Long Branch: Staff at Monmouth Medical Center gave patients Benadryl to make them fall asleep, falsified medical records and retaliated against a longtime nurse who spoke up about the misconduct, a lawsuit filed Wednesday alleged.
Patricia R. Moran, a nurse for more than 30 years, claimed she was “subjected to immediate retaliation after she reported employees who intentionally disregarded patient safety standards and falsified patient medical records,” according to the lawsuit, filed by her lawyers at McOmber & McOmber of Marlton. Despite that Moran’s allegations were substantiated by the hospital, she became a target, the suit claimed.
“[Moran] was denied time on the schedule, she was provided a bogus evaluation, she was subjected to increased scrutiny, and she was otherwise ostracized from her co-workers,” the suit stated.
When Moran, who worked in the adult involuntary psychiatric unit, reported that other nurses working on her floor gave patients Benadryl to make them sleepy, her direct supervisor launched a “retaliatory campaign” to justify Moran’s firing or force her to quit, the suit says. Staffers didn’t note the Benadryl doses in medical records, a possibly dangerous move that violated hospital policy.
“Upon information and belief, the medication was administered by staff to lighten the workload for the night shift nurses,” the suit stated.
Soon after raising concerns, Moran was sent to work in a pediatric psychiatric unit and asked to handle a pediatric admission, for which she didn’t have proper experience, according to the complaint. She alerted a charge nurse that she wasn’t trained for that work.
Moran’s boss, in response, falsely accused her of refusing an assignment and accused her of committing a “terminable offense,” according to the suit.
“That is, even though [Moran] had not received any discipline whatsoever in more than 31 years with the hospital, [she] suddenly found herself under investigation and slated for potential termination,” according to the suit, which said Moran was also suspended without pay for 14 weeks and put on a “final warning.”
The suit described Moran as providing “nothing less than exceptional care and treatment for patients” and a “consummate professional” who has a history of reporting safety-related issues in her career. She remained on unpaid leave from work.
Moran found her “career destroyed and her reputation has been tarnished, all because she reported clear violations of hospital policy and patient safety issues,” the complaint said.
“As alleged in the complaint, the hospital turned its back on Ms. Moran and immediately retaliated in an egregious fashion, all because she exposed illicit conduct and sought to uphold the highest standard of care for patients. No employee deserves to be treated in such a manner, let alone someone who has dedicated more than 31 years at this particular hospital,” McOmber lawyer Matthew A. Luber said in an email.
“Ms. Moran looks forward to her day in court,” Luber said.
A spokeswoman for Monmouth Medical Center did not comment on the specific allegations.
Credit: NJ.com
Seems like a good idea to me
Dave Tober if they did that to me, I would thank them lol ?
Dave Tober better than other things I guess
Whatever works
Bryan Parker roofies knock em out too. I’ve heard…
Yup lots of jobs n licenses gone
Scott A Barnes as it should be.
That sure does suck… but I’m not exactly surprised.
I did the same thing when I worked in school detention room. What’s the issue ?
What they did is absolutely wrong! But who hasn’t had an overnight stay and not asked for something to knock them out????
Hospitals suck!!!!
What REALLY sucks is being a non drug addict, being in pain and being treated pussy footed that sucks!!! These people are professionals they should know the scale and be able to differentiate!
Robyn M Burgess the Plaintiff is wrong?
Per the article she reported that people were doing this…she didn’t do anything but stand up for the patient..
No the nurses are wrong!
Yes I understand what happened I’m not an idiot
I rephrased it to THEY!
Diane Horne Kradenpoth and what people???
Nurses did it. Do your job… Check with doctors first and document correctly!
Robyn M Burgess the other nurses that she worked with…
Diane Horne Kradenpoth yes exactly. She reported them. Wow what is the issue here? I got the story lol
Robyn M Burgess initially you said what “she” did was wrong.. that’s it.. no need to be testy..
Diane Horne Kradenpoth I’m not being testy you’re trying to keep correcting me, it was a typo You can stop now!
I suppose you missed the point .. The patients didnt ASK for this. The nurses did it so the patients would be sleepy and not bother them. They did it to make their jobs easier. They didnt document .. If there were allergies or contraindications there was no record.
Patienta werent willing parties.
I bet it happens everywhere. They just got caught
Good for her
Kristie Olsen
Mike JP messed up!!
Tara LaPoint
Lindsay Tomes Bader crazy that they did her like that for reporting it!
Tara LaPoint right!
Maria D’Angelo
Sad im allergic to benadryl… so yea thats messed up
Fay Picioccio Wielgolinski Alexandria Mangulabnan
See something say something. She made the right choice.
Kym Bennett Brander ? especially when it comes to lives
Robyn M Burgess absolutely. People today forgot how to be people. So sad however I always try and do the right thing even when noone is looking.
Y’all laugh and think it’s a great idea until it’s you or your loved one who ends up under the care of a lazy nurse who administers unnecessary medicine. Benadryl interacts with several medicines. This is a big deal and should not be taken lightly.
Always ask what medicine you’re being given. Always ask for the dose. And always ask what it’s for.
Christine Barton-Tate ….my husband was given Benadryl while on an opioid pain med. The nurse on the next shift FLIPPED OUT…..it can cause respiratory distress when the two are mixed.
Yes exactly! Same thing with benzodiazepines which are commonly used in psychiatric medicine.
OMG this gotta be the FIRST time this has been done at any hospital !!!!
Steve Domanski you’re kidding right? I detect sarcasm.
Lots of horrible treatment not only in hospitals and nursing homes.
Robyn M Burgess and Group homes and Home Health Aids Mental Health Units etc.
Steve Domanski you got it. Disabled, etc.
Sadly … Not all people in health care are the wonderful people they appear to be. It’s a pay check. Inside they are rotten
Alexa Aguiar
Margaret Gallagher ???
They need to investigate the adolescent psych unit!
Jessica Duff at MMC?
Jessica Duff any psych unit! Treated like garbage… Mental health awareness my A..!!!
Robyn M Burgess yup! Overmedicate release, rinse and repeat! So sad!
Jessica Duff I can vouch for this. CCIS in MMC is a joke. No eval, no real help, over medicate, release without plan, referrals, or any type of help/support in place. This is for the peds unit, I’m talking about.
But in actuality, all mental health for all ages, in NJ, Is GARBAGE. they don’t give a damn. It’s easy to medicate and see someone back in 4-6 weeks.
Robyn M Burgess Facts. Treat you like garbage just to be tossed out. I’m one of them.
Jessica Rasmussen all I can do is pray for our children! This world is such a mess!
Jessica Rasmussen I can vouche for that too as MMC has sealed records as if you were
Not even there. I was there in 2017. I’m still stuck on nowhere.
NJ Department of Human Services
Jessica Rasmussen Those kids are lucky IF they see a doctor while in there. They herd them all together, and it just shows all the not so good things to the other kids coming in. Only thing they are good for is billing your insurance and you.
April Thompson i know. My oldest son was transported there many times and many times, no results. Same shit, different visit. Awful place.
Medical/ pharmaceuticals are a tow the line industry… if the public understood there are far worse things happening in a similar context they would be in shock…. the politics in many hospitals takes a lot of conditioning to be able to function in such an atmosphere… lacks a lot of integrity
Many thanks to this brave nurse… she will have a hard time because she spoke up.. but it’s appreciated
Leona Rose she shouldn’t at all. Whistleblowers shouldn’t!
Kate Lyn Patricia Davis Erin Davis Nicole Davis
Joan Bennett-Davis it’s truly sad this is what she had to do to prove how short staffed nightshift is
Kate Lyn I’m glad she reported it, sad she’s being screwed over for doing the right thing
Joan Bennett-Davis the state shouldn’t allow it and the fact it came out is proof enough. She needs an attorney.
Robyn M Burgess Patricia Moran has hired McOmber & McOmber to represent her
Ocean County Scanner News glad to hear she has taken those steps, good for her! Good deeds should never go punished!
I am in the low percentage of people who have the opposite effect of this drug. My heart races and I get extreme anxiety! ?
Laurie Anne so does my dog that was prescribed this
Called me shocked that’s nothing as to what goes on that you or I don’t know about
Honestly, MMC psych units need to be overhauled in general. Lots of not right things going on there for years.
Aimee Sauvlet Barros
Jeff Haber people are dirtbags.drs lawyers ddntists..casjers..any profession ..you name.what happened to friendship and loyalty???
Christine Schulz
And these are the people we’re supposed to believe and trust. Hahaha medical field is a joke anymore
Robin Arce Dave Phillips
Ut Oh!
Lorraine Painchaud
Denise McNerlin
What a disgrace. I’d bet my last $, if an extended investigation took place, they would find all kinds of malpractice. Believe me, I have my suspicions regarding some nurses.
I hope this woman sues this hospital and never has to work again.
Ms. Moran….I hope you win…good luck…
That’s just being lazy nurses. I’m for Patricia Moran. So sorry she was treated badly. Those nurses should be stripped off their license.
Paregoric for those born in the ‘50s mother’s helper
change the name but it’s still ten toes up Kimble
Michael Weigand
I love it. Added to my reg meds. After trying every natural sleep aide then sleeping pills. I take a benadryl and I’m out like a light. I’m not an idiot and not looking for some high. I’m 62 today. Now… they gave this pill to folks who didnt know they were getting it. Ask. Before the ban this OTC med off the market too.
I feel as if there is a lot of info missing…where the nurses get the Benadryl, Walmart? Or was it an order from an MD? Did the patients ask for sleeping meds? Ugh…this wrong all over the place
Kimberly Schmidhauser – right ? Meds do not lay willy nilly all over the unit. Did they bring it in from outside ? Was it ordered and given without reason ? Sensational headline with poor background info.
It was not in the patient medical notes. Hence, no doctors ordered it.
Wow
Elizabeth Maldonado
Lauren Ann No comment
This hospital is a scary place. I had a test done there in July and it was a nightmare. When you walk in coming from the parking garage you are hit with the stench of mold. That should have been my sign to turn and run.
Not the only hospital that does that!
I’ve seen a lot of laziness of nurses in hospitals. One tried to give me insulin! I’m NOT a diabetic!
hire more help ,the prices they charge they can afford it
Lisa Pasqualini
Christina Trause
I’m very glad my doctors are in Ocean or Monmouth County. Worth the hour ride for good doctors who you can talk to and don’t make you think you crazy
There should be big fines to hospital and dismissal for those who engaged in this. These patients deserve better. What happened to the oath the nurses took. Hope they never again get another job taking care of people.
Wow! This is not a shock to me , as I was literally overdosed on morphine in the recovery room at Monmouth medical last year after an operation by a nurse who apparently didn’t want to “deal with me”. Another nurse noticed I was unconscious several hours after the operation and called a “rapid response “ in which all the doctors came running over and they then used narcan to revive me. If the other nurse didn’t notice me I would’ve been GONE within about more 15 min. I was down to 3 breaths per min and all vitals were so low. And I thought that hospital had a great reputation but I almost died in their hands. Talk about traumatizing , forget it.
Elka Elshtein
Tali Elshtein I don’t go to MMC if I don’t have to. The one in Lakewood is worse
Elka Elshtein I know but I’m letting you know
Tali Elshtein thanks
Holy crap!!!!
Karen Bower Carrie Ann
Kate Gentile Chnapko just like the one nurse at the rehab where our mom was who liked to double up the oxy ? knock them out …easy shift ?
Carrie Ann report it in writing
Kate Gentile Chnapko working on it so it doesn’t happen to anyone else
I take it every night
All health insurance companies should look into this to see if they paid large Benadryl claims for this facility
Cathy Rae Napolitano Lewis
Nothing new Community Medical Center does the same to elderly & respiratory comprised pts?
Denise Pegg what? Do you have proof of this?? If not than that’s slander.
Heather Lasky do you say this because you possibly learn/work there? Hospital is garbage.
Marian Tighe-Krushinsky
Unbelievable
I believe it , no one wants to work anymore
They killed my friend mike .
Never liked monmouth medical!!
They all should be fired.
Megan Ann
OMG
Josh Graham
Oh oh
Wendy Applegate Okuniewski
William Beresford
The entire medical field is corrupt…down right horrendous.
Sad
It was a long time Nurse who actually filed the claim against certain night time nurses for doing this on 1 particular floor.
Thank you to the Nurse who brought this matter forward to her superiors.
I cannot believe what I just read
Professional Healing heard of this before in a place where I worked also. ??♀️
Good for her!! Hope she wins!!