Veterans Home Nurse putting in lateral to State prison

[springh2o]

Venting and asking all in one here.

I work in a Veterans home and the rules and regs have made it impossible to do my job. I'm an LPN, used to working with men and ALL that entails, they are both young and old and from all parts of society. Before the Vets home I worked in a regular nursing home. The nurse model of "would you like fries with that" is taking nurses down left and right where I work, especially if a supervisor is an abusive sort, you know the kind, protect their friends and gossiping about the nurse who actually does their job. If I'm running down the hall with a treatment cart and insulins (etc, doing a hundred things at once) I better stop and get that cheese sandwich for that person who wants it NOW or I could end up getting turned in and disciplined, as in sitting in a building while I am investigated and hope everything turns out ok. It's unbelievable. Also talk about nurses eating their young (and I am not young) the supervisors are afraid for their job, (know any RN's that make over 60 thousand a year or more in a nursing home anywhere else with an A.D.?) They (some if not all of the supervisors) will take down anyone to protect their own butt ends. It's become intolerable, so I put in my lateral for corrections, no jobs open yet (I am scored at the top though) Even with most likely going to another shift and overtime I cannot wait to get out (I'm daylight now) Any hints for when a job does come open, the interview or what to expect? I WANT this. My husband works corrections so I have a clue. I'm not afraid of working with prisoners. I know to be alert. I am not safe where I work now, trust me, not breaking hipaa here, just VERY not safe, from both residents and staff, and I mean I am not safe physically at all and the mental stress is affecting my life. The regs are not to be believed and the paperwork is way more important than patient care at this point, BUT you had better be able to prove with witnesses that you did it all. Right now since people see the this one supervisors attitude towards me, I will have no witnesses, fear is a powerful tool, soul and conscience fly away with the fear that you may be the next victim in fear of losing your job, benefits and retirement. I refuse to be like that, hence the problem. I hear staff is worse that inmates in correction from one person and another says do your job, stick to yourself and don't play staff or prisoner games.

I think it will take time to get over my fears that this job put in me more than the change of going to corrections at this point.

Right now since a supervisor at my job has a "hard on" for me (union said that, as in this supervisor wants to see me fired) She didn't see something in report and got angry that I charted something that she should have followed up on, or so I gather. She has an active campaign going on. As in I refused to do a treatment that was not ordered on someone and they complained, she could not get me on that, but she made vague references to "your attitude has changed and departments are complaining about you" and threatening that if I charted anything but meds I WOULD be disciplined. Of course I pulled policy and my job description and this is not going to happen, but she printed all my charting and the one time I didn't give a pain scale and then when I charted someone was leaning and didn't chart RN notified made it that I have to be "retrained" to pacify her. (yes RN was notified, she was there, I read all of it out loud, asked approval and the report book was there.) Now the RN gives report to the next shift rather than me, my request, no denying they know EVERYTHING now. No-one else's charting was audited. I have great performance reviews, but obviously she is making a case for me suddenly changing my personality or having a mental breakdown. She attempted to hand me a mental health card. THAT would have went into my records. She said I didn't need union. I have never seen such a cold completely empty stare eye to eye from anyone in that way before. I walked out, called the union, the DON and the ADON. My union is new, old officers retired. It is NOT a good situation where I am. I will take any advice for the interview that I hope to get (soon, please Lord) and any prayers being sent that nothing else happens in the meantime to me where I am now that could jeopardize my job. I am being very careful but anything can happen. I am watching my back to the 9'th degree, trust me. I AM a good nurse, I know this, it's not to be arrogant, I just have years of experience and I am a team player. I need this change to corrections, so other than "care, custody and control" what do I need to know and watch out for? I NEED to know what they ask in an interview and how to respond. Like I said, no openings YET, but it will happen, I just hope not too late and I hope they don't lock the door to people lateralling from where I am to other state institutions, it hasn't happened yet where I work but nurses are flocking out the doors, RN's and LPN's are either leaving or looking and people are not staying even through orientation.

HELP AND PRAYERS PLEASE.

[tirzo13]

Which Vet home do you work at?

Barstow, Chula Vista, or Yountville?

If Barstow, not sure, is there a prison close to there?

If Chula Vista, then you will be thinking about Donovan, it sucks just as much there, supervisors are pathetic and out to get the LVN's.

The other two prisons i worked at as LVN and RN is Sac and Salinas Valley, not sure if you are willing to move.

i liked salinas, as far as prisons go.

Anyway.

If you are working at Yountville, i have a couple ideas for you.

One, is go to Vacaville DMH and be a MTA, your will get 7000 a month.

The pay for LVNS is pretty bad.

Second idea is go to fast track for psych tech and be a PT at Napa.

Fast track is about a year.

Psych tech union is way better then the nursing union, and psych techs get about 5000 a month at Napa.

I'm a RN at Napa, i much prefer it here then the 3 prisons i worked at.

The interview depends on the prison.

You do the online exam, then they call you.

some will do a phone interview, some will do a DON or supervisor, or hiring manager, some a panel.

they will ask you why you want to work in a prison, if you know any inmates, what would you do if a inmate asked you do bring something for him, what you would do someone is having chest pain, etc.

Don't worry about the interview too much, they hire just about anyone.

If you know your stuff, you will be way ahead of some of the people they hire.

[springh2o]

I'm not in in the Western US. I worked overtime last evening and I'm getting ready for work again so I don't have much time now but thank you for some clue to the interview questions. I need any help I can get. I want this to be a sure thing

[tirzo13]

its pretty much a sure thing, i will leave it at that.

[springh2o]

The place where I work now, they put you in "time out" alone for days because a resident complains, as in one person gave an insulin injection and the resident said it was "too rough". Union is new doesn't know their butt from a whole in the ground except for one person, but she isn't a nurse. The union allowed these PIP things to come back, they are "personnel intervention plans" They were thrown out years ago but... Union doesn't get it, they didn't ask union body for opinions either. You can't grieve it and by the time you get a verbal or written the supervisors have a paper trail and then it goes to the state dept that overseas our facility and it's a done deal. It can be used for harassment. AND as an LPN I am worked to death by certain RN's and referred to as a "you people". This attitude is not only tolerated, it is encouraged.

I had a resident complain that he/she wanted me to do this treatment, he/she didn't have a treatment ordered but someone else did that treatment. I couldn't get in trouble for refusing to do a treatment that was not ordered and then the complaint got switched to me not putting on ted hose on that person. This person actually went straight to the supervisors office, they know where it is, another person even has the supervisors phone numbers on their cell phone. It's on the CNA records to do ted hose, not anything I sign and I have one hour to get insulins, eye gtts, and complex treatments done before med time. I have to stop med pass or treatment to do that "do you want fries with that" thing, you know, get me an ice cream, make a cheese sandwich, take me to smoke etc etc.

Some residents know that people are afraid and they take advantage of that.

Supervisors write it up, they don't want to have to "actually work" in another job. (hey one supervisor actually said that) and they need to justify their jobs. People on time out left and right and it really hurts a person, the fear and being alone and worrying about your job KNOWING you did not do a darn thing wrong but no-one is going to stand up for you because everyone knows a job with benefits is hard to come by.

Witness statements for everything, I mean everything. Even, I lie not, a resident having a broken toenail...

I mean really a 2 year degree and making over 60 to near a hundred thousand a year. I guess certain RN supervisor's soul isn't worth as much as I think mine is worth. I can't be bought.

The supervisor apparently got her hand slapped because I charted an observation, my direct RN KNEW by the way. The supervisor decided to change my job description and policy and told me I can't chart except meds. I pulled job description, policy etc. That went down the tubes and yes I can chart but the floor RN denied knowing about what I charted because she didn't follow up, and she and the supervisor are friends. So even though I am probably one of the more concise and detailed people in how I chart, I need "retrained" to satisfy the supervisor. She printed off all my charting and oh my I didn't chart a pain scale on one person and none of us ever chart results of meds, they are often off the floor, but I am the example, and to top it off as I said I have above average job evals but this supervisor is making a case for me suddenly having a personality change and tried to give me a card for state sponsored psych help and that would have went on my records.

It's ironic because my residents tell me things like I am their best nurse and I am the only one who smiles.

By the way, I informed the floor RN's I won't write report and I won't read verbal report for the next shift anymore, they need to do it, that way no RN can deny they knew everything that was charted. I told them that way they won't miss anything but really, then they cannot deny they knew everything that was charted.

EVEN THOUGH THEY ALWAYS saw the report book AND I read off what I was/am charting.

I worked two units today, not my own unit and this was after working overtime yesterday. I was split, given to the RN who runs the RN union, I passed her meds, insulins etc and didn't know the residents, she sat...

I then went to the other side for the last two hours, see that RN is not head of the RN union...

Corrections has to be better. What I type here is just the tip of the iceberg.

I'm not naive, it's just that at least part of it has to be better, no "do you want fries with that" nursing and actually I really am GREATLY at more risk of being hurt by residents at my job now. People have been hurt and yes even died. I have been hurt.

I'm not so sure it's a done deal. you may be right, then again they have brought my self esteem down so far at the job I have now, I have to dig myself out every day.

It took me years to teach regular staff I won't be screamed at and abused and that I can be trusted, and now this crap from this one supervisor. I resent being treated as a child when I am an experienced and good nurse. I especially resent the games and abuse to staff from this supervisor.

I try not to be negative, but I do hope what measures they give out come back to them two fold and they know it's divine retribution for what they did.

For now I am going to pray to let this go and let God, and I pray every day for God's protection until there is a job open in corrections.

[janenkoli]

this seem to be a pattern in the vetrans affairs system, i resigned my job at the vetrans affairs due to such harrasments you mention,some of this supervisiors will do anything to tarnish you reputation.i think you are making the best decision to look for a new job. the mental stress is not worth it.in my own care my mistake was letting any one know that i just passed my rn nclex, they paniced because they know that once am working in the same capability as them, i will have the same authority as they do. if i will ever work for the vetrans again, i will have my masters degree and not have to deal with those stupid politics and carniving *******