fired for refusing to practice out of my scope

[tonka3]

i was working in a gatro clinic where the Doctor wanted LPNs to assist in the procedure room and cut the polyps found while he only pressed the pedal for the electric current, I learned that this was out of my scope of practice in North Carolina and told the nurse manager , I refused to do it anymore and stayed out doing pre-op, while the other LPN there went in and continued to cut the polyps. I started working there 4/13 and was there over amonth before I had to go in the procedure room where I was asked to do this and only cut 2 before I checked the scope because I really felt that the Dovtor should be dong that and I was right. Anyhow, I was informed this past Firday that since I could not do it, I was not needed anymore so basically I was fired for refusing to practice out of my scope. What really upsets me is that it seems like the nurse manger and the Doctor should have known this was out of scope and should have never hired me in the first place to do it, now I'm left without a job hwile he's still making plenty of money and now has an unlicensed 20 year old working as an endoscopic tech and cutting polyps for him while the other LPN who kept on cutting is doing pre-op. Is there anything I can do, what would you do??? Any advice is appreciated.

[eforest]

As a medical student, the first time I had a nurse tell me that she "couldn't do such and such" because it was out of her scope (well not in those exact words, but the same idea) I was frustrated and didn't understand. Then I learned that even though a nurse, other staff member, might be ABLE to do something, and even willing to do so, it is in fact basically ILLEGAL to carry out certain duties (ie pushing certain drugs on a particular floor, etc). I think that sometimes there is conflict because those on the doctor side don't really know or understand that when they pressure a nurse to do something and she or he refuses on the grounds that whatever is being asked is out of the scope of practice/not permitted on certain floors/ that the doctor cannot override the law. THey don't understand that certain regulations cannot be overridden, and if they are, it is the nurse's a**. It is entirely inappropriate for the OP to be fired for standing his/her ground! I am sure those that are pressuring you into going outside your scope, would sell you up the river in a sec if something went wrong. I am sorry that this happened to you! You were just being honses