Fired for following orders

[shmedium]

I was recently fired from my job as a PCT. A nurse asked me if I could perform a particular task. I told her I wasn't sure, I called the supervisor and asked if I am permitted to do this. She asked if I had been taught it in nursing school. I indicated that I was. She said that the nurse can, then, delegate that task to me. I did it and was fired about a month after. This occurred in the state of Ohio, where the law is clear that the RN is responsible for accurate delegation and is to be who is held accountable for improper delegation. The task was inserting an NG tube. The procedure went smoothly and no harm was done. I have never been written up before, never even been late. The RN I was working for and the supervisor both said to do it. I rely on their knowledge to know how to do my job. I feel like I am a patsy.

[caliotter3]

Well, chalk one up for getting blindsided. It happens to many. Hopefully, your next workplace won't bring you in contact with another backstabber and those who support such behavior.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

It's bad enough that the myth of "there's a nursing shortage" is perpetuated freely, please don't let this one get out of hand too!! Seriously. I work in the state where nurses are paid the worst out of 52 states. BEHIND Guam and the US Virgin Islands.

I missed the part where you said it was passing an NG tube, yeah while a PCTs scope might vary depending on the unit, THAT one should have been a no brainer. Its totally irrelevant if you were taught to do it in Nursing school. RN students are taught lots of things they totally suck at, and this is something that is airway related.

I don't want some unsupervised nursing student passing an NG tube on me, would you? I don't understand why some techs have this desire to do extra things not requiredof them just to win some brownie points or feel special. Its harsh that you got fired IF you were given the OK by your supervisor to do this specific task(and not some vague if you learned it in Nursing school it can be delegated), but when I floated as a tech I was occasionally asked by an RN to do something I didn't feel comfortable doing and I ALWAYS refused to do it, even if it was something a tech on that unit did but I wasn't properly trained in or had regular practice doing.

RNs make the big bucks, let them do this stuff. RN STUDENT means nothing outside of your clinicals and classroom. Ive seen RN students that were some of the worst ******* techs ive ever encountered.

[THELIVINGWORST, ASN, RN]

The BON would have cleared this right up for you. In the future check the nurse practice act and your policies and procedures first. Also your personnel file should have had your job description along with duties to perform in it.

Just because you're unlicensed it doesn't mean you're not going to be held responsible for your actions.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

The BON would have cleared this right up for you. In the future check the nurse practice act and your policies and procedures first. Also your personnel file should have had your job description along with duties to perform in it.

Just because you're unlicensed it doesn't mean you're not going to be held responsible for your actions.

not sure the BON would have anything to do with this, depending in the state. She checked with her direct super. and was cleared to do the reporting nurse needs be gone.

[babyNP., APRN]

It's bad enough that the myth of "there's a nursing shortage" is perpetuated freely, please don't let this one get out of hand too!! Seriously. I work in the state where nurses are paid the worst out of 52 states. BEHIND Guam and the US Virgin Islands.

Aren't Guam and the US Virgin Islands territories? There are only 50 US states.

[LynM75]

Well, I will put in my two cents here. There should be a policy and procedure manual on your unit that has clear instructions on who is allowed do this procedure. If you had never done this procedure before you should have looked it up first and noted that x,y and z are allowed to do this and you are not any of those. But the nurse should have known better and it seems to me to be improper delegation by the that person. I hope this is a lesson you will never forget and you are able to continue on in your schooling!

[SierraBravo]

PCTs don't have a firm "scope of practice". Some things are obvious though, we aren't going to be pushing IV meds, and any tech that does that knows they are going outside their scope.

Techs should not be passing ANY kinds of meds, IV or otherwise. Period.

[SierraBravo]

i understand the logic as to why this task is beyond the scope of practice, however, my former employer never once provided me a copy of a job description. We routinely are expected to perform tasks for which we never formerly were evaluated on our level of preparedness (foley insertion, dressing changes, etc). Based on the fact that the patient was A and O and able to follow instructions well, I was confident that the procedure would go smoothly, which it did. Nonetheless, I checked with the supervisor. What more could I have done? I checked with someone in authority. And, I remind you, in our state, legally, the RN who delegates is to be held accountable, not the unlicensed person.

For starters, you could have refused to do the procedure. It doesn't matter if you're a nursing student working as a PCT or not. And am I reading this correctly? Techs perform dressing changes?

Apparently you were also held accountable, not just the RN. So you can't hide behind the thought that the RN is ultimately accountable.

Please tell me what hospital this is so that I can avoid it like the plague... On second thought, don't say it...

[anursedad]

I heard of a story that a Tech intubated a patient in an actual trauma room in an ED.

Yes. He got fired.

[SierraBravo]

I heard of a story that a Tech intubated a patient in an actual trauma room in an ED.

Yes. He got fired.

What is wrong with people? If a tech is also in nursing school and does something like this, they should immediately be fired AND dismissed from their nursing program because they clearly don't get it. It begs the question, what will they do if/when they actually start practicing as a RN. Very scary, indeed.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

I agree, completely. But on lists listing such information, USVI and Guam were considered as "states"

Aren't Guam and the US Virgin Islands territories? There are only 50 US states.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Saying "I only did it because my boss (the RN) told me to" is not a valid "excuse".

You KNEW that you had no business performing this procedure, the fact that everyone thought it would go well and it did is meaningless.

Would you run a red light because your friend riding shotgun told you to? Just because someone told you to do it, doesn't mean you should