Is this Patient Abandonment?

[cahshaw]

I work in a LTC and came to work tonight at 7pm. There were two nurses on, one scheduled to leave at 7pm when I got there and the other at 11pm after all the meds were passed for the evening. The second nurse just decided she no longer wanted to finish her shift, made me count meds and then left. I had no prior notice and was forced into covering her patients for the remainder of her shift as well as mine. Would this be considered patient abandonment?

[morte, LPN, LVN]

I want to know why you said yes?

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I was on the phone immediately to someone higher up and there are no supervisors there at night or on the weekends. And sadly mgt just sucks that bad that nothing will be done.

Why are there no supervisors in the building??

Madness...

In the meantime while pounding the pavement for a new job, make sure that this doesn't happen again.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Why are there no supervisors in the building??

This is not all that far-fetched. I've worked in smallish mom-and-pops style nursing homes where there'd be no supervisor on evenings and night shift. If we needed something of a supervisory or managerial nature, we'd have to call the DON at home.

[motherof3sons]

After 4 pm on weekdays I am the only "supervisor" as the charge nurse. Weekends there is only DON on call for admin. I joke about the admins trusting me to care for the whole facility....but it is my shift and all my responsibility. I have only had to call admin once in the 6 years I've been there.

[miraj]

No endorsement/no keys, nurse can't leave. You then "seems" assume all responsibility..

Strict personal bounderies will do you a favor in a long run..

[DLewis.RN2b, ASN, BSN, LPN]

Not abandonment because you took the keys, I'm lost when you say she made you count, how may I ask?

[Carol Hann]

As the oncoming nurse, were you in a Charge position or Supervisor? If in the Charge postion, you should have immediately called the Supervisor to discuss the issue. Only the Supervisor can make the decision to allow the nurse to leave her post. You should have never accepted to count or the keys. She was abandoning her job which should have been explained to her by the Supervisor and the Supervisor should have called the DON to let her know what was going on. Having been a DON and Suprervisor, I have been in this situation and if the nurse left without approval she would be been disciplined and either suspended or dismissed.

[LyssC_RN]

What??? No nurse in ltc would dare leave like that...not before the next shift nurse finished counting narcotics and everything was good. You are always responsible for closing narcotics before leaving...And having it verified. That is your job on the line if that count is wrong.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Was it wrong.. Yeah. Was it abandonment.. No you took report, counted narcs, and accepted the keys.