CWS RN

I completed the CDD program in North Carolina( chemical disciplinary dependence program( and did everything I was supposed to do. I worked very hard became very efficient in every way because I knew what I did and lost. I have a specialty in wound care. I recently got a physical control citation in ohio. The new regulations states that if there's any conviction or in lieu of conviction, it must be reported to the nursing board Within 30 days. I am sick to my stomach about it. I feel like I don't know what to do. I am so tired. I am very lost and I'm thinking about going into another field. I need money. And I feel there is an egregious loss too my abilities in wound care for the public. I was planning to go to nurse practitioner School with the plan of doing a wound focus when I got out. And now this. I just feel like pleading no contest to it but I know what the nursing board is going to do as a result. They are going to attack me hard based off of my discipline history. I want to look at other options and I am scared. Anything with substance will certainly draw their attention. Despite the fact that my attorney thinks I have a good case, I cannot afford a trial. I just want to move forward and I'm tired of beating myself up about it. What is a good Avenue for me to pursue at this time?

You are in my prayers.

Great question. Me too on leaving the profession.

I'm really sorry you are going through the stress of this. 1. DO NOT REPORT ANYTHING TO TO BON. Look up mandatory reporting requirements. Wrong timing. If you are not guilty in your plea then you are innocent until proven guilty. 2. Get a really efficient attorney. You would be surprised what a paid attorney can do. 3. Said attorney will promote the concept that your career will be destroyed. Ie suspension etc. Including u called cops yourself. ...demonstrates moral turptitude. 4. Usually will plea down to reckless operation. Not BON reportable. 5. DO NOT ACCEPT PHYSICAL CONTROL CHARGE . That is reportable if no contest or guilty or diversion. 6. Ohio BON will also expect report within 30 days if you choose a diversion of criminal charges track EVEN if not guilty plea. 7. It must be plead down outside of anything substance related. Hope that helps

Well said.

If the charge is dismissed...BON doesn't have means to take action. This includes not guilty and PTI. If u plead no contest or guilty and get PTI with diversion of criminal prosecution..the BON WILL COUNT THAT AGAINST YOU. Plea to not guilty with PTI to save yourself from discipline by BON.

That is a bummer. A good question. Pending misdemeanor charges....innocent til proven guilty...up to each place of employment....but if jail etc is possible it's likely a no. Unless a rough snf. Gl

Been there done that! No poppy seads, etoh etc. Etc Its Walking a tightrope... 5 yours is a long time to prove yourself. We have to work a hundred times as hard as the next nurse to demonstrate our abilities. The stigma stands. Good luck to all of you. One Day at a Time ?

I am sorry you're going through this. Being a new nurse is so difficult. Nurses tend to eat their young. I've always strived hard to be kind because I remember how difficult it was. My first year on the floor, a doctor threw a chart at my head. I was screamed at for asking for a clarification three times to a doctor that had very broken English. I have also worked in snfs. Nursing homes are very challenging. The best thing you could do is go directly to the source. Kindly ask the doctor for 5 minutes and ask him what you can do different to help out in the situation and let him know that you're trying very hard. If That does not work, it is important for you to look for another job and also consider all the factors regarding discrimination. ( because it just could be discrimination but it may not be). Nursing homes can be an absolute nightmare. Try somewhere else. You have a grace period if you just decide to pursue legal action. This will give you a comparison on what level of hell you were in. Welcome to nursing!

I understand that we all have a different approach to the facts. Some are global. Some polarized. despite facts...keirkegard is correct. "REALITY IS SUBJECTIVITY " I am involved in research and statistical analysis regarding this very thing (medical deaths, errors, negligence). including forensics. And no, I'm not able to relay specifics of classified information, so questions will continue to be ignored. All I will say is, be very careful with your research. Thinking there is only a handful of criminal negligence cases regarding medical deaths is inaccurate..., and spreading inaccuracies is incredibly dangerous. Just culture is largely absent in this thread. I am not protecting RV. I am not protecting the system. It confuses me to see these responses. I have been questioned aggressively about my nursing practice. To what end? We a know RV F'D up to the highest magnitude. Thinking humans are infallible to same is astounding. We are humans. Not robots. The whole thing is devastating. if we prosecilute one...they all get charged..and I understand exactly how very many would be charged. 5 is a joke. I am a 20 year veteran. Including ICU, ER, NEUROTRAUMA, MED SURG, LTAC, LTC, STR, HH. RESEARCH, WOUND CARE, ***EXPERT WITNESS AND FORENISIC NURSING. There is an expression that fits here... "You can't make a blind man see orange." Live gently, embrace others, have compassion. In all directions. Charlene, her family, RV, all hospital systems that failed, and human beings. Everyone. This includes nurses that say that this could happen to anyone.... So with the decision to attack in this thread..., think about the fact that no one knows what the other nurse has seen, experienced, and lived. Maybe it's time to accept our general lack of knowledge about other situations. Put our fingers down. and think. Deeply. ✌ That you know of.

Actually, no. They are not. That's why this one has set a dangerous precedent. You speak in error. I never said simple.

based off medical error deaths per annum... Then we have at least 200,000 PLUS physicians, surgeons, nurses etc to criminalize every year. Our legal system will capsize with the strain. Let's see what happens . Yikes.

Very well said. Thank you.

Thank you for your understandable grace. I agree.

I totally concur. Deaths related to medical error have a multitude of statistics. Lower numbers of over 80,000 per year. Higher numbers approaching 500,000 per year. PER YEAR. And a general consensus of 250,000 per year in the USA. Imagine that. So yes humans err and yes have a cascade of errors. It's not unique to this case.

I have researched this extensively with my brother who is an RN also and we both live in ohio. He has MS and he recently got his recommendation as well. However, it is up to each individual employer whether they decide to prosecute or report to the board of nursing. The Board of Nursing then would take it on a case-by-case basis. However, if there is an accident or a mistake or any type of injury whatsoever like a simple Med error even, they could find thc in your system and decide that that is a risk , with no determination of whether it affected your performanceday of (due to long half life). Also this opens you up to malpractice suits. I mean think about it. Do you want your surgeon to be positive for thc? It's a huge bummer, but for me, not worth the risk.

I sure did. And yes I would order apply beneath R pannus (obeses abd fold). Still not good enough. And I'm teaching them in the order.!!! YW! I don't think anyone but a wound nurse understands the level of difficulty it becomes without using the precise location. You could have multiple wounds all over the feet you can have multiple wounds on the right buttock alone and the importance of differentiating it is critical else you will lose control of location source and etiology. Thats an nice F TAG. Thank you for your comment ?

You are an intelligent, global thinker. Tks 4 your post.

There's a whole picture here. And many can't move on. Criminizaling medical errors...oh wow..... Think of the Jessica case from Duke. Just radonda. Polarized thinking.

Read the link I previously sent.

Vanderbilt was culpable and contributed to this sentinel event. That is the Swiss cheese model. This could have been prevented, obviously by the nurse, but prevented by the hospital as well.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9720757/ The Swiss cheese model. Exactly right. Humans make mistakes. All of us. This was catastrophic. She was negligent. No doubt. However, I've made plenty of mistakes. Many I'm aware of, and certainly many that I'm unaware of. This case was about ONE single individual. It should fall heavily on the hospital also.

I never slam drugs into a patient. However, despite looking, an error can be made. Every nurse has had a drug error. period. This one was lethal.

Yes. How many pyxis overrides do we do and save lives? This could happen to anyone.

This could have happened to any acute care nurse.