Should I complain about this nurse

[AprilF00L]

or just let it go?

My very vulnerable, very elderly neighbour fell in his house recently and was treated in his home by paramedics.

Today as I was rushing out to an appointment a district nurse approached me and said that she was there to visit my neighbour but he wasn't in/ This really alarmed me due to his vulnerabilities and physical state. I asked if she'd looked in all the rooms and she said she had. I got her phone number to contact her after my appt.

On my return an hour later I came across her again. She told me that she had returned to see if my neighbour had returned home.

He'd never been out. He was sleeping in bed. She lied. She hadn't looked in every room. He could have been dead for all she knew.7

I'm so annoyed at her lying. So unprofessional. AIBU to report her.

Would he have been visible from outside if tucked up in bed. I doubt a nurse is entitled to let themselves in.

From a safeguarding perspective, she certainly wasn't looking out for this vulnerable gentleman, if she hadn't physically checked whether he was in or not. Was she definitely a registered nurse? The NMC would be interested, I think.

They don't get given keys! She'd have only been able to look through the downstairs windows. They don't just let themselves in if no one answers.

She is entitled to let herself in. He has a key safe and all his carers let themselves in. He's mobility is extremely bad.

And do you know for certain that she had been given the keysafe number?

Exactly.

OP, why would she even draw your attention to herself if - as you're implying - she was simply trying to evade doing her job? She could just have left!

They can let themselves in because many people they visit are imobile and can't answer the door
My neighbour had a keysafe and the carers/nurses had a code.

Just because he has a key safe doesn’t mean any random can actually access it, op!

I can't imagine this nurse was doing something deliberately wrong - if she was being neglectful and not looking everywhere why would she bother to come back an hour later?

Why do you say she lied?
She could have checked (not well enough maybe) and not seen him.
I would think that the fact that she went back soon after is more to her credit.

Of course she'd been given the key safe code. It's the only way that anyone can get in to his house. He takes about 5 minutes to make his way to the door so social care have allowed anyone who has anything to do with his care access to the key safe.

She probably went away to contact someone for the key safe number and visited another patient in the meantime.

It actually sounds like she went above and beyond to locate him by talking to you and then coming back. I think it's very unreasonable that you are considering making a complaint.

I asked if she'd looked in all the rooms and she said she had

I would speak to someone about it rather than complain as you don’t know exactly what happened.

She lied because when I saw her the second time she was flustered and said "oh I didn't know where the rooms were...I shouted and no one answered"

He lives in a townhouse and she had not gone upstairs to his bedroom.

But you're not her boss. She doesn't owe you anything, even the truth. She went back, that's what matters.

There's no "of course" about it because you cannot know social services have actually had contact with this nurse.

You’re wrong and can’t presume this. Doesn’t mean every agency involved has the keysafe number, she appeared to have not been able to get in touch with the patient, she checked with the neighbours and returned within an hour- seems to me she acted appropriately and with concern

She wouldn't have had to return if she'd done her job properly the first time and not been dishonest about it.

She didn't check with neighbours. She was about to drive off as I left for my appt. I asked her how my neighbour was... and YES all his carers have access to his keysafe. She has access to his keysafe. It's on all his notes in hospital/care agency/social work dept.

Your faith in joined up care is touching.

i’m regularly phoned for the key safe number of the elderly person I support as even the same organisation cannot make sure all their staff have it.

Let alone expecting Social care to pass it to NHS staff!!