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.

https://www.nj.com/monmouth/2019/10/nurses-wanting-easy-night-shift-gave-patients-benadryl-to-make-them-sleepy-lawsuit-alleges.html

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