FIRED and REPORTED to the BON

CVICURN2003 · Sep 20, 2007

I would love to have ANY input on this subject. Where is the rule book on giving PRN pain medication ?? I was working on a Mother Baby unit at the time where Percocet was given out like candy. We practiced under the belief that we could give pain meds up to 30 min "early" if a patient needed it. After being with my employer for almost 10 years, I was FIRED and REPORTED to the BON. Does anyone out there have any input ?? Is it, or is it not ok to give pain meds early if requested ????

If the patient was ok hemodynamically and respiratory wise....we use the 30 minute window. You have to look at the overall situation and your patient. But that is our policy. I would not give q 4 hour pain meds every 3.5 hours and I always look at when the last dose was given. We also wirte our pain meds on a flow sheet (double work) but it does let us quickly assess the frequency of pain meds given and whether their pain meds are effective. Patient by Patient situation. Wow...I'm sorry.

Trauma Columnist · Sep 20, 2007

What does your hospital's policy manual say?

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2007

I thought the 1/2 hr window was only for scheduled meds. I don't use it for PRN's.

MustangSallie1997 · Sep 20, 2007

Does it seem fair that I just be terminated from a job that I had no other problems or issues with, and just 2 months before received an excellent on my annual review ??? They didnt have to terminate me !!!

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Sep 20, 2007

Doesn't seem fair at all. In fact, it seems mysterious - they were very happy with you one minute, then you were expendable the next. :confused:

Kymmi · Sep 20, 2007

Being terminated and reported to the BON does seem extreme. I answered in the other post that I do think q 4 hours prn means just that.....every 4 hours and not every 3 1/2 hours and I explained why in the other post however I do find it hard to believe that they would terminate and report to the BON instead of giving you a warning and letting you know what the policy of the hospital is.

MustangSallie1997 · Sep 20, 2007

Thanks Kymmi, I wish they had just written me up or probation or something, no one in HR or other wise could come up with a policy/procedure on this subject. I was not trying to do anything wrong or harmful, simple correction would have done the trick with me !!!

SaderNurse05, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2007

So sorry to hear this. It does not make any sense. Are they saying you violated a policy in a manual they cannot show you? Has anything else been going on that made you feel like there was a problem? This seems like MAJOR overkill. Is Kentucky an at will employer?

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2007

Does it seem fair that I just be terminated from a job that I had no other problems or issues with, and just 2 months before received an excellent on my annual review ??? They didnt have to terminate me !!!

It's highly bizarre. You would think they would clarify the policy with you.

confused101 · Sep 20, 2007

I thought the 1/2 hr window was only for scheduled meds. I don't use it for PRN's.

I don't use it for PRN's either. Our med system won't let us do it one minute early much less 30 min. That would send red flags all over the place where I work.

sharona97, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2007

Thanks Kymmi, I wish they had just written me up or probation or something, no one in HR or other wise could come up with a policy/procedure on this subject. I was not trying to do anything wrong or harmful, simple correction would have done the trick with me !!!

Does the facility have an advocate for the nurses? I would appeal to the BON, and also to the hospital. Getting an excellent review then fired is not making sense, espiacially w/no write-ups. Do you want to continue working there? If not I'd really bring my case to the BON. Just my opinion.