I was blacklisted by group one in the DFW area. I indeed did mess up..I gave meds to a patient without scanning thier arm band. I just plain forgot to do it. We had a no tolerance policy for that and I did it. I had had the patient for 3 nights in a row, and it with everything going on, i brought the meds in and just forgot to scan the meds. I didnt realize i had even done it until later the charge nurse noticed that my meds "had not been given" and when she asked me I said "yes i gave them at 2100"..she stated that they were still showing up on the mar as unscanned. I said, "oh my gosh i forgot to scan them" . She said no biggy just manually enter them as given. So i did. A week later I was called in the office and terminated for breaking policy. I was guilty i had no defense other than human error (brain fart).
I felt so despondent. I cried for 2 weeks because I loved that job. But i had been putting in applications and got 3 phone interviews that went very well. 2 i never heard back from and one i went in for the face to face and thought it went very well. She did ask me why i left my other job and i was honest with her. She said "things like that are teaching tools, you learn from your mistakes and humans make them" she acted like it was something they could look over. A week later i got a call from HR and they said due to GROUP ONE i wasnt eligible for hire at the hospital. I didnt even know what group one was. I've been a nurse for 10 yrs and have always recieved good reviews, liked by peers etc, no real attendance issues, and have only held 2 jobs in 10 yrs....good work history. I had NEVER been written up for any reason, ever.
So here I am, a year later, still unemployed. I have applied for probably 100 jobs and been turned down by them all. Home health, pretty much every hospital in DFW area, Doctors offices etc. I did interview with a doctors office and ALMOST got the job but the nurse that was leaving changed her mind, i do not think he used group one, but most do, or are affiliated with a hospital group that does.
My question is this, what can i do??? where can i go??? I am raising a grandbaby, my son is 17 and wants to go to college, and i have a 10 yr old son. i have spent all my retirement trying to hold on to my home, my daughter abandoned her baby and is living a life i wish she wasnt but I couldnt send my granddaughter away. My husband is a paramedic working 50 hours a week and maybe brings home 3,000 per month after insurance and taxes. But with our mortgage, his car payment, and bills...we are short every month. for a family of 5, its not enough. We can not sell our home, we have tried, its worth less then we owe due to the economy. We have also maxed out our credit cards. We even thought about leasing our home out and renting an apartment, but would only save about 400 per month and then we'd have god knows what happening in our home ruining our carpet and hardwoods..the risk wasnt worth it. We dont have cell phones, or cable. We do what we can but its impossible.
Basically I almost feel suicidal. I feel so worthless. My life is ruined. My son can not go to college on his own, and he has dreams i cant fullfill. I was making 70,000 per year and now NOTHING. We had money saved, and felt comfortable to be able to send him to college after Jr college was complete.
Is there ANYWHERE i can get a decent paying job??? What or who DOESN'T utilize group one??? Any place? If i send one more application i'm going to scream, not that i dont scream and cry every day. I spent so long in school, graduated with a 3.6 with honors and all for NOTHING. I guess my only hope now is Walmart. I'm so depressed (already on antidepressents that we can't afford)
Also...how long does this stay on my record??? does it fall of in 7 yrs? I can't really wait that long, i have to get my son into school, and believe it or not, he doesnt qualify for financial aid because we still make too much money...especially if i get any kind of job at all...which even if its walmart i have to get one and fast.
I'm so depressed (already on antidepressents that we can't afford)