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!!
Well part of my point was it doesn't matter if the OP felt there was adequate coverage. I don't care if there were 20 nurses, the person in charge said no. It's pretty straight forward. I get that she changed her mind later, but the OP was asking us, could the person on charge tell her she HAD to stay. We were all simply answering the question she originally put forth.
I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it was to lose your mother. Probably even more difficult because you couldn't be there. I am so, so sorry for your loss.
I responded because the OP's question had been answered many times over, and it seemed she was being accused of simply leaving without permission. Fortunately, they were able to come up with a plan that allowed her to be with her daughter. I have never worked in a facility that didn't vigorously try to arrange coverage if someone needed to leave...so initially the answer would have been no...then permission granted if a plan for coverage was obtained.
The post clearly was not read correctly. As I stated before, you did everything right nicenurse and did not abandon your patients. As your post clearly states that. My understanding of your question is "can they say no?". Yes they can but you took the appropriate steps and received permission to go home. I certainly worked at some great facilities that would call the DON in before making a nurse work through an emergency. Look into a LOA since you now have family issues. I'm so blessed to work with a great group of people who are great nurses and very caring. After hearing some of these responses you need to cover your basis. I have always treated my employees with respect and am just in shock over this thread. I deal with each case individually and did not have a turn over of nurses. Good luck to you and your daughter. Happy Holiday!!!:hug:
The post clearly was not read correctly. As I stated before, you did everything right nicenurse and did not abandon your patients. As your post clearly states that. My understanding of your question is "can they say no?". Yes they can but you took the appropriate steps and received permission to go home. I certainly worked at some great facilities that would call the DON in before making a nurse work through an emergency. Look into a LOA since you now have family issues. I'm so blessed to work with a great group of people who are great nurses and very caring. After hearing some of these responses you need to cover your basis. I have always treated my employees with respect and am just in shock over this thread. I deal with each case individually and did not have a turn over of nurses. Good luck to you and your daughter. Happy Holiday!!!:hug:
There are a couple of nurses who have told me if I need to leave again to call them and they will come in for me. I have come in numerous times to finish up shifts for nurses who have had to leave due to an emergency or illness. I believe in teamwork, so call me what you will lol. I believe that as nurses we should have each others backs and try to help each other. Of course if I couldnt have arranged coverage, I would have had no choice but to stay or risk losing my nursing license. FMLA is an option I will be exploring.
Amazing how many people trash the OP without reading the thread.
I understand you wanted to leave, and I'm glad you got the coverage. What struck me is that your daughter didn't call an ambulance or taxi. She waited while you found coverage and drove home. If it happens again you'll be waiting for your coverage to dress and get to the hospital, then you give report, and drive home, and finally the drive to the hospital. That's too much time IMHO. Now that you know that she's dilating with those contractions I vote for call an ambulance and you meet her at the hospital. Good luck.
As much as I love my life as a nurse, I am a mother first and foremost. If leaving work for an emergency with my child means that I will lose my license, then so be it. I can find another career but I cannot replace my children.
As much as I love my life as a nurse, I am a mother first and foremost. If leaving work for an emergency with my child means that I will lose my license, then so be it. I can find another career but I cannot replace my children.
Thank you! This is exactly what I was trying to say. Apparently, if one feels this way, they shouldn't become nurses at all.
My daughter is hanging in there, and I guess the lil bean sprout has decided at least for now to hang around in utero!! Being on bedrest has helped tremendously!!
Off topic: due to blizzard like conditions in my area Sunday nite: I stayed aton the clock working 20 hours due to nurses and nursing staff calling out right and left. I told my daughter when I left for work Sun morning with my overnite bag packed to call 911 if she started having contractions. Thankfully everyone was ok!!
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
As much as I love my life as a nurse, I am a mother first and foremost. If leaving work for an emergency with my child means that I will lose my license, then so be it. I can find another career but I cannot replace my children.
That is true. And if it were a life-or-death situation with my child, I would also walk out, charge nurse be damned (although in reality, in a true emergency I know my CN and my coworkers would have my back).
The situation with her daughter was not a life-or-death situation. In fact, her husband (the daughter's father, I presume) was home also, and could have taken her to the hospital (she said he was on call, but does he not have a cell phone? Does "on call" really trump "currently working and has a patient load"?). Could he not have taken her to the hospital and stayed with her until and if he got called in?
I was not arguing that what she did was wrong - she found coverage for her assignment and got her CN's blessing to leave. I have no problems there.
I was arguing the hypothetical situation of NOT getting coverage and walking out anyway. And I was also arguing the feasibility and practicality of having a nurse at the unit, waiting, "just in case" the OP's daughter had another medical problem in the future. I think that's an unreasonable request, as I mentioned upthread.
Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
OP, I am sorry that you had to deal with that situation at work, but so happy that you and your charge nurse could work it out. It appears as if the nurses on your unit work as a team. That is simply golden.
To the poster who lost her mother-my goodness...that is absolutely horrible. When my mother was in her last few months of a terminal illness, my worst nightmare was that I could not be there when she passed. My heart goes out to you.
OP, it sounds like you have a plan in place now. You sound like a caring mother and nurse. I hope your daughter gets through the delivery ok. Being that age and pregnant must be scary for her. Kudos to you for being supportive of her.
Sometimes this is the worst place one can go for advice, support, and understanding. Even though that is essentially what this site is for. It's so sad how quick people are to pass judgement on this site. I hope your daughter and grandbaby are doing well. And for what it's worth, nothing would have kept me from being with my 17 year old. Oh and yes this was a potentially emergent situation if she was losing amniotic fluid or doesn't the life of the baby count here? I know, I know most born at this stage survive it is still not an ideal situation for the little one!
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icurn99
17 Posts
I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it was to lose your mother. Probably even more difficult because you couldn't be there. I am so, so sorry for your loss.
I responded because the OP's question had been answered many times over, and it seemed she was being accused of simply leaving without permission. Fortunately, they were able to come up with a plan that allowed her to be with her daughter. I have never worked in a facility that didn't vigorously try to arrange coverage if someone needed to leave...so initially the answer would have been no...then permission granted if a plan for coverage was obtained.