Fear of losing my license

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I recently quit a job with a SNF because of the practises of the staff. For example, after an unwitnessed fall, the nurse I was shadowing documented that he had performed neuro checks but never did them on the resident. Blood pressure was also taking in the dining hall (against HIPPA), and pre-pouring meds were done to save time. Whenever a resident asked to go to the bathroom, the nurses would say "well go ahead " and refused to help them or call a CNA. I quit after two weeks because I had a strong fear of losing my license. Now I'm jobless and afraid that all nursing homes are like this. By the way, I'm an LVN and most jobs here for us are mainly in nursing homes. I am also a new graduate so all these things really shocked me. I really don't have a question, just needed to vent. Thanks for reading!

RNBearColumbus, I reported it to the DON but was told to just worry about yourself and she'd take care of it. I left before I saw any action...and I'm assuming from what I've read here that I should have stuck it out with the job. It's cool though, because I found a position with another SNF making $21 an hour which is the most I've ever made.

Document the good care you give and report the ones that don't. The negligent and dishonest staff will lose their licenses and face discipline, not you. It is sad when good nurses leave bad places because it takes the good ones staying to turn a place like that around. I'm a LTC manager and can say this is a loss for the facility. If you were my nurse I would want to hear from you about the dishonest nurses and get rid of them. Don't run from the next place, work with your manager.

Specializes in Med-surg, telemetry, oncology, rehab, LTC, ALF.
The "losing my license" mantra is enormously overdone and exaggerated. Most nurses who have lost their licensure were involved in drug diversion, narcotic theft, impaired practice, and other issues surrounding substance abuse.

Nurses rarely, if ever, lose their licensure over sloppy or unethical patient care. In addition, after years of reading the disciplinary action pages published by my state board of nursing, the vast majority of nurses who have had licensing censures had been employed at hospitals, not SNFs/LTC facilities.

I think your fears of losing your license were/are irrational. There will always be people who practice nursing in a sloppy, questionable manner. However, what matters is how you practice and your professional conduct.

Thank you for saying this. I'm getting ready to interview for a position at a LTC/SNF. I was worried about this exact thing, but your words have put me at ease.Schedule

I needed to read these responses today :cat:

How is taking bp in dining hall against HIPAA when CVS, Rite Aid, etc, has blood pressure machines in their stores which are in plain view? I always see customers sit in the bp jawn. A resident has the right to request their blood pressure be taken while in the dining hall, the numbers don't have to be announced, a piece of paper can be taped over the screen. No difference from taking the bp in their room within earshot or view of the roommate(s) (some SNF's have 4 or more patients to one room), or changing their briefs after a bm with nothing but a thin curtain dividing them from the other 1-3 roommates. Besides, no one ever said that you have to work the way your trainer does. Just do a good job and don't worry about it. I'm quite sure your tune has changed a bit since 2016.

 

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