Worried about being reported to BON for not giving meds

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 I recently started a contract job and was working per diem. I ended up picking up a shift at a TCU (which I hadn't before) and everything that could go wrong went wrong. I tried my best to give medications on time however, they were still late. This being said medications that were supposed to be in the AM were given in the evening. So then the evening doses I ended up holding I held the medications because it would have been too early to give the next dose. A week goes by and I got DNR which means I was asked to not return to the facility. The agency company I was working with asked me to write up my side of the story and a week later I got terminated because of the medications error of me not giving these meds. They said because I was a new employee they could terminate me. Despite me explaining the situation they did not care. Because of this does my license get reported to the board of nursing? 

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

So, to clarify, were meds not given and also not re-scheduled?

I used the words "not giving meds" and not "holding meds" as "holding meds" implies a clinical reason, such as the patient being NPO or blood pressure being too low for blood pressure medication.

When medications are "held," the provider must be notified unless parameters are included in the order. Was the provider notified that the meds ordered for the patient were never given? 

However, whether or not this will be reported to the Board of Nursing largely depends on the specifics of your situation, including the nature of the error, whether patient safety was compromised, and whether the agency or facility made a formal report.

 If the agency doesn't report this, and the error didn't directly harm a patient, it's less likely that the Board of Nursing will be notified. However, it could trigger an investigation if they decide to report it or if the error is considered egregious enough.

Since the error led to your termination, you may want to be proactive. Consider consulting with a nursing attorney to determine the best action to protect your license.

Also, do your best to document everything and keep notes from your perspective if this comes up later.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

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