Blowing the whistle on your facility

[Lovely_RN]

For a few months now the quality of care has been drastically declining at the facility that I work at due to the administration trying to cut back on spending.

The staffing ratio was never good to begin with and now it's terrible. Meanwhile the acuity of the average resident has increased significantly. Our DNS has flat out told us that she is here to save the facility money and she thinks we have it to easy on the floors so no help is going to come from her. We are lacking in basic supplies for wound care and stock medications. The ratio of total care, psych, and rehab patients vs. regular geriatric patients has increased dramatically but instead of giving us more resources we are being given less! There are issues with narcotics, polypharmacia, and the use of anti-psych meds that have black box warning labels and yet are being Rx for the elderly like they are candy.

I am really close with a co-worker and we are both disgusted by what is going on in the facility. Since we are a union facility I thought that maybe these issues should be addressed with them but the person advised me against it. Basically I was told that it would come back to me and that there could be a lot of repercussions. I was told that I could be blackballed in the future and that maybe they could find something to use against me that would affect my license.

I want to see something happen but I have to be realistic....I have family to take care of...but my damn conscious would never let me say oh well I only have a few months till I can quit. I'm thinking of contacting the state but I'd like to remain anonymous...has anyone ever done anything like this? What happened? Did conditions improve at the facility afterward...were you able to remain incognito?

[Lovely_RN, MSN]

I want to thank everyone for their advice. There is actually a lot more stuff that is going on but I fear to post more details because I wouldn't want anyone to be able to identify me. I have an idea of what I need to do now. Thanks again.

[onlyfaith2D1]

Honestly that place has lawsuits and loss of your valuable licensure written all over it. I understand that you have a family to feed but it is best that you find another job for the next upcoming months to preserve your health and your safety.I, however, applaud you respectfully for voicing the daily happenings of many LTC facilities where the quality of care is menial.

Good Luck

[achot chavi]

Based on my experience, I would either have a frank and nonjudgemental talk with the DON, Perhaps outside of the facility and based on how that goes, I would either decide to look for a better place or help the DON improve care or just take valium myself before each shift. - It all depends on the DON. If she is not into improving things - forget it . You might be surprised by what you hear from her. Please talk gently to her, you dont know what her side of things are. DONT tell her that you are thinking of going to the union or reporting problems to the state!!

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

Wow Bx_RN2be, that is absolutely atrocious! How can anyone reasonably be expected to get all that done?

The problem is, administration types often get bonuses for saving money. Many organizations do this. That's why these corporate executives get all these bonuses when they're downsizing. Hospitals have similar incentives. I assume LTC also follows this practice.

[mscsrjhm]

Get another job, start applying immediately, but we have to stand up for those that cannot stand up for themselves. Blow the whistle-really loud!

(No comments re loss of income please. I have blown more than one whistle, and still raised 3 children as a single parent- mortgage, car payments, college...)

An old joke: "we have established what you are, now we are just haggling over price." (Don't be part of that joke-too many people are)

Please don't have a price- BLOW the whistle.

Teach your children what being a nurse and a human is about.

I would rather work shoveling dirt from a cesspool than sit quietly and watch sick or elderly be mistreated.

You only have one life- don't compromise.

Good luck with whatever road you take- but the one less traveled makes all the difference!!

[MauraRN]

Sounds like an average day in my facility. No wonder so many LPN's are getting their RN and moving out of LTC/sub-acute. I have no faith in the state inspections anymore.

[south102001]

I would be very careful and think hard before you do this.

[BigBee48]

I actually did that years ago, I was ADON, I found that my name had been added to the schedule,, to have RN coverage. I was very upset w/DON & administrator, when SBOH came to do their survey. I waited until no one was really looking, opened the door to the conference room, where they were looking over records, and I spilled it all the the board. My administrator tried to come in and interrupt, by saying I was disgruntled. They refused to let her in, and let me speak my piece. I then quit right after I told everything I knew. I left there and got hired

somewhere else the same day. It never affected my career. But I truely felt, and still do, the safety of the residents is most important. You could call them anonymously. You could also go get another job, and then call. I think things improved for probably 6months maybe a year, but went right back to what it was.:redbeathe

[achot chavi]

They tried that as well by my facility and I said NO, do not put my name as part of every unit since I am not listed on the schedule. So they didn't and its a good thing as they checked the schedules for the last 6 months to see that the names listed were matching the names given. I was lucky they listened to me... or I'd have had to quit as well.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

I'm glad I never worked in a facility where there was such a huge 'us vs. them' situation...them being the dreaded management. I've had staff threaten to call the DPH for all sorts of things. One evening the RN had 21 patients. She told me she was going to call the DPH because she knew the regs and 21 was too many. I tried to explain to her the regs. She wouldn't listen so I handed her the DPH hotline number. I've worked in places where the staff tells anyone who'll listen that they have no supplies. Why then when I open the Med room door, which they all had a key to and which was 2 feet away from where they were standing, there were boxes of the necessary equipment. The first person to talk to should be your supervisor...not the DPH. If that doesn't work, speak to your supervisor's supervisor. The DPH should be your last resort, not your first.