I'm having serious issues with my facility!! I was looking for a new job and then found out I'm pregnant. 14 weeks. I'm pretty much stuck at this job until I deliver for the insurance and benefits; it is so depressing.
I work night shift, so I don't usually have to deal with the management drama directly.. But once a week or so, I'll work doubles, come in early, stay late, etc when Staffing is in a bind.
Seems like gossip is one of the biggest problems here. Everyone gossips from the charge nurses to the CNA's to the housekeepers.. Even the administrator.
Issues:
- The administrator is cheating on his wife with the Activities Director. No discretion is used whatsoever. I feel very uncomfortable when his young wife and new baby come into the facility to see him. It's not my place to bear his secrets..
- The DON is quitting and she obviously doesn't care about the goings-on around the facility anymore. She's my direct supervisor and if I have a problem, I can't go to her, because it will not get handled.
- The management gets into screaming matches (close to blows) often; yelling obscenities within earshot of residents and family members.
- Seriously understaffed.
- Major problem with call ins and no-call-no-shows. One girl *just* got fired for 5 NCNS in the past 6 months and 19 call ins in the past 2 months. This leaves everyone in a bind. On some occasions, nurses charge 2 or more units.
- Dietary completely ignores department communication. My diabetic patients that undergo dialysis never get lunches and their BS are often in the 30s or 40s once they return from the dialysis clinics.
- A dietary worker raised her voice and got 4-5 inches away from my face over a biscuit (because I mentioned this particular resident was on a pureed diet & couldn't eat a rock-solid biscuit). I spoke with management and they told me Dietary felt intimidated by me (if you knew me, you'd see this is very unlikely...) and there was nothing they could do.
- At night, we have zero laundry. Zero.
- Bare bones resources. We're allowed 1 brief per person per shift. Ooookay, what if they need more?? Most patients go commando throughout the day.
- B/c of these conditions, Charge Nurses are going for jugulars. You really can't trust anyone around here...
I'm getting so rundown from dealing with these issues, day-in and day-out. I can't quit!! I just have to stick it out until June... Have any of you ever dealt with stuff like this?
Lots of misinformed people here today. HIPAA has NOTHING to do with your insurance. It's all about your private medical records and who can and can not access them.
Medicaid does NOT cover all pregnant women (at least in my state. And Medicaid is a state ran program therefore it may be different from state to state).
I thought HIPPA was for Health Insurance Privacy & Portability Act. I believe at one time that if you were insured at a job, changed to a new job, and provided proof of insurance from the old job to the new job, that they were required to continue your coverage. It was supposed to do away with that pre-existing condition crap.
Not sure if this is still true, but worth exploring. Watch your license and your back,
:paw:
HIPAA= Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
HIPAA has NOTHING to do with your insurance. It's all about your private medical records and who can and can not access them.....
Incorrect.
United States Department of Labor-
"The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) provides rights and protections for participants and beneficiaries in group health plans. HIPAA includes protections for coverage under group health plans that limit exclusions for preexisting conditions; prohibit discrimination against employees and dependents based on their health status; and allow a special opportunity to enroll in a new plan to individuals in certain circumstances. HIPAA may also give you a right to purchase individual coverage if you have no group health plan coverage available, and have exhausted COBRA or other continuation coverage."
Your pregnancy will definitely be covered by a new group insurance policy. Pregnancy is not classified as a preexisting condition. Even with a gap in coverage you will be covered. Your only problem will be financing OB checkups between coverages. I was a health insurance agent before I was a nurse.
If you are married and if your husband qualifies for health insurance at his job, you can get insurance there. Quitting your job and losing your health insurance should trigger an enrollment period for you.
In the interest of the safety of your residents....I recommend a telephone call to your state's Health and Human Services Cabinet or LTC ombudsman. Anonymously, of course. Best wishes.
COBRA subsidy - the government pays 65% of the COBRA premium fees for 9 months if the employee loss of job was INVOUNTARIY ...ie: if your empoyer iniates the termination. The time period is sept 2008 - December 31 2009.
You cannot leave your job and get the subsidy. I am appealing my employer's denial of the subsidy RT disability, etc.
HIPPA protects individual portability of heatlh benefits, limiting exclusions for preexisting conditions, if there is no gap in coverage > 60 days.
Kinda unbelievable working in health care with no insurance...go figure.
Oh gosh sweety, you sound so like me, I was pregnant and ADON and then the DON quit while I was 7 months pregnant and she was also our RN consultant, so I had noone to turn to in nursing but agency RN's we had a couple that were helpful but not knowing our policies etc.. was horrible. To make a long story short, I got so ill during my pregnancy, had a seizure r/t the high blood pressure and finally I went to the doctor and he said your NOT going back there period until you have this baby. The last whole month I was laying on my side they were calling me almost daily and I had been telling them soon I will be having this baby dont you think we need to get someone else trained to do MDS, admission, discharge, tiles blah, blah, noone listened. So I had my sweet little Jules, who is now 2, downs syndrome little angel. For the whole first year was in and out of hospitals, for his surgeries, and all that stress can really make a difference in a pregnancy. At the end of my pregnancy and my husband did not have insurance thru his work so I had to get on medicaid and I was so upset by having no insurance etc.. But that was just a God thing for me because with all the surgeries and stuff I would have never made it. Now I am back to work with no insurance for myself etc.. because I am only working parttime and I have over 22,000 dollars in debt to our local hospital due to my sons and my own health. I promise you dont want to go there. I only work a couple of days a week now back working on my RN thru online program. So oneday I will not have to deal with chips, medicaid and all the forms to fill out and how people treat you at the doctors office because "your a nurse and your children are on chips?" But the health of my child is all I care about now not being a slave to a facility that could care less if your laying on the floor with a 2 year old beside you crying and your husband comes in finding you laying there and having to rush me almost 2 hours to the city to a good hospital that can deal with high risk pregnancies. After I had my son-emergency c-section, they were calling me begging me to come find some papers because state was in the facility.
Now currently I dont think the admin or DON would treat me this way if this happened again thank God, but the cooperate dowgs would still get the wipe out lol.
Just think about this a good counselor I work with told me after all this happened, God first, family, career. Good luck to you and your little baby!!!
grasshopper01 OMG! I've been where you are and I have the grey hairs and the sleepless nights to prove it. The best advice that i can give you is to go into work and do the best you can for those reisdents then at the end of your shift go home with a clear conscience and concentrate on your #1 priority which is to make sure your baby is okay. Maybe work less doubles to limit the stress? I dont know if a few people who are constantly doing doubles stop doing them maybe it will force some changes for the good? Why are good people with caring hearts in such short supply in the front offices of these places? Congratulations on your pregnancy and may god be with you:twocents:
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Nascar nurse, ASN, RN
2,218 Posts
Lots of misinformed people here today. HIPAA has NOTHING to do with your insurance. It's all about your private medical records and who can and can not access them.
Medicaid does NOT cover all pregnant women (at least in my state. And Medicaid is a state ran program therefore it may be different from state to state).