I am an LPN in a LTC for disabled kids. On an regular night, we have 6 nurses for the building. That includes a charge nurse who has an assignment .
One night last week I got an phone call from my daughter who was 33 weeks pregnant. She thought that she was leaking amniotic fluid. After asking her some questions, I told her to call her dr. I then went right to my charge nurse and told her what was going on, and that I needed to leave to get her to the hospital. The charge nurse told me "No you can not leave" I was floored. That night we happened to have a nurse with a new orientee, and an agency nurse and me on that one unit. Thankfully the regular nurse took my half of the assignment (12 kids) and the agency took her half. I gave her report, and counted and left to take my child to the hospital.
We spent 5 hours at the hosp, she was not leaking amniotic fluid, but was having contractions. They gave 3 shots of turbutline which worked, and told her to get to her dr the next morning. I called work updated them and called out for my shift ( i gave them 5 hrs notice). We get to the dr, and yep she is 2 cm dialated and 50% effaced. The dr put her on modified bedrest, took her off of work until delivery. That afternoon she started having contractions again, and I took her to the hosp and they admitted her overnight. She got 4 doses of Procardia to try to stop the contractions and received steroid shots to mature the babys lungs.
My question is this: can they do this to me? This is an emergency situation, I am not making this stuff up. I have all of the paperwork and drs notes for my child to prove what happened. I spoke with my boss and suggested to have at least an extra nurse in the building just in case I have to leave again midshift. I can not control when my future grandson will make his appearance!!
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