Having a real bad day......

Threads merged for continuity.

I hope all resolves in your best interest, mamato3

From the tone of your post, my recommendation is to try to take a more mature attitude. Calling nursing homes "FREAKING nursing homes" and calling your office manager a "duffus" is not respectful or productive, in my opinion.

I work agency and I recommend that you try to ingratiate yourself to your recruiter, not think that she is a duffus. Make a little friendly small talk when you talk to her. She has her own problems, one of which is that you made a med error, which reflects poorly on her.

That's true, you can't make everyone happy. Good luck to you, I hope you feel better soon and have more success in the future.

we have all had those days!! this isnt your 1st med error and wont be your last. try googling free ceu's on work place issues in nursing, might get some good materials, also find a place where you can do the required florida license medical errors coarse a lot will let you do it for free even though you arent a fla RN. a lot of us have been where you are, some of the solution is looking at your environment and changing it as needed and other is looking within yourself and change there as well. I'll bet you wont make that error again. Agency nurses are at a higher risk for errors because of all of they systems they have to work with.esp since in house nurses have had 1-2 months of orientation to the facility. It might be possible agency isnt for you, perhaps an in house pool in a couple different places you do like? You will get though this and you will be a better nurse for it. there are so many different jobs in nursing maybe you havent found where you are best at yet. Dont let anyone slam you down, when you are bumming get as many ceu's as you can, even if it is a topic you think you may never use (talking about the free 1 hr courses) . You might even be eligible to get a certification in medsurg or what ever you like. you will have to test for that. but it will raise you self esteem. you are still very young and very young in your career, some of us it takes 5 or more years to find out where we belong, so dont get discouraged. It took me longer than that, agency generally isnt a long term issue unless you are doing travel nursing for 13 week contracts, pm me if you need to talk thanks- take care, patty

I read your post two days ago, coming on here after a similar situation and in a bad state myself and fully related. I do not think you overreacted at all. I was in the same way. It is two weeks to Christmas and I cannot work as my agency have stopped my shifts due to a complaint about me. It was not even a drug error but an omission. I was devastated as when we are called up in this way it is our whole selves that are called to question. In the same way as nursing is more than just a job, then so it follows that when our practice is criticised then it is personal too!
I was working a night shift and noted a patient had been written up for tinzaparin. It had not been signed for on the previous two nights, since it was written up to I queried with the nurse in charge, who couldn't understand why not? I asked the patient if she self medicated, she said not, and I noted excessive bruising on her arms, which made me question her clotting status. She had a history of multiple p.e.'s. I cannot remember if I was told this in handover however. It was a very quick handover. I decided to omit the tinzaparin until I had an answer, either to why it had been omitted previously, or what her INR status was. As an agency nurse, I did not have access to her records as they were computerised. The regular nurse wrote the notes and handed over to the day staff and guess what? I am now getting blamed. The Consultant must had got angry with staff, who have blamed the agency nurse!! The patient, fortunately, did not suffer from the omission. My life is now on hold, and although I have calmed down now, that first day was so bad for me, when I got told of the problem. Needless to say I am now looking for another job, as agency work is so unsafe in so many ways. Please let us know how you are getting on. I am in the UK by the way. I am thinking about you and hope things work out in the end!