Help - Suspended

[AnnetteER]

I am a new nurse. I worked for a couple of months in the ER but then I transferred to a Med/Surg unit. I administered insulin coverage for a high sugar before a procedure. He was NPO. The next day, our Nurse Clinical Instructor told my co-worker that she would have given the coverage also because it was so high. I know that you don't normally give coverage when a pt. is NPO. He went & returned from his procedure & was sleepy but arousable & he even took some PO meds & talked. He actually yelled at one of my co-workers. About 1 1/2 hours later (approx. 6 1/2 hrs after receiving the coverage), I checked his sugar, & it was 9. I know that seems unreal, but it was. I initiated hypoglycemic protocol Stat & he went to ICU for a day but then returned to our floor & is talking & eating. I did everything that I was taught. I asked my Preceptor & she said that I didn't do anything wrong. He's doing great. I have been suspended since Wed. without pay. This happened on Tuesday. They just told me to go home Wed. afternoon. I never would have known that I was suspended if I didn't call HR & ask them my status. I received notice from my manager that they will call me on Monday to set up a meeting & that she is meeting with HR on Monday to investigate further. I asked them to send me somthing in writing that I am suspended & the basis for it, but they haven't. I saved the man's life. They mentioned that I should have called a code, but I ran for the D50 & yelled out that I needed a blood draw stat. They didn't call a code when they went into the room either. They also want me to make some late entries in the chart, but how could I? I'm suspended without pay so therefore, I can't & I shouldn't do any work.

It's not looking good. I feel they are looking to fire me & I can't understand why they are doing this to me. I just got my 90 day evaluation on 2/14 & I met expectations on everything, including pt. safety. I can't believe that this is happening.

Can I lose my license for this? I didn't do anything wrong, that I know of. If they fire me, does that affect my license? Do they make a complaint with the Board of Nursing? Does anyone have any advice for me? Please help me. Thank you.

Does anyone have any advice?

[jen42]

Do you belong to a union? If so, call them up. They would be able to help you sort through all this.

You don't lose your license as a result of being fired. A friend of mine got fired because she "didn't get along with other staff" (i.e. doctors), and nobody's taking her license over that!

At least where I am, nobody takes away your license without giving you a chance to defend yourself in front of the board of nursing.

Somebody with much more knowledge than me can probably give you more details!