Waived Hours, Written Up: A Double Standard with Real Consequences

There was a student once—assigned to Elizabeth’s training group—who missed 2 to 3 hours of class for a personal appointment. I remember asking what the plan was to make up the hours. Elizabeth’s response was blunt:

“There was no time to make them up, so I just waived them. Debbie knows.” 

And just like that, she documented the student as present—even though he wasn’t.

To my knowledge, that incident only happened once. But once was enough. That student was credited for hours he did not attend. That is a violation of New York State Department of Health (DOH) training regulations, which require that Personal Care Aide (PCA) students receive 40 full hours of instruction. Falsifying training records to reflect otherwise can constitute fraudulent documentation and opens the door to regulatory sanctions, program audits, and loss of training program approval.

And yet—I was the one written up.

Not for falsifying records. Not for anything proven. I was written up for allegedly letting my class out too early and “shorting” their hours—despite the fact that my students met the content and successfully completed their training.

The irony? I documented every minute. I logged attendance, reported absences, and followed protocol. But none of that seemed to matter.

What mattered, apparently, was who was doing the waiving—and who was asking questions about it. This wasn’t just about inconsistency. It was about selective enforcement, retaliation, and breach of public trust. It demonstrated a culture where those in power could quietly bend rules and falsify records, while others were punished for trying to uphold them.

These actions can also violate:

- New York Public Health Law, regarding accurate record-keeping in state-regulated training.

- Whistleblower protections under Labor Law § 740, which protects employees who report violations of law that pose a danger to public health.

- Professional nursing ethics, which require accountability, honesty, and protection of vulnerable populations.

There are real consequences to this kind of leadership. Not just for instructors—but for the students who trusted us, and the legitimacy of the entire training program.

And I’m documenting it all. 

-- K