Anyone ever feel like there license is in jeopardy?

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As a new grad, I have seen some scary nurse-patient ratio's. Does anyone ever feel like they could loose there license working under such conditions? And if so how do you deal with it? I worked very hard to get my license, as did everyone else, and I don't want to loose it :o The hospital setting seems to be a very scary place sometime's! Should have become a hygenist, better pay and less stress, :chuckle lol

Oh yes my dear and this is the topic of many Allnurses threads/vents and why there is a shortage, why so many of us here are jaded,burnt out, etc etc.

So NO you are NOT the only one who feels the strain of trying to give good care and follow our NPA as well as being an employee..... of a greedy facility who doesn't give nurses what they need to practice safely.

This is endemic in facility work today, in my experience. Wish I had answers for ya...it is a tough row to hoe and why so many new nurses bail within the first few years out of nursing school. Not enough reality or preperation for real world nursing, too much idealistic education.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Oh yep! When we lost a nurse 3 months ago, and can't find a replacement, I find the ratios to be insane, and one nurse per shift just can't handle it all! I get nervous, but I document, document, document like mad to show the hard work I do daily! Yes, takes time I really don't have...but I make time for CYA, because I know my employer won't!

The scariest thing was a year or so ago. A card of 30 1/2 tabs of Vicodin was missing from a narc box in one of the med carts, and the narc book page was torn out! It seems that I accidentally made a transcription error at the WRONG TIME! I put the med as being 1/2 pill every 6 hours instead of every 4. Okay, my bad...but all the sudden the investigation nurse fingered me as a very reliable suspect~! WHAT??? Because I said 6 hours instead of 4 hours I stole them? Where in the heck did that logic come in?!?!?!

I reminded them that one, I am NOT stupid enough to loose my license over VICODIN! I can get a script for vicodin by just complaining my toe hurts from my doc! Two, my medical records show I decline narcotic medications because they make me vomit violently, and occastionally break out in a chest rash (hydrocodone go figure!). Three...would I have even entered the MAR entry if I planned on stealing it, ripping out the page which is rather obvious? Four, I know that narcotics are checked every shift...why would I be so stupid! and FIVE...give me a drug test RIGHT NOW, whatever you want so we can put this to bed, and find the real person! (not to mention that if I can't take the med, then it can be sumized I may sell the med..and I sure as heck aren't stupid enough to try to sell 1/2 tab vicodin! Try all the oxycontin, or MScontin??? Sheesh...this person was an idiot, and idiot I am NOT!).

They declined the drug test...but let me hang worrying for 3 weeks! I was a wreck with the idea someone would EVEN think I would do something so stupid and pointless or so horrible! Not to mention denying my client of their pain medication..which to me is pure abuse!

Finally I spoke to my Nursing supervisor, and explained how scared I really was that this false accusation would hurt my license! My boss flipped out! She had no idea that the investigative nurse treated me so horribly and accused me! My boss also made the error with transcription since she is my double check and she would be just as guilty! Oh man did she let her have it!!!!!! Then all the sudden the truth came out!

I guess my employer hired a new CNA who was only there one day, and another CNA who was there for a month. Well...it seems they made a deal that they would steal the narcotics and trade them to some friends for food stamps. Those CNA's were night shift (so I didn't know them) and the gal that was there for one day never showed back up! Hmmm kinda fishy huh..and they accused me?!?!?!?!?!

The investigative nurse said "since she is a newer nurse, I felt the fear may make her really be aware of this probelm, and never let it happen". Needless to say both my boss and I gave her a very large lecture about how horrible that was...and that if she EVER did that again we would have her name to the SBN so fast that she wouldn't know what to do! Go figure though...she is now the nurse consultant for our facility (to both my boss and my upset...but you know admin!).

Lets just say...she leaves me alone, I leave her alone...and NEVER the two paths meet!

Be very careful with narcotics, make sure you are really paying attention to your counts for once because one error and things can go to heck fast! Be very careful with transcribing orders...I have done thousands, and this was my first error and so far my only...transcription errors are really not accepted, and are dangerous! And don't take doo doo from others for something you had nothing to do with...how I do that is through DOCUMENTATION!!!!!!!!

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