Heartbroken

[twinkletoes53]

I was diagnosed with arthritis 18 years ago, and I also have a vestibular loss diagnosed in 2003. I wobble sometimes but never fall; I have learned to catch myself. I use a cane at work as needed. I've had 5 orthopedic surgeries. I work 2 days a week in a huge NICU. I was at work 6 weeks ago, and tripped over some monitor wires on the floor while trying to go answer an alarm. I reached for a chair, but it was on wheels and rolled away from me. I fell hard on my hip and arm. The staff thought I might have broken my hip, but then they they got me up off the floor; transferred me twice to different chairs, then sent me to our Worker's Comp. hospital alone in a taxicab. I fell not b/c of my balance issues, but because of the cords. Other staff have fallen over cords on the floor and the unit had been trying different things like shortening the cords on our portable computers and installing cord holders on the sides of the desks. These were plastic and broke pretty fast. I thankfully had no fracture; my contusions were better after several days rest. I thought I'd go back to work as usual, but was notified that Administration had decided to keep me off work for the weekend. I thought, OK, that's great. I'll do some shopping.

Well, I've been off work with pay since my fall 6 weeks ago.

Last week I was called in to see my Boss and another Administrator. My doctor has recommended a sedentary job. I still couldn't work 40 hours/week due to the multiple meds. I'm on, which I don't take on the 2 days I work.

I was told that because of my balance issues I would no longer be allowed to work in my unit. I have worked there for 30 years. I had been given and filled in a "Request for reasonable accommodation". I was told the hospital could not honor it. I was told that the hospital would assist me in looking for a sedentary job on our campus. But if I couldn't find a job with their help or on my own in 2 months, I am to be terminated.

I have cried buckets since then. But now I am thinking more clearly: is it legal for my employer to terminate me based on "you might fall again"? I am applying for SSD, but that will take a long time to go through. IF I'm terminated, I will lose all my benefits, including my health, vision, and dental insurance. I was also told some generalizations related to my quality of work, but when I asked for specific examples, none were given me. My evaluations for the past 7 years have all been stellar and above average.

I have looked online for 4-5 hours daily and so far have been unable to find a job that pays similar to what I make now. I cannot drive more than about 20 miles at a time b/c my hip stiffens up. The recruitment lady I was sent to speak with is now on vacation for 2 weeks. I had been on full disability for 6 months after my last orthopedic surgery in early '08. It took me 19 months to work up to 24 hours/week. My disability payments stopped 6 months before I was at a full-time status again. I appealed to our disability insurance people to pay me partial disability for 6 months. I hired an attorney. Their response was that there was no reason why I couldn't work a sedentary job 40 hours/week; my doctors' notes were "subjective" (I'd submitted letters from 4 doctors). Oh, and they said I could have steroid injections in my knees to relieve the pain of arthritis. I've had both knees replaced. DUH. HELLO! Did you REALLY have your doctor review my medical history?

I am scared, but also very, very saddened and upset at how I am being treated. I want to know if what my employer wants to do is legal. Can I be terminated "Because you might lose your balance and hurt yourself or a patient"? I cannot believe that after almost 35 years at the same hospital this is happening to me. One question I was asked was "do you have to remain in this state?" I have family in other states, but this is my home! Damn it.

I told them it's taken me 35 years but my home is paid for and I am completely debt free. I am highly skilled and have certifications in my line of work, but not in other aspects of general nursing.

I don't know what to do, or where to start, or how I can defend myself. Please help.:crying2:

[mvg rn]

I wish I had some advise for you, but all I can send is my prayers.

I am in a similar position with the hospital I work for due to a different disability. I saddly can no longer work in the NICU. The hospital assigned me a recruiter, who did very little, so they could say they tried to help me find a job. I was blessed enough to find a job on my own right as my worker's comp benefits ran out, but it is interim and I have no idea how long it will last.

[twinkletoes53]

i just found out that this position will be zb (zero based) : no health insurance or other benefits; only work when needed; and you do not accummulate vacation time. i did offer to take call every day, and work nights and holidays."

i need to correct what i'd written above. the postion i've been hired on is part-time as a telephone triage nurse at our hospital. i started 3 weeks ago. i am working 20 hours/week, which is the minimum number required by the hospital for me to keep my health insurance and continue to accumulate vacation time. i just got a paycheck that was for 40 hours, vs.64 hours when i worked weekend option in nicu. it is a livable wage. i've always been budget-conscious. having had a total of 9 surgeries, + breast cancer, all within the past 9 years, makes it easy to be so.

i am happily adjusting to a job where i can sit with my shoes off and feet propped at night.

i will be off orientation in 3 weeks. the hospital has contracts with most pediatricians in our state, so once their offices close for the day, all calls are routed to us. we have over 200 very strict protocols to go by. i get a lot of parent interaction, which i love, plus still use decision making and assessment skills for each call. the main difficulty has been adjusting to names of different meds. and doses that larger kids are on, vs. the "preemie meds" i've worked with for 30 years. i do online research at work between calls, familiarizing myself with meds. i've never heard of.

overall, it was 4 of the most difficult, heart-breaking months of my life, but it has ended on a positive note for me, at least for now. i was notofied by ssd that because i had returned to work and was bringing home more than the maximum allowed, which is $1000 net/month, i would probably not be approved. but i asked them to continue processing my application anyway.

amazing that ssd thinks that someone bringing home more than $250/week is ineligible for full disability. have they seen how much medicines and doctor's visits cost these days?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I'm so glad that you found something that will work for you. Take care and keep us updated.

[mvg rn]

I'm very glad you found sometime that is working for you. Best of Luck!

[twinkletoes53]

i'm so glad that you found something that will work for you. take care and keep us updated.

well, i worked/trained as a telephone triage nurse for 10 weeks. i was doing well on evenings, where i worked 2 six hour shifts/week. there were 4 rns and an intake coordinator to enter all calls in computer for us. i was told that i had excellent assessment skills, but needed to speed up my calls, b/c they did not want us to spend more than 8 minutes on a call with a parent. but then the hospital wanted me to work 8.5 hour night shifts once a week. i would be the only rn on duty doing telephone triage; no intake coordinator; i could not take a break in case a call came in by fax, voice mail, or text that was an emergency. i was expected to enter all calls in the computer, and then complete them in 8 minutes. i was precepted by a nurse that would literally stand over the partition and yell at me. "what's the matter with you? focus! type faster. are you not listening to me? memorize the protocols" etc. if i'm not doing something fast enough, the worst thing you can do is yell at me. it only slowed me down more.

the only thing i regret is not taping her "precepting" me, b/c when i tried to say something about it, i was not believed. other than being told by the unit director that yes, she can be abrasive sometimes. she was heard raising her voice to me from across the room by the hospital operators one night. we shared the office with them. they asked me if i was all right. i told them, "she is a stern taskmaster." ( i wish her no ill now; she's just been diagnosed with cancer.)

b/c of my arthritis, i would be rigid after sitting for a couple of hours, and when i stood up, b/c of my vestibular loss, i would take a second to get my balance. i didn't even think of telling the hospital that i own a wheelchair, and if they were concerned with me hurting myself, i could always use it when i worked.

anyway, i met with the director of the unit for my "90 day evaluation" after 10 weeks. the vp of human resources (hr) came into the room, and i flat out asked her if they were going to fire me. she responded by handing me the hospital's disability packet, and telling me to apply for disability. so i did. i submitted the packet on nov. 24, and was approved on nov. 29. the following week, i was logging in from home to read my work email, and found that i had been restricted from using our web page. i called i.t., who could not help me. so i called human resources the next day.....i was told..."you were terminated on dec. 3."

i was stunned! i received no formal notification of termination from the hospital. i called the vp of hr twice, before she responded with an email on dec. 22, which in a nutshell said....you knew you would be terminated on dec. 3, as soon as your disability was approved. we even waited so that you would have health insurance until dec. 31, before having to go on cobra.

i'd like to know.....how did the hospital know in early november that i would be approved for disability before december 3? how did they expect me to know this? why was i not given anything in writing, until i requested it twice?

they have destroyed any trust i had in them, and shattered my self-esteem. i spent 34 years dedicating my life to this hospital, and defending it against anyone who criticized it. i was not given a chance to say goodbye to staff i've known for years. i've known many of the attendings i worked with with since they were residents. hell, i didn't even get a "thank you for your dedicated service" from the hospital. what a fool i was to trust them.