Suspended pending investigation

Published

I work in home health and was taken off the schedule for the weekend due to a complaint filed Friday afternoon. The patient called the agency and stated that I removed his d/c'ed meds from the home and he wanted his narcotics back. The patient is alert and oriented x2, but the DON stated in the meeting that "he sounded clear minded". I did not remove any meds from anyone's home. It is against company policy and state(Florida). I have been with this company for a while with great history and reviews. I do not have a history of addiction of any sort-but I thought this forum would have better insight on the process. I can pass a drug test but can they fire me based on this accusation?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Do you have ?

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Unfortunately not

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Med/Surg.

If you are not exonerated, you need to lawyer up. Get a lawyer experienced in administrative law who knows how to handle professional licensure actions. As you might realize, LadyFree28 was asking about because it often covers the cost of a lawyer in circumstances like yours.

In my state, an employer can fire a person for any reason or no reason. I am obviously not a lawyer, but I would be willing to bet it is the same in Florida.

Trust me, you DON'T want to get caught up in being accused of being a drug addict with the board of nursing.

I was an addict and the disciplinary program has nearly destroyed me. It is still touch and go whether I will ever be able to support myself in any nursing capacity because of the history of discipline on my license. (BTW---I will have 10 years clean in December)

On a more optimistic note, I believe Florida (unlike my state) has an alternative to discipline program, which will avoid a "black mark" on your license but you really don't want to go there, there is any way for you to avoid it. :no:

Good luck and let us know how it is going.

Catmom :paw:

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Oh catmom, you have no idea how much I admire your strength. Your posts have always had a way of picking me up. You are so compassionate and knowledgable.

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The agency can do as they please regarding your assignments. Whether you are guilty or innocent, they will pull you from the case and may, or may not, stick up for you in getting the client to take you back. Unfortunately, most of the time, they won't put up much of a fight in your behalf. It is so much easier for them to assign another nurse and hope the client is satisfied. In your case though, I would not be sitting back waiting for the hammer to fall. You need to get legal advice, and quickly. Your future is at stake.

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Thanks for your replies. The complaint was filed unfounded and things have gone back to "normal" if you will. I am extra vigilant now about what I do, clear and thorough documentation, and telling my manager when I've been in any situation that may come back to me. This has been stressful I can't even imagine how strong you guys must be to go through the motions of cisalpine. Congrats on your sobriety. You guys rock!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Great! :up:

Moving forward, PLEASE obtain ...it doesn't cost much and will be a lifesaver!

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That is absolutely the plan, next pay actually. I had it at the beginning of career (5ish years ago). I forgot to renew last year and it just got pushed aside.

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In many states an employer can legally fire an employee for just about any reason, as long as they are not discriminating due to race, sex,religion etc. But do you really want to work for a company that has so little trust in you? Most likely, the meds were taken by a family member with a hidden drug problem. In my opinion, you should get a drug screen done ASAP to prove you don't have a substance abuse issue. The longer you wait to get tested, the less valuable those test results become. I hope you contact an attorney, at the very least call a few and see what you can learn for free. Good luck to you. It occurs to me home health nurses are particularly vulnerable to accusations of this sort because often there are no witnesses.

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