Advice needed for patient saftey/concerns

[AndiMac]

I don't know where to start, but here it is ...

I recently graduated, new nurse, and feel I'm being taken advatage of. Or tried anyways.

The Assistant Director left a note in one pts MAR to continue her ABX, do not sign it off. I opened the package, and dumped the pill in the medcart trash. I did the same with the next dose. Then later on, I thought, why did I do that? I should have left them where they sat. I also started to make a copy of the unsigned post-it note, but didn't. Now I realize my mistakes. I should have left the pills in the drawer, and left a great big underlined "Absolutely NOT" on the post-it note. Then I should have copied it and kept it for my own records.

There is also a locked drawer in the nurses station that no one but the AD has a key too. She is careful not to let anyone see in the drawer and keeps it locked at ALL times. I finally found out what was so important that was in the drawer. She's been taking all meds that have been d/c'd or should have been destroyed, and keeping them in "her" drawer. As for the uses of these, I have no idea.

This AD has also hired 2 aides that are abusive to the pts. One was a no call/no show, and was therefore terminated, but never reported. The other has been moved to a different unit after several complaints from the absolutely wonderful aides I work with. One of these good aides was wrote up and told she didn't own the place, it was HER unit and she was not going to run off an decent person because she didn't like her. *shrug* I want to be the do gooder here and do something, but what? I have no one to back me up except the aides that are being crapped on.

(This other aide that continues to work here got irritated at a resident because she continued to ask her several times when So-and-So comes in to visit her, and she replied "He's dead, I killed him! He won't be coming in anymore!", she also told one resident that she hated her to her face. She has walked off the job twice. She's told an LPN that she is NOT her boss and she will NOT tell her what her job is, she told the same resident that she needed to get off her comforter if she wanted to lay on it because she wasn't going to wash it when she peed all over it, just a few of the incidences that I know of.

But yet, this aide is almost worshipped. If anyone else would walk off the job, GONE! POOF! Why is she still there? Families have told the Director if she wasn't moved to a different unit they were going to move their family member to a different facility. One family member is irate that one of the good aides is getting punished and having all this taken out on, and is supposed to be taking action with the BON.

I have no one to back me up. I'm just a PRN nurse, I've only worked with this aide a couple of times. When I did have a problem with something she did, I told her about it and she stopped whatever she was doing. Although she was quite mad when she wanted to go cash her check during her work day when I reminded her of the wonderful note in our "AD to Staff" notes that says NO ONE is to leave during their shift except for emergencies.

Thank you for listening to me vent, and any advice of what i should do, or shouldn't do would be greatly appeciated. Thanks in advance ...

AndiMac

[Geeg]

Get out of there now and cut your lossess.

[LoriPRN]

I completely agree with Geeg. It is YOUR license, not theirs. Just ask yourself this, what would I say in a court of law. My sister is a CCRN as well as a Nurse paralegal. I am an RN also. I have heard to many of her stories about how the nurse takes the fall in the end. And there is always the moral issue which I think is what is bothering you also. Cancel all shifts! DON'T GO BACK!!!!!!

[robynrn2b]

I would keep track of things that happened, and contact your state board of nursing!!!!!Along with running as fast as you can out the door! YIKES! This is abuse, abuse, abuse!!! The families also need to call and complain to the state!!! Call the state!! This is why these things go on---because people dont report it. Think about it--what would you do if that was your mother or father that was treated like that???? You would report it immediately---right???

[ikelly]

Hi,

I'm a psych nurse. Not sure what ABX is.

Did someone want you to give a med and not chart it? I'm confused.

Your situation sounds terrible. I agree with the other nurses. Find another place of employment . Is there someone in Human Resources that you can talk to?

Good luck.

[zenman]

ABX (antibiotics)

[Katnip, RN]

I'd leave. But if you do plan to stay, document every single thing every day. Write incident reports. Tell your director the rumors about the locked drawer, tell about the patients families. If families are complaining, ask them to write their complaints and send copies to the AD and the director.

If the director does nothing, send copies higher. Not only is it uncomfortable for you, it's dangerous to the patients.

[Darla]

I applaud your integrity as a new nurse as too often new grads/employees wish to make a good impression by completing inappropriate tasks. You were correct in not giving the med(as it sounds like it was dc'd). If your superior questions why you discarded the meds tell her why and if she hassles you take the matter to pharmacy. In addition the meds she's confiscating should be returned to pharmacy. I have been in situations where I reported inappropriate/incompetent care of patients but unfortunately I was made out to be the "Bad Nurse". It's a fine line whether to report actions because hospitals state safe patient care is important yet when unsafe practices are reported they're "swept under the rug". Seek new employment and when you land a position then report inappropriate actions. Good luck to you! Darla

[Trixxy, LPN]

Document...document...document.

Write that STNA up...file a formal complaint with the facility...if not effective then call the state or an Ombudsman.

Please remember these 3 words....... CYA (cover your ass)!!!

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

yep,, document everything and get out. Call the BON and your state abuse/neglect hotline immediately. If there are family that are concerned one more call (especially from a staff member) will get someone in there pronto.

We just had a LTC that got their housecleaning after some reports. DON, and staff out the door. It was verbal stuff, but more than just the ones doing it got the ax.

[Nurse Soc Mom]

You can make an anonymous report to the Ombudsman as well at to the Department of Human Services in your state that takes the complaints. They will either call or make an unannouced visit or both to the administrator and the DON dependent upon how serious they feel the complaint is.

[nursemary9, BSN, RN]

Hi

I think you should DOCUMENT everything as others have mentioned; GET OUT Of THERE; with the nursing shortage there is no shortage of places that need help; try to report these abuses--also as others have mentiond;

I'm sorry that as a new nurse you had to be exposed to all of this abuse.