I Need Help/advice!!!

[whiteorchid]

I NEED SOME HELP REALLY BAD...IM AN LVN (NEW GRAD)..IM WORKING IN THIS FACILITY WHERE THERE ARE NO SUPERVISORS ON THE FLOOR DURING THE WEEKENDS AND NO SUPERVISORS FOR PM AND NOCS AT ALL....IM REALLY CONFUSED AND SCARED BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IM ALONE WORKING BY MYSELF AND NO ONE TO RUN TO OR GET HELP IF SOMETHING HAPPENS:o ...IS IT LEGAL FOR A FACILITY TO RUN WITHOUT A SUPERVISOR ON THE FLOOR ESPECIALLY IF THE PLACE HAS A SUB-ACUTE (SHORT TERM) SIDE?....IT JUST CONCERNS ME BECAUSE WHEN I WAS A STUDENT AND WHEN WE WERE DOING CLINICALS AT OTHER PLACES, I ALWAYS SEE A SUPERVISOR PRESENT....

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

First, welcome to allnurses.

I don't know the laws in your state, but I would be on the fast track out of that job. Call your board of Nursing, and call your regulatory body that manages your type of facility. You are doing you nor your patients any good in these circumstances. Now do not just walk out, that's abandonment, but call the director at home, call the ranking RN at home and make out occurrence reports.

Oh and I realize this is distressful but don't type in all caps please.

[Butterflybee]

Wow, please keep us posted...

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Is there a supervisor on call? I would still run out of there, though... LPNs work under the auspice of an RN that should be readily available, at least by phone. This is too much for a new grad with no experience. I'd run for the hills.

[caliotter3]

I was the only licensed person (LVN) on night shift in a 52 bed LTC facility which included sub acute residents. I was lucky to have one CNA show up for work. When I called my ADON for help during a bad situation, she did not even answer her phone. I was apprehensive to say the least, and I had a year's experience before I started that job. My predecessor was a new grad LVN, and was let go in less than 3 weeks for no call, no shows. I resigned when the place went to h*** and it became apparent that my license was in jeopardy. Along with me, all of the other charge nurses from the other shifts, except 2 that I remember, also quit. There are things that you can do to help you cope, but you sound like it is too much for you, so I would suggest that you look for another job, and resign before you have an incident that you can not handle. Good luck. Oh, and when I asked the question about staffing, b/c they short staffed PM shift also, I was told that the place complied with staffing ratios as set by law, regulations.

[adriannaLPN]

Isn't it just that there has to be an RN present. Isn't that the only law?

[kstec, LPN]

In the LTC facility I work in there only has to be a RN present 8 out of 24 hours, but there is someone on call if you are alone and need assistance.