Told to fake vital signs

Specialties Geriatric

Published

This question is for LTC nurses: I took a summer CNA job at a local nursing home that is chronically understaffed and has no equipment for taking vital signs. Maybe there was once an oximeter but nobody knows where it is. The nurse gave me a list of residents to get vital signs on and no equipment to do so. When I pointed out that there was no equipment, I told "the other aides do it- make it happen". Turns out the other aides just write down numbers and don't actually take vital signs. I've worked in some real crappy SNFs before but never have I been asked to fake vital signs. As a nurse, wouldn't that worry you that your aides are blatantly lying to you? Is this common?? Some of the aides have bought their own equipment but for the pennies they are paying me I can't afford that. I'm told asking management for equipment is a losing battle.

One call that's all to Joint Commission!

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Specializes in ICU.

Please don't fake vital signs! I know a nurse who lost her job and was sued because she documented falsified vitals.

How it all came to light was 20 minutes after she had documented normal stable vitals the charge RN breaked her for lunch and did a quick pass through the room. The patient was cold and dead. They ultimately surmised there was no possible way the vitals could've been normal 20 mins prior. The consensus was she must've peeked in and assumed the patient was sleeping. The patient was post elective surgery and notoriously difficult. The nurse blamed the cna for giving her those vitals. Ultimately the CNA lost her job as well.

Moral of the story cover your booty! Yes it is unlikely you will get caught faking vitals but if it does happen it could be in a horrible way.

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Its not that easy. This is a small town and this is the only SNF. I want to work in geriatrics, but I won't work as an RN here and am considering moving out of town for this reason. I have worked a few more days and have found that most nurses will lend their own equipment, but I still find that very sad and frightening. Other aides definitely fake VS but not me. What I don't understand is this- why aren't the nurses more concerned? Taking vital signs is a delegation and its accuracy rests on the RN to verify. If you did give metroprolol based on my fake BP that is the RNs license, not the CNAs. Any CNA would just say that was what they heard.

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I'd move in to another job. And report them to the appropriate regulatory agency. That is unacceptable.

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Notify not only the ombudsman, the state, and etc. Notify the families and the local media.

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That is horrifying! They need to be reported to the state ASAP. It never fails that the one person I for whatever reason can't get vitals on until late into my shift has a skyrocketing BP or a low O2. I cannot imagine just making something up!!!

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Dear caring CNA who is going to be a wonderful nurse, document your request for common equipment in writing to the DON. Staff should not have to count on 'sharing' personal equipment. In that email (preferred for a paper trail), if staff are expected to bring their own BP cuff and thermometer etc does the facility reimburse staff for these items?

DO keep looking for a different option. This is an unsafe facility for patients and staff. Yes, do report your concerns to the ombudsman and to the agency that inspects SNFs. In my state it is the department of public health that does these. Yes, the facility will connect the dots quickly for who made the notification and yes, you will need to have another job as a result.

On the off chance that the 'administration' does care, you may get a very positive response for common equipment and other needs. "Administration" is always presumed to magically know that equipment is missing, lost, broken but it is amazing how often that knowledge is reported to one person who doesn't care [perhaps the one saying administration doesn't care] and it never gets reported up the chain.

One of the most useful and eye-opening exercises I did was to post large poster size 'sticky posters' in a common private staff area labeled "broken/need more" and "wish list". I did it after finding out something was broken and no, I wasn't aware and staff assumed I was and "didn't care". As I was able to purchase new equipment, follow up on repairs or move items that made no sense for locations (time clock), I updated the notes with the progress. Some were fast, easy fixes, others took a bit of time but staff and patients reaped the benefit of being heard on many issues.

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Do what you're told soldier and "make it happen."

Sounds like you need to be looking for another job as well.

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If management is not willing to supply you with the absolute minimal equipment necessary to do the job you've been hired to do, get out of there as fast as you can.

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I'm thinking about bit

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This is a situation where you get out of that place immediately and you take them down. The facility is required to have equipment that allows you to do your job, so having to go out and buy basic supplies to take a blood pressure is ridiculous. Sounds like this is the status quo for your work? " Make it happen". The CNAs who bought their own supplies are trying to protect their license. Never ever EVER fake vital signs. When something goes down in that facility, which it will, the state will investigate and will see that there weren't any supplies to begin with. Your license will be gone. The nurse who knowingly tells you to get fake vitals and then gives drugs based on that needs to have her license pulled.

This whole thing is very disturbing and ILLEGAL. Report them immediately. You could inadvertently be a part of losing a patient when the correct care and monitoring isn't being done right.

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These patients are people with families and friends who love them. They have entrusted their loved ones to your care. Is this how you would want someone to treat your parents? Shame on these nurses. Embarassing.

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