Dispute termination

FloridaLpn2015, ASN, LPN, RN · Apr 14, 2019

Just to clarify. I did not walk out on my shift, they said they were letting me go and so I left. I disagreed with their statement that I made 2 med errors and the assistant supervisor argued with me, we went back and forth 3 times until I said "fine, if you want to believe that but there is only one incident report so I don't know how that's possible." And I placed the keys on the desk and walked out of the office. Assistant supervisor let me into the pharmacy to get my bag and I left.

I was looking elsewhere for a job. And against my better judgement I was too relaxed about it. Hindsight is 20/20. My guard is up now. I write everything down, keep a paper trail and of course I will be more vigilant when giving medications. Sometimes we forget the main reason we are there which is to provide for the pt.s and keep them safe. I still don't forgive myself for letting my guard down and making that medication error. I took all my mental strength to go back to work the next day. I really just wanted to stay in bed with the covers pulled up over my head.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 15, 2019

Adulting is hard sometimes, isn't it? I don't blame you for wanting to stay in bed and hide, but you didn't, and that's a good thing. No matter how bad your working conditions and the circumstances surrounding your dismissal were, you learned something from it and won't make the same mistake again. I admire the way you don't use your ADHD as an excuse; it's all too easy to do. Good luck to you in your next job!

GSDlvrRN, MSN · Apr 18, 2019

I think you take your job seriously. I think you recognize your error. I think you own up to it and identify the events that led up to it. You did what you could to identify factors that effected your ability to pass meds safely, and you did what you could to fix it. You put it in the right persons hands. But, it is very difficult not to compare your situation to other similar situations. Like the med error with wrong med, and wrong patient.

It is difficult not to wonder why your error was handled harshly. I think you knew the risks in your work environment and brought them to the attention of the right people. I think you wanted change and held on waiting for that change....but in the end they terminated you..and I think they did you a favor. I don't think recourse is worth it....do you think working there is worth it now?

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2019

On 4/13/2019 at 9:12 AM, FloridaLpn2015 said:
Thank you for your comments. I appreciate the correction about the abbreviation, yes I did mean pt. Autocorrect. I just want to clarify. The facility is a methadone clinic. We had 2 previous med errors. I do suffer from ADHD. The 2 weeks prior I reported to my supervisor and asked her to please address the noise volume in the pharmacy. There are 4 windows we sit at. 2 phones and a chart room. We pretty much have a line all day. One particular day one nurse played R&B music on her cell phone, I asked her to move it to the other side of her, away from me as I had a hard time getting hearing the pt.s through the narrow window. That same day another nurse behind us began to play classical music on her cell phone. I felt like my head was going to explode. Phones were ringing and people in and out which obviously we can't avoid, but we don't need 2 people playing 2 different kinds of music at once. Throughout the morning 2 of the younger nurses would get up from their chairs and goof off, dance and sing behind us other nurses dosing. Pt.s would often remark that we were having a party everyday. Some days were quieter than others depending on who was working. Anyway, this was the situation I brought to the attention of my supervisor, I asked her to go back to the cameras and look and see if it was appropriate behavior or not. I have worked in healthcare for 20 years, I know when things are appropriate and not. She said she would but she also said she was not a babysitter. I said to her that I have asked them to tone it down but it makes no difference. I requested her to do something twice. After that I asked her if I could do more charting and less dosing as the distractions were a problem for me, she stated ok. 4 days later I made the med error. It was on a Sunday. On Wednesday they called me to the office, it wasn't my usual supervisor, they said I made 2 errors when I know I made only one. There is only one incident report for one med error. If in the span of 5 months 3 nurses make med errors and only one is fired for it what is the difference? My error was wrong dose, pt. Not injured, the other nurse was wrong pt. wrong dose pt. Not injured and the other was wrong dose but right pt. So I'm left to feel like I was let go because I made waves. I complained, I was the outcast, the complainer, I wanted a more serious environment. I wanted the supervisor to supervisor and on many occasions she said she was not a babysitter.

It sounds like you needed to get out there. The environment was unprofessional, the manager unresponsive to your complaints.

It sounds like it was just easier to fire you than to take a look at why this med error occurred, and whether policy changes were appropriate.

Your manager didn't address your concerns about distractions. Then you made an error and then she fired you. That's poor leadership.

As far as recourse, what kind do you want? I hope you don't want this job back. It's not going to get better and will almost certainly get worse.

You only need recourse if they try to damage your reputation in some way. Do you think they will try that?

If I were you, I would file for unemployment, and start looking for another job. If they did not contest my unemployment, I would leave it alone as that means I was not terminated for cause.

Good riddance. There are better jobs out there.

FloridaLpn2015, ASN, LPN, RN · Apr 18, 2019

I was extremely upset that they denied my unemployment. The employer reported I was fired due to misconduct. I filed an appeal stating that a med error is not misconduct. I had no previous errors, no near misses, no complaints of any sort. Misconduct involves intent, error does not. I believe they wanted to use me to set an example. The 2 previous errors of other nurses and then mine was like the straw that broke the camel's back. They however did not know I reported to the supervisor the conditions in the pharmacy and that was their downfall. She must not have communicated that to her superiors. I reported it in the appeal that the conditions were not conducive and that it was other staff misbehaving and I asked for accommodations, my ADHD, for her to take me off dosing and give me chart work. She did neither. So long story short I won the appeal. And I now work at a much better facility and doing the same thing. In the pharmacy it is sooooooooo quiet...and professional....the way it should be...so yes they did me a favor.

3 hours ago, GSDlvrRN said:
I think you take your job seriously. I think you recognize your error. I think you own up to it and identify the events that led up to it. You did what you could to identify factors that effected your ability to pass meds safely, and you did what you could to fix it. You put it in the right persons hands. But, it is very difficult not to compare your situation to other similar situations. Like the med error with wrong med, and wrong patient.
It is difficult not to wonder why your error was handled harshly. I think you knew the risks in your work environment and brought them to the attention of the right people. I think you wanted change and held on waiting for that change....but in the end they terminated you..and I think they did you a favor. I don't think recourse is worth it....do you think working there is worth it now?