Advice pls?

[miisz]

I'm a LPN in my province and i just started working in LTC, it's my first job.

At first, all staff are wonderful and helpful however, ever since i started picking up night shifts, i get note ups from my DIrector of Nursing.

1) i had one pr who had head lice and is being treated for it and i gave the treatment to the Health Care Aides 2 days prior the actual treatment.

2) i was under the direction of RN who is my DON and another LPN who is getting trained to be the ADON, i was an extra nurse on the day shift and my DON gave me 1 thing to do but the LPN gave me paper works to do, so i am on floor and office constantly.

I was helping a day nurse who had billions to do and needed assistance and my DON saw me doing paper works and told me that "for the past 4 hours i was not doing anything and was only asked to do with 1 thing and i am to only help with under her and the LPN. Anything that the day nurse needs assistance will have to go to her. I told this to my union rep and she told me that it feels like i was unappreciated and felt like i was a joke

3) i was doing Dr orders and i did not know that the 2nd check was if i have received the item (i didnt know this until i was told at the end of sept by one of the staff) and most of these i have done a lot pf these during the night and it screws me up. The reason why i was signing them was i did not want anyone to think that i ignored the orders. Thats when i realize that was a bad idea.

Bottom line, i feel like my nursing career is in a bottom line and my confidence in the facility has gone down the drain. I feel like i am losing my license anytime soon and is getting reported. i have been with them for almost a year now and i need some advice or motivation or if anyone is on the same boat as me and what did you do? I am planning to quit and look for another job but on the other hand, i need a job to get my family going.

[miisz]

First off, it sucks to work as an LPN in BC. You are educated to full scope but are restricted by facility policy and depending on where you work you are treated as a glorified NA and may be "permitted" to do a few meds.

I don't understand what your role is meant to be. Were you hired as a "float" LPN? If that's the case you will be doing hands on and administrative.

In your facility, have the NA's been certified to administer topical medications? If so, you did nothing wrong by requesting the NA do the lice treatment. If not, big no no. You would have to do the treatment yourself.

You need to talk with your supervisor and find out who will be directing your workload on a specific shift. You cannot be pulled in two or three separate directions at once.

Also, from some of the phrases you used, is English your first language? Could there be communication issues that aren't being acknowledged?

No i wasnt hired as a float nurse. It was just a shift that i picked up and help with papers works in the office.

The NA's are not certified however our facility allows NA's to apply the topicals. However, I was responsible for giving the NA the treatment and told her to apply it so that was a med error and i an aware of that.

No, english is not my first language. I've never had communication issues in the past and was never informed until probably today :) But thanks for the feedback!

[miisz]

You definitely need to clarify what your role is and who is to be instructing you on your duties. Fiona is right. I worked briefly with an RN from BC and in her eyes PNs were just the same as aides. Is there perhaps a communication issue as well? I suspect English is not your first language.

That's true. I just did not like the way my DON approached me where all staff could hear what my DON was telling me. Never had a language barrier however, english isn't my first language.

[miisz]

I work LTC and it can be very overwhelming for new grads. Every day will get easier, since knowing the residents and their routines is a huge piece of the job.

Ask for additional orientation lf you need it and clarify the expectations with your supervisor. Do they have an orientee checklist for you? I also used a small notepad the first couple of months to help me remember certain routines.

Yes i agree but i have been there for almost about a year now and I'm sure there is more things i gotta learn huh?

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

The staff didn't get treatment about the lice thing which i agree we should have. I gave the CNA the treatment to apply it on to the pt 2 days before her actual treatment. It was my mistake and i acknowledge that. All staff is aware that this pt has a head lice.

That's right and that is what i have been doing. My DON assumed me for the past hours that i have not been doing anything which i have been taking directions from the LPN and not from the DON because she was busy. And i do admit i did help the day nurse for a little because she needed to get caught up with her work, she's behind. I didn't think giving a hand to a co-worker is a crime.

And helping a co-worker is NOT a crime, however, if that is not what you were instructed to do for the shift, then it is something that a supervisor would talk with you about. Ultimately, it is up to the supervisor to also speak with that nurse regardng her time managment, and asking you for help. Seems outrageous, however, if you were to do administrative and paperwork, that would be your only task for the day. And if you completed that, then I would see if I could assist anyone needing help on the unit. And the LPN just needs to be told that the DON instructed you to do other than what she was asking to do. It calls for a "time out" and "what's my priority". Seems as if both the LPN and the DON need to agree, And if they can't agree, no fair putting you in the middle.

[lilaclover6984]

That's true. I just did not like the way my DON approached me where all staff could hear what my DON was telling me. Never had a language barrier however english isn't my first language.[/quote']

Maybe you only THINK that you've never had language barrier issues before. I personally found your initial post very difficult to follow and it's very obvious that English is not your first language.