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.

Because the story doesn't add up. First the OP says she was rushing out of the house for an appointment and the nurse approached her yet in a post further down she says the nurse was about to drive off and she stopped her to ask about the neighbour. She sounds a busy body shit stirer hence others calling her out.

Some do but use a key safe on the outside of the house. What do you think someone who is bed bound would do?

Maybe it’s a regional/ trust thing then. I’m a carer and we always expect medical professionals to let themselves in . I’ve spoken to 111 before to arrange a nurse to call on a patient and they have confirmed that they have the correct keysafe number with me (accessing records whilst on phone). Have also arrived at a bed bound patient to find the paramedics have let themselves in using keysafe.
I always thought this was nation wide practice but obviously not!

My post was answering Devonshiregal

It’s definitely not. I’ve arrived at patients houses and found there is a key safe. We’ve never been given the number and neither has the GP. You don’t always even know who the carers are to ask them. Often codes can’t even be given over the phone as they can’t confirm who I am - I’m just a voice on the end if the phone……..it’s really difficult sometimes

But thats if they’ve been given the code for the key safe

Can't believe the number of posters making excuses for this nurse. She went in the house but when she didn't immediately see her patient, rather than checking the rest of the house in case he had fallen or died, she buggered off to another job. Yes of course you should report her.

Why is she telling you your neighbours business anyway? (and why are you asking?!)

It doesn’t make sense to me. Why would she come back if she didn’t care and was being neglient?

And came back too…….

This. She would be just giving herself extra work and hassle to leave and then come back. It sounds like you are looking for problems where none exist @AprilF00L

edit: meant to quote @PrettyFlyforaMaiTai

So why did she come back? If she was dodging work she would have just stayed away. If she knew the patient was there, the easier option was to do her job. The logical conclusion is that she was telling the truth, she didn't see him, so she came back later to do her job properly.

She may have had a timed visit to go to, like reloading a syringe driver, or had a call about a palliative who was in pain so needed a visit ASAP, so they did a quick recce , shouted and got no answer, so wrongly assumed they weren't in, but went back because she wanted to double check when she wasn't under any time restrictions.
You would be surprised at the number of housebound patients who are not in when we call to see them, they may be in hospital and we haven't been informed, they may be at a hospital appointment, they might be at the hairdressers or out shopping.
It sounds as though she came back and provided the nursing care the neighbour required, not that she should really be telling you due to patient confidentiality.So all's well, patient was seen, received the appropriate care just to a slightly different timescale to the one you might have expected ?

Is lying to nosey neighbours a sackable offence now? I had no idea.

I've not read every reply but she had a duty of care. If he didn't answer she had to find out why.

Of course she would have access yo his key safe and if she didn't she would have been able to get it in this situation.

You are not wrong! However, she did come back at least

How do you think she had his key safe number? Or how do you think she would have been able to get in in this situation??

she went back so it’s not like she left and did nothing

Absolutely, op and her complaint might be last straw for the nurse who's fed up with the nosey, self righteous querlous public and this will drive her to make the decision to escape!!

She gave you her mobile and came back, think she’s done nothing wrong.

She came back, she didn’t just leave him. She could have checked and not seen him.

You need to get a life.

We have this continually with an elderly relative's key safe... People who should have been given code aren't... And others that don't need it... Eg professionals attending a review meeting with relatives present that can let them in, are...

You cant assume she would automatically know /have access...

You are the neighbour OP and she checked with you. She came back and found him. Don’t be mean and cause her a load of work related stress over nothing.

I disagree, she may not have had the key safe number, she may have looked through all the windows and shouted through the letterbox! You can’t assume that she didn’t do everything within her control at that time. Additionally she was worried so she came back to double check and she gave the neighbour her number.

Perhaps she thought she had looked in all the rooms - have you never been quite scared/ worried going into someone’s house not knowing what you may find?

The NMC will want an internal investigation first to establish the facts.

Wow that’s rubbish. I often get to an immobile patient to find the nurse has visited for a flu jab or something. Key safe has been used for access. They leave us a note.
Our company is also listed on patients information so we can be notified re meds / care changes and also for release from hospital in order to ensure care is provided on their return home.

The nurse said she checked every room if she couldn't get in surely she would have said i can't get to the key do you know the code or I just cabt get in. To lie and leave is wrong