What do you do when ......

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One nurse made a horrendous ethical (not a safety issue, no harm to patient) error and was let go. Management never informed the board and the Board of Nursing apparently does not know of it. I think this particular situation was to not rile up JCAHO. However, this same manager is abusive to many of the staff and will let people go for the thinnest of reasons and she seems to relish having someone in her crosshairs.

Do you inform the board since she didn't?

Do you let the board know anonymously or depend on them to keep your name confidential?

I am concerned that false charges would be made if they had any idea that I may have been involved in the notification.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

I'm not the nursing police.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

I think a lot of nurses are in the situation that you just described. IMO nurse managers often do not want to report to BONs b/c that nurse can come back and give her side on the "other things" that are going on in the facility. Just my observation.

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I would need to know what this horrendous ethical error was in order to give any opinion.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Everyone makes mistakes....is it your responsibility to police this nurse? What was the ethical dilemma? To give proper thoughts and opinions more information is needed.

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Much more information is needed. However, if I didn't have all the info, I wouldn't be reporting anyone to The Board. I wouldn't want to be responsible for depriving aomeone of their livelihood.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I wouldn't be reporting anyone to the Board of Nursing unless I was completely sure that I had all of the facts AND I was willing to stand up and say that I was the one doing the reporting. If the answer to either of those is no, mind your own business.

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If you feel it is an ethical issue, most parent companies have ethical violation hotlines, found on your parent company website. Most HR department have employee relations reps. That is where I would start.

If management was aware--and they had to be, otherwise they would have no knowledge as opposed to "letting it go" then someone must have informed them. Therefore, it was reported to someone. You are not responsible for what management does or doesn't do.

If you feel that strongly--and if there was no harm then I am not sure ethically what a nurse could have done or not done--then report it to the ethics line. Or if you feel like you could be dragged into the drama, then speak to an employee relations rep. Your compliance officer. To HR. Somewhere/someone who then has a record of you reporting accordingly.

And as another thought, you really DON'T have any idea if this was reported and investigated by the BON, as sometimes these things are confidential. As well as any disciplinary actions that were sanctioned against the nurse in question.

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