Victim of wild accusations and concerned about being reported to the Board

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Good evening Nurse Beth, I am a nurse for 43 years, working in a hospital for last 9 years I have my BSN for 20 plus years and my CEN for 15 years I have been degraded, over past year. , constant write ups, now called to office daily on wild accusations, most unfounded. And he said-/she said untruths They want to get rid of me I think. I have decided to resign, as the mental anguish is just unbearable, my anxiety level is through the roof,. My question is one of these accusations are still pending, I'm giving my notice can they report me to the board of nursesing? We have NYSNA 

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3 Answers

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

I'm sorry to hear you're going through such a tough time.

Generally, employers can report nurses to the state nursing board if they believe there's a violation of professional standards, but whether they do so often depends on the specifics of the accusations. If they primarily wanted to get rid of you, they have succeeded, unfortunately, and may have no interest in reporting you to the Board.

If the accusations against you are baseless and your employer reports you to the Board and forces you out of your job, having a good work record benefits you. You may even consider seeking legal advice to determine if you have a case. If you haven't already, start documenting everything that has happened from your memory. If you have seen a provider about your anxiety, keep records of that as well.

You should also consult with a New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) representative to understand your rights.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

Is the NYSNA a union?  If so, please check with your union rep, as Nurse Beth said, to find out what your rights are.

I strongly urge you to seek a consultation with at least one employment attorney.  You may have a case against your employer if these accusations are indeed baseless.  Constant threats of being reported to the nursing board strike me as harassment that constitutes a hostile work place, along with constantly being written up.  You may also have a case for age discrimination.  

Start gathering evidence.  Keep a record of all accusations and your evidence to refute these.  

These attorneys will provide an initial consultation for free.  If they decide to take the case, they will do it on contingency, meaning they only get paid if they win.  Do your research to make sure you get a good attorney.  If you have any friends that know of a good employment attorney, good.  There should be lists of "superlawyers" in your area by specialty - divorce, etc.  Look for employment attorney or a good litigator.  You want a litigator that is not afraid to go to court.

Best wishes.

Specializes in Critical Care, ER and Administration.

This has become a common practice by hospitals. They are trying to push experienced nurses out because they don't value our knowledge or experience. They see our cost as a liability. I went through the same thing before I retired. In my last year, I had a stroke and developed unstable chronic angina. I had an FMLA. I arranged all of my appointments on my days off. Some of the appointments took months to get. She changed my schedule without any justification. She could not stop me from going to the appointments, but I was forced to burn PTO. Then she started trying to terminate me. Finally, I took a medical leave of absence for six months. This froze my position and prevented her from replacing me. That wasn't my intent, but it was very satisfying. Her harassment started after she realized I was making more than her. I've witnessed the same thing happen to many older nurses whose salaries because of tenure were higher. They had never had any complaints until they were deemed too expensive.

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