Forging signatures

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Alex A

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I posted this in another thread, but I thought I would post it here as well...


I forged a ton of signatures on my clinicals and I even made up a ton of patients.. I regret doing it now, and now the class is almost over.. I didn't think it was a bad thing when I was doing it, but now I realize it is and I don't want to get in trouble.. Felony charges... losing my job and my license...

I'm an EMT-Basic now, but I am in the paramedic program..

I'm thinking of just dropping out now, there is a couple months left. I did awesome in the class in practicals and on the tests. I did awesome when I was doing clinicals.. I got compliments all the time, but I just didn't think I needed to do all the clinicals that were required.. so.. I forged a bunch of signatures and I made up a bunch of patients...

Don't know what to do
 
You have an integrity issue. That is inexcusable in a profession were trust is crucial.

Connect the dots as you see fit.
 
..... Do what you think you should do....
 
Alex A said:
I posted this in another thread, but I thought I would post it here as well...


I forged a ton of signatures on my clinicals and I even made up a ton of patients.. I regret doing it now, and now the class is almost over.. I didn't think it was a bad thing when I was doing it, but now I realize it is and I don't want to get in trouble.. Felony charges... losing my job and my license...

I'm an EMT-Basic now, but I am in the paramedic program..

I'm thinking of just dropping out now, there is a couple months left. I did awesome in the class in practicals and on the tests. I did awesome when I was doing clinicals.. I got compliments all the time, but I just didn't think I needed to do all the clinicals that were required.. so.. I forged a bunch of signatures and I made up a bunch of patients...

Don't know what to do
Click to expand...

Give me your instructors phone number and I will let him know for you...pathetic.
 
I really don't see why everyone's making such a big deal of this.
In the field we make up vitals if they don't need to be taken, and anyone would be lying if they said they've never signed in place for that nurse that just demands a report. Sometimes there's just not time for that.
As long as you can tube a patient like a boss, and 14s are your IV of choice, you'll make a great firefighter paramedic.
Oh, and Teedubbyaw, I commend you sir.
 
LACoGurneyjockey said:
I really don't see why everyone's making such a big deal of this.
In the field we make up vitals if they don't need to be taken, and anyone would be lying if they said they've never signed in place for that nurse that just demands a report. Sometimes there's just not time for that.
As long as you can tube a patient like a boss, and 14s are your IV of choice, you'll make a great firefighter paramedic.
Oh, and Teedubbyaw, I commend you sir.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought.. I guess forging signatures is apparently a big deal. Not trolling.

I am pretty sure I am going to drop out, before I turn anything else in. I just don't want to get any charges on my record.. I just feel like such **** for wasting 1 year of my life and all the money / time and everyone else's time that helped me..
 
Yea, no part of what I wrote was truthful (ok, maybe the fire medic part). As everyone else above said, the lack of integrity is a critical flaw in a paramedic. Knowing that you falsified a very significant part of your skills training out of the arrogance in believing you had it down and couldn't use the extra practice, I would not trust you to run on anyone I cared about.
Time to find a new career...
 
Agree with the rest, I applaud you for coming forward and fessing up that you have done wrong, but you have moral and integrity issues which will later trouble you in any public service career. So forget about being a medic, firefighter, police officer, etc and maybe continue school to be a defense attorney or politician, as clearly doing the right thing is never on the fore front of their minds.
 
There are just so many things wrong here. This is a huge ethical and moral violation. I cannot even imagine how you were able to justify this to yourself. Then again people do make mistakes. I think a viable option would be to go to your instructor and admit that you made a mistake and that you need to fix it and retake the course. Dont lie ever. Period. When new doctors make mistakes some of them lie and then get caught and fired. They were not fired for the mistake (and would not have been if they admitted it right away) but for the lie. I believe in the just culture model and I think you could turn this aroubd but it would take a lot of work and will power on your part. You will have to earn back the trust and respect of your peers. It can be done if this is really what you want to do. Or as others say maybe a new job is in order but then again most jobs require honesty and integrity and you may need to make some life changes before you begin any career.
 
I would admit it to the instructor. That's the only way you'll truly recover your integrity and clear your conscience. Tell him you have something very serious to admit to and you realize it will probably result in you getting kicked out of the program....and then spill the beans. If you do that and accept the consequences, you will IMO be 100% absolved.

Frankly I don't see how any criminal charges could possibly result, but talk to a lawyer first if you are concerned about that.....and then to your instructor.
 
The first step, regardless of what happens next or what you choose to do, is to tell your instructor. Confess everything. Its a big deal and if you hope to recover at all, that's what needs to happen.

If you want to stay in EMS, take some time off, collect yourself, maybe you decide to do something else, maybe you try again. But again, you must tell the instructor. What you did is bad, but confessing is a LOT better falling into the shadows and a million times better than practicing as a medic at this time.
 
You realized your error, finish school and move on. Learn from it.
 
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We had a student removed from my paramedic program for this same issue. There's no place in EMS for anyone with questionable integrity.
 
jwoods said:
You realized your error, finish school and move on. Learn from it.
Click to expand...

So because you realized you were doing something wrong the whole time its ok to just move on? Don't think that's a good answer for this case. Medics hold a lot of responsibility, and this guy cant even make it though clinical rotations without lying. Since he realized he was wrong, he should admit it to his instructor not an online forum where he's looking for someone to baby him and tell him everything is going to be ok. He doesn't belong in a profession where patients and family members trust us to try and help. How can he do that if he skipped an important part of a program that is already to short to begin with?
 
LACoGurneyjockey said:
Yea, no part of what I wrote was truthful (ok, maybe the fire medic part). As everyone else above said, the lack of integrity is a critical flaw in a paramedic. Knowing that you falsified a very significant part of your skills training out of the arrogance in believing you had it down and couldn't use the extra practice, I would not trust you to run on anyone I cared about.
Time to find a new career...
Click to expand...
I'm glad to hear this because I was about to lose it.

Integrity is a massive part of EMS. Are you going to forge billing signatures too then once in the field?

Not sure how you'd justify these actions in your head. As far as dropping that's up to you but I think you need to have a serious sit down conversation with yourself and decide what's important to you in your life and your future career choices.
 
Alex,

You've screwed up. Royally. My suggestion would be to come clean to your instructor/course director.

Yes. You'll probably get kicked out. But they might be able to work with you and come up with another option... Like you re-doing ALL your clinicals.
 
With all due respect, if I had a partner that passed school this way and I ever found out, I wouldn't ever want to ride with them again. If I can't trust my partner I won't ride with them.
Op, tell the instructor and if you're allowed to keep your basic license, start over.
 
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