updated.

[JKL33]

In the setting I work in, the employee is suspended pending investigation to protect the patients and to protect the nurse/staff member during an investigation. Usually you will be paid for any time missed from work if you are able to come back to work. We actually spend time during orientation to prepare staff for this type occasion so that it might be less traumatic should a patient make a complaint.

This practice is BS and there is no justification for it. How is an "investigation" done without hearing any testimony from the accused? An unethical way to treat workers. There doesn't even have to BE a legitimate allegation in order for this process to be conducted against someone, you realize that, don't you? It's not about protecting the patient and the nurse (do we all look stupid, or what??) - it's so the employer can do whatever they damn well please while their employee is absolutely defenseless. Shame on anyone who thinks this is okay and all the tools who fall in line by doing things in attempt to "normalize" this (such as spending orientation time "preparing" staff).

Well, it's getting difficult enough to keep people happy these days, hopefully abusive places like yours will find themselves being unable to staff their units someday soon due to all the ongoing "investigations".

[CelticGoddess, BSN, RN]

Your rights were violated. You should be in your HR department/Chief Nurse Officer or CEO office. Do NOT sit back for 2 days.

How were her rights violated? Please explain

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

How were her rights violated? Please explain

I am glad I clicked to the next page. I was about to post the exact same thing!

I have to say though for some of the other posts, I know this seems harsh but I have to be honest, I rather a paid investigation done where they are actually taking the time to look into it and I am not missing wages, then to find trumped up BS to fire me on, or just terminate me or have disciplinary action.

Having paid administrative leave so they can investigate is not an automatic termination and it's more than what a lot of other employers are willing to do and if the investigation comes out in your favor nothing is put in your record where them writing you up would be.

The hospital where I experienced this, I actually got put on it twice for two different reasons, the HIPAA pt complaint that was bogus and the second was from a complaint from a Co-Worker that was out of line and I started standing up for myself so they started trying to find ways to complain and get me fired. Both BS and I was cleared from both. The second time I just though "you have got to be kidding me, maybe I need to start having a vacation pending if it happens again"

However, the stress and anxiety was to much and I wasn't willing to deal with it a third time and I started feeling like soon they would be looking for something to justify terminating me so I started looking for another job so I could set myself up and resign before one day I might just walk into work and told I was fired.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

When they do call you in they should have the original complaint and information from their investigation in writing. You should get a copy. No matter how tempting it is, do not engage verbally, because they will be taking notes, and the notes will be skewed in their favor. Also, you neewd time to read and reflect on the issue. They had three days, you deserve some time too. Then go home, think, and reply IN WRITING. I've had complaints that I tried to clear up verbally, and got nowhere. They wrote "you explanation was insufficient" on the HR paperwork. Hell with that!! I went home and wrote point for point what they said, and then what really happened, and got a coworker to double check it. A written reply is much more powerful, and they have to put it in the record.