Hello, All. I'm new to this site and I am here to get advice.
I recently started a new job at a doctor's office. I was hired to work as an administrative assistant. However, now that I started the job, I have also been told that my help is needed in their surgery center. I have been assisting their licensed nurses with patients pre and post-operation duties.
I have no education/certification, training or experience for this sort of work. They have essentially trained me on the job. During this time, I observed that they had "inspection" or whatever it is you'd call it when the medical board comes in and makes sure that all regulations are in place. When this happened twice, I was told that I would not be working in the surgery center. Days later, I was then informed by my manager that I needed to report to the surgery center for work.
I know nothing about surgery centers or being a medical professional, however it doesn't seem like I am legally supposed to be working in the surgery center, although my manager (a licensed nurse) says otherwise.
I've observed that they also allow other non-licensed admin staff assist in the actual OR.
I don't know what to do or how to move forward from here. Any advice, information, or insight you can provide is really helpful.
I'll speak with an attorney and see what they have to say on this matter.
I'm just having so much anxiety about this. I have never, ever been in such a situation and it's causing me a lot of grief. I'm afraid of confrontation, but feel that I owe it to the patients.
When I was first instructed to work in the surgery center, I kept telling everyone I worked with that I am not a medical professional and don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. I was immediately assured that it was fine and that I could do everything, except remove the patients IVs and give then medication in pill form.
Everyone, including their nursing staff, said it was just fine.
I am just a 24 year old woman working for a low wage to earn money. I feel like they have truly taken advantage of me and my lack of knowing. I just don't know why they would jeopardize themselves/their licenses and my legal wellbeing.
I am just a 24 year old woman working for a low wage to earn money. I feel like they have truly taken advantage of me and my lack of knowing. I just don't know why they would jeopardize themselves/their licenses and my legal wellbeing.
For the exact reason you just wrote. You are getting far less money than they would have to pay the right person to do what you are doing and most companies will get the most for their money.
Well, this is a nightmare in the making. First off, get a lawyer and tell them everything you have been doing. In the mean time keep a journal of what you are doing each day when you are assigned to the surgery center. This could bring trouble to your door step gecause you are doing things only a licensed professional is allowed to do. Refuse to administer drops and give discharge instructions immediately. Good luck.
The eye drop/education part is huge, as someone needs to sign off on those things who is a nurse. Interestingly, so that the surgery center could get reimbursement. all the "meaningful use" monies tied to the EMR...etc etc
I would think this would be on your manager who is an RN inappropriately delegating, and/or the nurse who is signing off what you are doing as if he/she is doing it. That is falsifying documentation. And Medicare and other insurances frown on that.
Literally a "hybrid" job is the new black. They hire people who have 952 duties under them, some that they may or may not be qualified for. You can be trained to do vitals. There are facilities who train a layperson to draw blood. There are volunteers in surgery centers that help the flow of patients, but usually not to the extent of giving drops and patient education/discharge instructions. What the expectation seems to be is that you are both the receptionist, the administrative assistant, the medical assistant, and educator. That is much too much. Perhaps your manager needs to come out of her office and do drops and education.....or hire another nurse specific to these tasks.
Whomever the "inspectors" are that come to the facility, contact them. You can report to Medicare if you as a UAP are doing this stuff and a nurse is signing off for reimbursement purposes.
If this is a private MD office, the MD does and can take responsibility for whatever he decides that an MA can do in his office. But this center must be part of a larger parent company. If you go on the parent company website, they do have corporate compliance complaint sections.
It will just take one patient who doesn't understand the discharge plan, who doesn't take care of their eyes, or has an allergic reaction to the drops you give them.....and all heck will break loose.
And thank you for bringing it to someone's attention. This kind of stuff is on the licensed people involved. Usually it is the opposite issue--UAP's overstepping and getting all up in arms to have nurse intervention. So please send out your resumes. Where it can fall on you is the "I had NOT A CLUE that the secretary was giving drops!! I was giving drops...." and other bus running over poop.
They are going to throw you under the bus and good when something goes wrong which it inevitably does. You are practicing as a nurse while not having a nursing license. I believe in most states this is a felony what they are having you do. Get another job and report them to the state!
Talk to a lawyer. Most lawyers will just charge you for the consultation and if they see a good case they won't charge you anything and just when you win the case you'll pay them a percentage of the money you get. What this people are doing is wrong and they can seriously hurt a patient and then say it was your fault. Trust me they'll find a way to cover their butts and point the fingers at you and you won't be able to say anything. Get out as fast as you can, get a lawyer and report this mess to the state!
You disappoint me. At first I thought you were truly concerned with doing the right thing for your patients. Then, the magic words "who do I sue". Of course. Please don't ever become an actual nurse, we have enough problems already.
BlueSky0
6 Posts
I'll speak with an attorney and see what they have to say on this matter.
I'm just having so much anxiety about this. I have never, ever been in such a situation and it's causing me a lot of grief. I'm afraid of confrontation, but feel that I owe it to the patients.
When I was first instructed to work in the surgery center, I kept telling everyone I worked with that I am not a medical professional and don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. I was immediately assured that it was fine and that I could do everything, except remove the patients IVs and give then medication in pill form.
Everyone, including their nursing staff, said it was just fine.
I am just a 24 year old woman working for a low wage to earn money. I feel like they have truly taken advantage of me and my lack of knowing. I just don't know why they would jeopardize themselves/their licenses and my legal wellbeing.