The coronavirus outbreak has fueled an unprecedented public health crisis in the United States. Our healthcare centers and nursing homes, many of which are understaffed and poorly equipped, are under tremendous strain and are struggling to treat infected patients, whose number keeps growing exponentially.
The rising number of nursing home deaths, in particular, is a cause of concern for nurses, as they might be accused of negligence or malpractice by family members.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Nursing Homes
Data shows that nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and assisted living facilities across the country have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Over 40,000 long-term care residents have died so far of coronavirus infection, accounting for nearly 40% of all COVID-19 deaths in the country as of June 2020.
Many factors are attributed to the staggering number of COVID-19 nursing home deaths – underlying health conditions of residents, lack of personal protective equipment, shortage of testing kits, and poor implementation of infection control measures.
So alarming is the situation that nursing homes have requested state governments to grant them immunity from civil suits, as they fear that family members of residents who succumb to COVID-19 infection might sue them.
Why Nurses Are at Risk for Board of Nursing Complaints
At a time when nursing home residents are succumbing to coronavirus in alarming numbers, you have to be extremely careful, as even a minor charting error on your part might be attributed to the death of a patient. Remember that anyone can file a complaint with your Board of Nursing for any reason.
In order to avoid accusations of negligence or malpractice, you have to be more methodical, more alert, and more cautious than ever before. Make sure you follow all the protocols and guidelines, do not accept any task that you are not qualified or trained to do, assess your patients – especially those who are infected with coronavirus – carefully, and document all your interventions.
Despite following all the guidelines and doing your duty sincerely, you still might be accused of negligence or malpractice by someone. If and when it happens, do not lose heart. A board of nursing complaint is something that many nurses deal with at some point in their career. So, rather than feeling sad or indignant about being accused of negligence, you should focus on responding to the complaint properly.
Your response to the nursing board must explain why the complaint against you is baseless and provide whatever evidence you have to back up your claims. If you fail to respond in a timely manner, the board might conduct an investigation and make a decision based on the information they have without input from. you. As a result, you might be subject to disciplinary action, which can harm your reputation.
Worried about Nursing Complaints? Get Professional Assistance through Nursing Complaint Help!
Nursing Complaint Help is a first-of-its-kind website which is entirely focused on nursing complaints, the possible consequences you could face, and the steps you can take to protect yourself.
The website brings you proprietary information from Joyce Stamp Lilly – a registered nurse and lawyer who has been representing nurses in Board of Nursing complaints for over 20 years. We take immense pride in the fact that the valuable, actionable information that we offer is not available anywhere else on the internet. This website is focused on the PROCESS of responding. Rules may and do differ among Baords of Nursing, but the PROCESS is the same. You must have a well reasoned, well written response, include letters of support from colleagues and supervisory personnel if possible, include evaluations and any other documents that shed light on you and your practice.
If you are interested in learning more about Nursing Complaint Help, contact us today by filling out this form.
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