"Hypothetical" situation....

Published

OK, just want to preface this by saying that this is not about me.

I've been doing some searching around the internet about what types of nursing offenses are required to be reported to the nurses BON, to no avail. I keep finding stuff about "mandatory reporting" in terms of child or elder abuse and the like. But I'm taking about if a nurse is fired from her job, is that automatically reported to the BON, or only if she is fired for certain reasons?

I tried the official site for the Ohio BON, and I didn't really see anything that pertained to this issue. If anyone has any info, or any links to info, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Heather

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I do not know EXACTLY, but I'll share with you what I do know.

Just like every place else in this world, I think it depends on who your friends are.

Case #1. Nurse wrote orders for meds on dr.s order sheet. When meds came to unit, she took them and then tore up/tossed the dr.'s order sheet. This happened over a period of 5 months, she was fired and NOT reported.

Case #2. Nurse was caught red-handed with narcs in pocket... they had been "watching" her.....she was fired and reported.

Case #3. Nurse was accused of taking narcs--no evidence--based on slopping charting--did not document giving some narcs. Nurse was fired and reported.

Case # 4. Nurse abandoned pt's in hospital and went to her car for 2 hour nap. She was neither fired nor reported.

Case #5. Nurse was seen stealing a Lasix 40 mg p.o. (supervisor) She was fired but not reported.

Case #6. Nurse came to work smelling of alcohol. She was fired and reported.

Case #7. Home Health nurse persuaded elderly male patient to file for a divorce from his wife, and to write nurse a few large checks. Nurse was fired but not reported.

I don't know how it is reported "officially" but I personally know of the above cases. (co-workers) I think these situations validate the old adage, "it pays to have friends in high places."

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Hmmm, good one Heather. I'm waiting for our Information guru NRSKaren to come along.. :coollook:

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Originally posted by LasVegasRN

Hmmm, good one Heather. I'm waiting for our Information guru NRSKaren to come along.. :coollook:

Me too. Karen knows and has a link for everything.

Heather

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Specializes in Everything except surgery.

The only one I could find so far is this one...:)

http://www.nursingboard.state.mn.us/ms148/148263.html

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

Well, that's the first time I've ever heard of Lasix as a drug-of-choice for abusers! (Must be what the Aussies mean by "getting pissed.")

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Originally posted by sjoe

Well, that's the first time I've ever heard of Lasix as a drug-of-choice for abusers! (Must be what the Aussies mean by "getting pissed.")

ROTHFLMAO

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Specializes in CV-ICU.

Brownie, your source is a good one (naturally :D-- it from Minnesota!), but it onlt pertains to Minnesota.

The site that would be most helpful to you for this sort of question is http://www.ncsbn.org

which is the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Type in your question and you can spend HOURS researching license info -- for any state!

PRN nurse, those cases you cited could and should have all been reported to the Board; and ANYBODY can report them, especially in the cases of med diversion, pt. abandonment (and leaving pts. unattended without anyone covering for the nurse for 2 hrs. is abandonment!); and also in the embezzlement/vulnerable adult situation you mentioned. Your case #3 is the only one that could be possibly considered eeexcuseable/defensible and that would depend on the facts of the case: was the nurse working overtime or extremely busy and made an HONEST mistake of forgetting to chart that she gave a narc? If that was the caes (and it DOES happen, especially when we are on that 14th or 15th hour of a double) then the nurse should have hired a lawyer and gone before the BoN herself. It would be documented that she was reported, but she may not be penalized, depending on the situation.

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Specializes in Everything except surgery.

You know Jenny P...I was impressed that, Minnesota was so explicted with their rules! I checked several states, and could only find that someone could report or make a complaint.

This was a good question!

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FIRED for taking a Lasix? For crying out loud! I don't advocate stealing meds, but admit that, on occasion, I would take Motrin or Lasix out of floor stock in the ER. When I first started Nursing, the med drawers had Valium and Atarax, etc., in them. Several nurses on my floor would just open a drawer and pop one! Nobody ever said or did anything about it. One of these nurses was later busted for drug use (cocaine). She was rehabbed, and allowed to work again, but not allowed to carry narc keys for a year. This was in FL.

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Specializes in Pediatric Rehabilitation.

You're kidding, Cathy!! aren't you??

I have never witnessed anyone just "popping" a drug from the floor stock..nor would I ever think of doing such! This is/was an accepted practice???? I think this..I HOPE this was isolated to a particular institution of unit.

can you tell i'm shocked?

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Thanks you Jenny P for that link. What a wealth of information!

Heather

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