Bogus documentation?

I鈥檓 an RN in a large inner-city hospital that recently lay off RNs and hired nursing assistants-many of whom are poorly prepared and not certified. Since then, I鈥檝e overhead same things that make my hair stand on end. For example, one nursing assistant fold another, if you鈥檙e not sure how to read the blood pressure gadget just write 120 over 70 on the dart. Those are always goods numbers鈥欌€?later, I also overhead another assistant recommend the sheet test鈥欌€?to colleague: 鈥樷€檌f I don鈥檛 have enough time to take vital signs, I just make sure the sheet over the patient鈥檚 chest is still going up and down.鈥?br> I known the patients are at risk. But I鈥檓 afraid to speak up because the hospital is still in the process of downsizing 鈥?and my job could go next. What can I do that won鈥檛 make me uncooperative?

I think the first thing you need to do is to confirm(carefully, of course) that the conversations you overheard were something that really happened. Make sure that you have the evidences to back yourself up. As far as reporting such terrible things, if they are true, then such incidents would eventually become bad enough to bring down the hospital(personally, I think it's disgusting and I believe it's criminal!! ). Keeping quiet may be safe for your position for now, but I highly doubt it that your job would be safe much longer if your hospital is being run very much illegally!! I have always believed that as a trained professional, your most valuable asset is your professional integrity. Compromising your professional integrity not only would "NOT" bring you any kind of true job security, it would damage integrity you as a person also. Trust that you deserve to and will work for a health institute that does things right.

If it is a state hospital write to your congressman/senator/parliamentarian. If it's a privately run hospital, get another job, because you are at risk of getting blamed for their inadequacies and your reputation is at stake. Then I'd leak an anonymous report to the media.

As a Registered Nurse, my hope for you would to start looking for another job. These NA's work under you, you are responsible for what they do or chose not to do to your patients. If they are making up Blood pressures and a patient crashes, who do you think is going to bear the brunt of getting sued? This falls under the catergory of CYA- cover your @ ss,Good Luck!