Demerol 75 mg was given IV instead of IM. Fired!!!
Is it a misconduct? I was terminated and denied unemployment insurance.
Patient was not harmed. I started practicing under my RN license of Oklahoma 7 month ago. This was my first nursing job and I relocated for it (paid my relocation twice) from Texas to OK and back, when lost the job. The real reason for termination was a snow storm and I could not drive to work from the place I lived. I called the emergency truck to pick me up. My manager was furious and called me to her office few times for another reason. I was so fearful that she is going to fire me and I made an error. The time I found about it was next day in Human Resources, when I was fired. No variance report, no calling doctor for back IV order, no disciplinary, just simply terminated for misconduct.
Word MISCONDUCT bothering me. This is just a human error, which happens every day in hospitals!!! This was a personal issue not a misconduct. So, I filed the appeal for hearing with employer. At least my OK license is still displayed current online.
It is so hard to find an employment with only 7 months of experience! I believe that my 7 months of hard work 84 hours per pay period allow me to be qualified for unemployment insurance. I am just a human who wants to work, I am not asking for welfare.
Please, advise me what to do. If anyone was in similar situation. Thank you!
Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.
It is nearly impossible to get unemployment after being fired. They will ask you the nature of your dismissal from the job and you can't lie, because the state will contact your human resources department and get names of your bosses and legally can have access to all the details and you will be denied because of the misconduct. Many have been discharged from jobs for the word MISCONDUCT and are routinely declined unemployment because of it. Time to find another job for you--just don't put the job you were fired from on your resume. Pretend you never worked there as you go through interviews. Be glad you still have a license after an error like that.
Thank you. I think nursing culture is cruel. No support, no compassion. That's what I encountered at my work. They eat new nurses. In this hospital LPNs hate RNs, because I just came from school and make $2 more.
You still don't appear to "get" that you made a v. serious error, that could have seriously injured the client.
There are "drug errors" and then there are "drug errors" ... Every place I've ever worked in 25+ years of nursing would have fired someone for making an error of this magnitude. Esp. someone who has had previous job "issues" and who doesn't seem to appreciate the gravity of the situation.
I think you would be getting plenty of "support" and "compassion" from most of us here if there were any indication of comprehension or remorse on your part. Maybe you feel that way and it just hasn't come across in your posts. As others have said, I hope you will take a serious look at the situation and what you need to change to make sure you're never going to make this particular error again before you try to practice again.
Personally, I'm more inclined to think poorly of you for even considering filing for unemployment as a nurse. You work in about the most employable profession there is, so instead of being a part of the problem, lower your standards and apply for whatever job is out there. I'm personally beyond sick and tired of working more and more hours each week to pay for people that just don't feel like working for a job for which they're perfectly qualified and able to work. If you're honestly that lazy, leave the profession now and do all your future potential co-workers a favor - lord knows, they don't want to have to work harder to pick up your slack any more than the rest of us do.
It sounds like you don't understand the concept of unemployment insurance. Or are aware of how tough the job market is for new grads right now (which OP would likely still be considered with only 7 months of employment history as a nurse).
Wow, I have to agree with the OP - what a bunch of really nasty replies. I have been out of hospital nurses for a long time. It becomes obvious to me again why. BTW, I too have made a similar error - don't remember the exacts about it, but I think the order was Dilaudid 2 mg IV or 8 mg po - I gave the 8 mg IV. Did I feel bad - sure. But after I had gone off shift the doctors had increased the dose anyway because the two mg wasn't working.
There was a fatal medication error made at one of the local Children's Hospitals in our area. The nurse had had 30 years of experience. It can happen to anyone. Be a bit more compassionate. That nurse committed suicide a couple weeks ago - I wonder how much compassion she got for her error.
You made an error and have not accepted responsibility for it. Until you do that, you are not going to have support or respect. As for the rest, if you really think you are entitled to unemployment benefits by law and are being somehow cheated out of them, seek legal advice from a qualified attorney. Not sure what you want from us.
It's ot that no one is being compassionate it's that the OP doesn't seem to think that her error is no big deal.
8mg of IV dilaudid is a hell of a dose to be giving IV. Luckily the pt didn't stop breathing.
Like I said, its been a long time and I don't remember the particulars. I just know that when I went to work the next day his IV dose was the same that I gave in error. He was an oncology patient and it was his last few days of life.
I didn't think demerol IV or IM( esp. IM), was being given anymore? Because of the risk of seizure. I though the gold standards post op was Morphine or Dilaudid. I was under the impression it was only still being given for conscious sedation and rigors.
In my hospital doctors write orders for demerol all the time, but mostly given IV. This particular doctor liked Demerol IM and he wrote it very unclear, I missed the route there, and then when taking it from omni cell. It is just stress and being sick. My manager told me: "YOU CANNOT BE SICK DURING SNOW STORM" I would be fired any way for not being able to drive to work, or taking sick day or for something else. When she is looking to fire she always finds it. This unit is notoriously famous about nurses leave or fired. That was not a good place to start a nursing career. Thank you for your post
In my hospital doctors write orders for demerol all the time, but mostly given IV. This particular doctor liked Demerol IM and he wrote it very unclear, I missed the route there, and then when taking it from omni cell. It is just stress and being sick. My manager told me: "YOU CANNOT BE SICK DURING SNOW STORM" I would be fired any way for not being able to drive to work, or taking sick day or for something else. When she is looking to fire she always finds it. This unit is notoriously famous about nurses leave or fired. That was not a good place to start a nursing career. Thank you for your post
No. You still don't get it. You missed the route more than twice. If you had done your 5 checks and understood what and why, it wouldn't have happened! Yet you continue to make excuses... And yes, I've made mistakes, too. Everyone has. But my first response was OMG!!! what did I do so that happened? Not, oh, but I'm sick, or someone else has it out for me.....just saying...
No, I guess it was the rest of us who just didn't get it. It is OK to do what you did at your hospital for any number of reasons, the normal rules just don't apply. We are all so wrong and you have obviously been unfairly targeted. How awful for you! I'm so sorry this is happening to you! Wow, this is really terrible. Maybe you can sue! You should get a lawyer. Oh, wait, I already said that pages ago, lol.
Usually, you get denied unemployment for "willful misconduct." Making a med error isn't usually considered willful misconduct. This makes me think there may be more to the story here.
In any case, as other posters have said, you do need to see how your mistake could have seriously affected the patient and stop making excuses for it. That's the only way you'll be able to move on and learn from this situation.
Also unless you worked prior to this 7 months, I believe you would not get unemployment anyway as you do not have enough quarters worked. So appeal it and find out their real reason. Even if you missed too much work as long as you called in .... you still can get unemployment on appeal. You get denied based on their reason, right or wrong but if you appeal you find out the reason and can discuss with appeal person.
no, i guess it was the rest of us who just didn't get it. it is ok to do what you did at your hospital for any number of reasons, the normal rules just don't apply. we are all so wrong and you have obviously been unfairly targeted. how awful for you! i'm so sorry this is happening to you! wow, this is really terrible. maybe you can sue! you should get a lawyer. oh, wait, i already said that pages ago, lol.
of course, i have remorse and i cry. i would never guess that any nurse who made an error did not do the same. people are so harsh judging without having enough information. my question was about misconduct, but i didn't deliver it properly. i am from foreign country, trying to catch my american dream - job, please forgive me for all my mistakes. i didn't mean to do that. i am not asking for welfare, i just want unemployment insurance which i deserved working hard, till i find a new job. my hearing date will be on may 5. my friend consulted with online lawyer. he said that employer has to prove misconduct. i know that medication variance reporting must be done with med. error. i was not offered one. just simply fired. thank you for your support.
And yes, I've made mistakes, too. Everyone has. But my first response was OMG!!! what did I do so that happened? Not, oh, but I'm sick, or someone else has it out for me.....just saying...
enchantmentdis, BSN, RN
521 Posts
It is nearly impossible to get unemployment after being fired. They will ask you the nature of your dismissal from the job and you can't lie, because the state will contact your human resources department and get names of your bosses and legally can have access to all the details and you will be denied because of the misconduct. Many have been discharged from jobs for the word MISCONDUCT and are routinely declined unemployment because of it. Time to find another job for you--just don't put the job you were fired from on your resume. Pretend you never worked there as you go through interviews. Be glad you still have a license after an error like that.