I'm wondering about something, and although this has probably been discussed here somewhere, I can't find anything, so I'm posting it.
When I was studying for NCLEX, going over the do's and don'ts of licensure, I remember distinctly the BON stating that once a candidate takes the test and fails that (s)he must notify his/her employer immediately and within ten days CANNOT work as a GN any longer. If they have a permit, it's pulled immediately. When I got my Pass notice from Pearson, it said right on there that if my results were Fail, then I had to notify employer, cannot work, etc etc. Okay.
So why is it that I'm seeing people who I KNOW have failed the NCLEX (they've said so) and are still working as GNs? They still have the same patient loads, still doing assessments, admissions and discharges, nursing judgments, still passing meds and doing pushes that the LPNs who have passed their NCLEX's cannot legally do. They sign off as "Jane Smith, GN".
This is in two hospitals in the area that I know of. At orientation, the hospital I'm now in sounded positively retentive about JCAHO and policies and maintaining legal standings, but this is ok?? I know we're short-staffed (who isn't) but how come something as glaringly illegal as this gets ignored when not filling out a form in triplicate will get Compliance Dept down on your butt in a heartbeat?
