Going to be fired?

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Jun 12, 2016

I'm not a nurse yet, so you're free to discount my opinion.

You're signing out meds and not giving them (and leaving them laying around?), passing meds out five hours late and forgetting to update charts. Those seem like big deals that are grounds for termination, IMO.

I don't think you're being bullied, I think you're not performing the duties of the job you've been assigned and it's impacting your patients and co-workers.

Maybe that setting isn't a good fit for you?

WheresMyPen · Jun 12, 2016

It doesn't sound like you are taking any reaponsibility for your actions...

nutella, MSN, RN · Jun 12, 2016

To be honest - it does not sound that you are able to perform in LTC. Medication has to be given within a certain time frame and you can not just give 2 times together. After all, it is an "order". They called you out on things not going well. LTC is a place where you need specific skill sets. It is probably best that you prepare yourself mentally for getting terminated.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jun 12, 2016

There is usually a one hour window for medication so 10pm meds are on time 9pm to 11pm. Or 9:30-10:30. Giving 10pm meds, depending on the med like a sleeping pill, timed antibiotics or drug that needs to be given on an empty stomach could have dramatic effects.

You are making assumptions regarding the night shift workload that are not based in fact. Your thoughts from working overnights as a sitter are skewed as to the responsibilities and workload of the overnight shift.

You sound like you have significant time management & organization issues in not being able to complete your work in a timely fashion, giving medications 5 hours early, charting medication (insulin) as given when you did not, failure to follow up on an important schedule change that left at least three parties scrambling (day shift nurse, patient and transport service). Honestly will only get you so far. But negligence and incompetence will lead you out the door. It was not an honest mistake. You could have notified the patient, wrote a reminder, many issues. You could have caused harm of insulin as given pending a meal that could not be eaten and was substituted with as back.

You are stating your honesty should excuse all of your escalating errors that can result in citations & fines for the facility had the state walked in unannounced.

You sound ill trained and disorganized to be working in your current setting simply by what you post here. Start looking for a new job, based on what you shared termination is imminent

WheresMyPen · Jun 12, 2016

Also want to add:

1) I am a night nurse and I can assure you that it is not easy. And there are meds. I have 3 big med passes. Midnight, 0400 and 0600. I have 60 patients. More than half of them are total care and have all sorts of tubes hanging out of them. The other half are all fall risks. We have barely any staff so we all just help each other. We do chart checks, 90% of the dressing.. All the wound vacs and we change all the tubing for nebulizers, O2, chaths, humidifiers, everything. I literally do not sit down.

2) part of the reason us noc nurses may come off "cliquey" is because as I stated above, we help each other through everything. We're a tight knit bunch with not much support. We get a lot of things dumped on us, and we do our best to follow up with doctors but what doctor wants to be called in the middle of the night for a non-emergency? And speaking of emergencies. Not so easy to handle with very little staff.

3) your errors are BIG ONES! First you, "forget" to give a diabetic their insulin, or, "didnt have time to" ...But you also mention not endorsing that a diabetic pt had an appointment the next day, and they could have missed breakfast. You give the 1700 meds with the 2200 meds together but they need to be spaced out. Some meds are time specific to maintain therapeutic values in the blood at all times. Some meds are spaced out to avoid drug interactions. Some need to be before bed, some after meals.

We've all been in stressful, overwhelming situations and environments, but that's no excuse to cut corners like that.

i suggest you speak with the hospital you are at, if you still work for them, and ask for increase in hours. Maybe that is a better environment for you.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jun 12, 2016

Psst I'm a night nurse too. We don't sit around knitting sweaters and eating cake.

Any one of your errors could have resulted in termination regardless of your "honesty". You need to take responsibility for your lack of time management and organization. You could have caused grave harm to patients by giving 10p meds with 5p meds. Never mind the two issues with diabetic patients.

Emergent, RN · Jun 12, 2016

When I worked LTC years ago I had 30 pts. I hauled ass and completed my med pass in the 2 hr window every time. I never left meds lying around. I had 3 days orientation.

There may be a clique, that doesn't mean that you are performing up to snuff.

Meridian2 · Jun 12, 2016

Also want to add:
1) I am a night nurse and I can assure you that it is not easy. And there are meds. I have 3 big med passes. Midnight, 0400 and 0600. I have 60 patients. More than half of them are total care and have all sorts of tubes hanging out of them. The other half are all fall risks. We have barely any staff so we all just help each other. We do chart checks, 90% of the dressing.. All the wound vacs and we change all the tubing for nebulizers, O2, chaths, humidifiers, everything. I literally do not sit down.
2) part of the reason us noc nurses may come off "cliquey" is because as I stated above, we help each other through everything. We're a tight knit bunch with not much support. We get a lot of things dumped on us, and we do our best to follow up with doctors but what doctor wants to be called in the middle of the night for a non-emergency? And speaking of emergencies. Not so easy to handle with very little staff.
3) your errors are BIG ONES! First you, "forget" to give a diabetic their insulin, or, "didnt have time to" ...But you also mention not endorsing that a diabetic pt had an appointment the next day, and they could have missed breakfast. You give the 1700 meds with the 2200 meds together but they need to be spaced out. Some meds are time specific to maintain therapeutic values in the blood at all times. Some meds are spaced out to avoid drug interactions. Some need to be before bed, some after meals.
We've all been in stressful, overwhelming situations and environments, but that's no excuse to cut corners like that.
i suggest you speak with the hospital you are at, if you still work for them, and ask for increase in hours. Maybe that is a better environment for you.

I never said thats being night nurse is a slice of cake. But ur not as busy as me. U have 3 meds to give.the rest seems like technical stuff with the machines and charts. I can't do this without leaving a few things for night shift i am only 1 person. They aren't cliques because they have no support they are catty and never talk to me they go to my boss and complain all the time. How is someone supposed to learn if no one shows me anything or ever helps me

Meridian2 · Jun 12, 2016

Psst I'm a night nurse too. We don't sit around knitting sweaters and eating cake.
Any one of your errors could have resulted in termination regardless of your "honesty". You need to take responsibility for your lack of time management and organization. You could have caused grave harm to patients by giving 10p meds with 5p meds. Never mind the two issues with diabetic patients.

she said I am not fired.they gave the diabetic a snack for the ride she only had 2 units standing

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jun 12, 2016

she said I am not fired.they gave the diabetic a snack for the ride she only had 2 units standing

You likely will be terminated shortly for incompetence based upon what you posted here. Be prepared to move on.

This is not the right environment for you with you inability to manage your time and prioritize information. If you wasted 15 minutes at the start of each shirt preventing me from checking the med cart an incident report would be given to management each time. That's not cliquey and mean that's proactive as your next medication error or oversight might kill or seriously harm someone. You aren't accepting responsibility for your errors it's likely you are snapping back at the other shifts in frustration so they gave up going to you and are now going straight to management.

No text speak per site terms of service

Meridian2 · Jun 12, 2016

You likely will be terminated shortly for incompetence based upon what you posted here. Be prepared to move on.
This is not the right environment for you with you inability to manage your time and prioritize information. If you wasted 15 minutes at the start of each shirt preventing me from checking the med cart an incident report would be given to management each time. That's not cliquey and mean that's proactive as your next medication error or oversight might kill or seriously harm someone. You aren't accepting responsibility for your errors it's likely you are snapping back at the other shifts in frustration so they gave up going to you and are now going straight to management.
No text speak per site terms of service

i know that I have a lot to work on and I am not going to make the mistakes again. But i think everyone is blowing it all up and im not that bad. I dont waste 15 minutes of people's time every evening that only happened once. She said she is not going to fire me so I will do better and prove it.