Nechic01

Wanted to provide an update: I called my BON yesterday. They transferred me to the woman who is the intake coordinator for all complaints coming in. I told her everything that happened. She took his name down and told me she thought it would be fine and that the complaint would come to her first if he makes one. She did not reveal if he has or hasn't thus far. She said if there was any issue she would call me back. She was very nice and you could tell she was very familiar with hearing everything under the sun. Thank you for all the information posted. It has been very helpful.

Thank you so much for posting this info!

SDaisy79. It doesn't sound like you "get" it but I'm not really needing you to get it. This post is for nurses that have had any experiences with BONs. You don't have to understand how I worry or even what I worry about. I'm not you and we are two different people. The information others have shared has helped me and my goal of researching experiences with the BON. This was more collecting some qualitative data. This nurse forum has greatly helped me obtain it. You don't go into a new procedure without researching do you? Or give meds you know nothing about......your "red flags" are pretty judgemental when you know nothing about me, my experience or my employment. I love my job, I work contract 1099 work and when I have to be off for clinicals or class my agency doesn't get paid unless I work. It's nothing in regards to me or my job preformance. It's purely money/business. In fact, I'm retained depsite not being able to be there daily and that speaks for itself. I respect them enough not to give any reasons. Maybe when you are in a NP program and have to miss work a lot for class and clinicals you can write about your "red flags". I fill out applications currently for NP positions before we've graduated, so yes...I do see that question on them and my applications are not "fictitious". You don't seem to be in the same spot in your career with your level of understanding or lack thereof. Writng what you wrote is about like telling someone "everything happens for a reason" when a loved one dies. I'm protecting what I have worked for and have thought about my life and work...not him. I'll always ask about things I don't know a lot about and always will. If I have to walk into the BON, so be it. I'm gonna be prepared. Maybe you won't get "red flags" when you hear of a fellow nurse being investigated b/c it could happen to you one day too and you would want the same courtesies. Thanks for posting.

Agreed...Did one. It pulled up stuff alright...Bankruptcies, judgements of liens, 10+ addresses, 10 traffic tickets and the kicker....and "imposter" name it showed was linked to him. This was just some background search engine you pay for. Who knows what else is probably out there on him. NEVER in a million years would my mind have imagined this. All of this could have been avoided if I would have done this first. I am so angry at myself and I feel so much guilt and embarassment. The what-ifs are rolodexing through my mind like some Stephen King novel. I'm one of those work-a-holic type nurses that just never stops. My patient population is mainly chronic non-complaint people and I'm so used to being verbally abused at work on a daily basis by patients that you develope a shell. You almost have to in order to survive. I think I was just so busy and focused on paying for school, bills and finals that I didn't remember my comfort mattered too. Nursing becomes engrained in your soul...you take care of everyone else so much that you don't notice when you aren't taking care of yourself. I should've taken better care of myself. I'm still not sleeping at night over any little noise I hear. Everyones words of advice have really helped. I can't thank everyone enough for posting. I just can't bring myself to tell those around me because I'm so embarassed and feel so responsible.

Did they come to your work? Did they let you know they were coming, send letter, call first? Thank you for the advice, can you tell me a few details about your experience w/ the BON?

He is gone. The earlier posts have further info. The question I have is more r/g the BON due to his threats after he left...More info above. Thanks

I just did an online background search and paid $50 for an advanced report. I did know his age so found him by name and age. Well, he has several bankruptcies, civil judgement leins, divorce, about 10 traffic tickets and it listed one "imposter" alias name that was a totally different name than the one given to me.... It did, however, list his former addresses and there are so many. I think he appears to be bad. Glad when my insticts kicked I asked him to leave immediatly. The first week he was here I did not see him even once. After that, he stayed in my guest room for 6 days straight. Not leaving for "work" or anything... It was all making me uncomfortable seeing that. This person seemed a bit off.

Yeah, work is barely working around my clinicals and not happy about having to do so as it is....this will be an excuse to let me go. I love my job so much and my patients. We are a close and strong unit. My co-workers are amazing. This is by far the best job I've ever had. I will be so embarassed and mortified if they do....I can't believe any 'ole person can call and say stuff without some detailed information like date of service that I was his nurse per say.... Also, I would be happy to go to the board and take any drug test they chose at any given time, just don't come to my work. People WILL assume the worst sometimes and can't help their judgements.

I thank you all for the amazing advice, it has helped a lot. I have learned some huge and valuable lessons in life. I inadvertantly assumde others are like us nurses and work a lot and have ethical and moral character. I am trustful and giving by nature. I'm not so much concerned about doing anything to him as I am protecting what I've worked for. Does anyone know how the BON handles someone just calling and saying such things about a nurse? Any application I fill out asks "has the board ever investigated you" and it's usually a check "yes" or "no" option. This is dooming and I would never want to have to check "yes" just like I have never been terminated from a position and would hate to have that on my resume. I was browsing the MBON site and it has all kind of info for people wanting to complain and can do so anonymously. It seems to cater to anyone wanting to complain and does not reads this way. *Do you guys feel the board will investigate (if he maybe even lies and says he's a patient and wants to remain anonymous) or do they need actual information from the caller such as their name and then this info is kept anonymous from the nurse. Do you think the board will actually take blind complaints or do they make the person complaining say prove the patient-nurse connection. Again, he is a lay person and in no way r/t to my job. This is what is keeping me up at night. He knows where I work and what unit I am in so could for sure pretend to be a patient. Will the BON show up to speak to my co-workers? This would be mortifying and I'm contract agency there, I would probably be let go not matter what is fair or right out of this just being problematic, etc.

PS-I even refunded some of his money. He had paid for the month. I pro rated the days and refunded him from the day I asked him to leave. He stated it wasn't enough money. We had no written lease aggreement either. It was verbal and him just looking for a furnished "crash pad" near the hospital...but that't not what happened...

I'm not really sure what to do on this one: Single Female 34 year NP student working my tail off... I am a full time nurse, also work PRN and I'm in NP school. I placed an ad for a roomate to save money. I pay tuition out of pocket, etc. Purchased my home almost 2 years ago. I interviewed a middle aged man from the hospital where I'm an NP student and it seemed to be a good roomate fit. He isn't in patient health care services but is a vendor inside the hospital and works for the dietary cafeteria. He has been living in my home for 18 days. I am rarely home. He begun to call me "baby" and then he started rubbing my shoulders the other day. I was very uncomfortable and let him know, he just ignored it. He also has not paid rent and then hasn't left his room in 6 days. He finally paid rent. I asked him to please leave today, that this just wasn't the right fit, I am uncomfortable around him, etc. He was renting a furnished room. He demands a refund of his rent due to being angry I asked him to leave. He threatens to call the BON and tell them I am on drugs and drinking while going to work impaired. CAN HE DO THIS? WILL THEY INVESTIGATE ME? All of this is 100% untrue. My finals are coming up, I work full time and then at the school most nights.....I'm panicking at these threats not to mention the stress from this. He says he knows a board member very well and he is going to call her. Are they truly going to come to my work and investigate? He has never worked with me nor seen me impaired....he's never been a patient of mine, etc. This is all just a bad roomate experience from a creepy middle aged man who is angry I asked him to leave my home. I cannot find any threads addressing when a lay person just calls the board up and tells them false accusations. He took a picture of a scotch bottle in my liquor cabinet and said this proves I drink and am impaired....utterly ridiculous. It's an opened bottle in my home rarely even used. I'm a normal hard working person, never been in trouble, never failed any drug test or ever gotten a DUI. I've actually never even had a speeding ticket. I've worked so hard to get to where I am. You have to list on any application if the board has ever investigated you for any reason at all....my work will most likely fire me if there is even an investigation at all. I work f0r the VA government...I had to have security clearance, etc. HELP!! I can't sleep, my Thanksgiving is ruined with these threats coming through via text. Lesson learned. Will work 3 jobs and eat Ramen Noodles before ever getting a roomate again....

Started in chronics, then did home dialysis and now acutes and PRN to some chronic clinics. I will list it for readability. CHRONICS Pros- designated breaks and lunches. Ability to use restroom, (not during changeover). No call. Cons- Since techs can make our breaks your bay/pod you're day may be hell b/c others don't work as hard as you. I hate pt care to be compromised b/c a tech has an attitude or bad work ethic. Don't mess with my patients care. Lol PD/HOME UNITS Pros- Build very close relationships with your patients and physicians. Train patients daily or 1-2 weeks so personality is key as well as good teaching ability. Great retirement job Cons- Cannot ever escape your patients. Same patients for life as long as they chose home dialysis. Hard to take off due to the training schedule of patients. You can't really be sick or be off during the 1-2 weeks of training a patient. You have to follow a strict daily regime so the patient can learn best. Can get boring and can lose some acute nursing skills. ACUTES-My favorite. Why? I love the autonomy, I work so hard and b/c I get to work alone with my patients their treatment success is based on my ability and knowledge and that's all in my control. I control learning more and working hard. I have seen some lazy nurses in chronics that let their patients tank every shift but not in acutes...you'll rarely ever see that. Every acute dialysis nurse I have come in contact with was the best of the best. Work ethic of those around you is amazing. Pros-Money is the best, never boring, every hour/day can be different, you do every type of dialysis inpatient (HD, PD, Apheresis, CRRT, SEQ, etc.) Work alone a lot, if your patient is awful-you'll be done with them in about 4 hours no worries. Close relationships with MD's and their NP's. You feel like superwoman sometimes, ICU like, learn so much everyday. Awesome autonomy and is advanced dialysis. The best of the best dialysis nurses are in acutes. No room for a lazy nurse or tech. The docs would find a way to get you out b/c you are one-on-one with their patient. Less personalization than home units. You get to clock it, work your butt off and clock out. Your patient may or may not be there when you return the next day. I see my old patients from all the units I've worked in again as inpatients. Cons-Call, long unanticipated hours/you don't leave until everyone is dialyzed. Don't make personal plans on working days or if on call. The minute you thought you were about to clock out, the phone rings and the ER just got a patient for you. Sometimes there are a lot of folks to be dialyzed and you don't have enough machines or staff. While chronics may only triple shift, you are there an illegal amount of hours. Pt's are critical and you may have too many. Stand up for yourself with your limits and protect your license. Pt deaths are more. You can't get attached like in home or chronics. It's acutes for a reason. Codes. No known history of patient accesses and most of the time they can't tell you (intubated, etc.) You gotta go with your knowledge. You are alone at 2am on call and can't get an AVF stuck, clots, blown, collapsed, etc. The MD's don't stick and can't help you. They get peeved when they have to drop a line in someone at 2am. Just part of working alone. A lot of info....apologize if it is a bombardment. Hope it will help My heart and passion is dialysis.