Forced Resignation - looking for advice

[SailLove80]

I worked in the NICU for about 7 months. I made a medication error where I reviewed an order and administered 4mg/kg q24 of gentamicin when it should have been 4.5mg/kg q36. I read the Neofax wrong. Somehow my vision fell to the lower line which was the >7 days old area. I accept my mistake and learned from it. An incident report was placed regarding this and I was subsequently written up by my department head. Currently I do not have a nurse manager as he resigned suddenly about a month ago.

I met with my unit assistant nurse managers and they were supportive. My department head and educator met with me and told me that maybe the NICU wasn't the place for me.

A few weeks later I made a stupid mistake with a feed. I honestly don't know where my head was at when I made this next error. It should have been a 0.5ml/hr continuous feed but i started it at 5ml/hr. This error has me feeling soooooo low and stupid. Another incident report was put in and my dept head said my option was suspension and one more error and I'm terminated or I could go back to med/surg. As I was mortified by this error and having just had another so close to it, I chose to go back to med/surg. She suspended me anyway and told me that she would work with HR to find a place for me or "worse care scenerio" i could go to reg. nursery/post partum though she would prefer not to train me.

This all happened Wednesday last week. Sunday night I heard from her via text that I would be in reg. nursery Wednesday and Thursday this week. Monday I heard from her again via text that she would like to me to meet with her and HR the following day.

When I met with them, turns out they think I am unfit for acute care and would like me to resign. The feel that by me resigning they would be helping me out so I wouldn't have a termination on my record and I could collect unemployment. According to them I should go to subacute and try to reapply in a year. They tried to get me to write a resignation right then and there. I told them that i already feel like I am being pushed out the door and so I would take care of a resignation on my own this week. Nurses what would you do with this scenario??? After my first meeting after the med error my confidence was completely cut. Then my stupid mistake pretty much left me with none. I'm ready to call it quits on the whole nursing career right now. I tried to get in touch with another woman in HR who had said to me "you're human people make mistakes. there was a nurse in another critical care area who made a mistake that resulted in patient death and she still works here. you are an asset and we will find a place for you" Of course that HR person is out of office till Monday.....

[middleagednurse]

Quitting is better than termination.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

At this point , just resign. Give yourself some time to reflect and grieve then start applying elsewhere. I have been there in your shoes and trust me, you will come back from this.

[ceccia]

if you're going to resign, be sure to negotiate for a neutral reference, and get it in writing!

[SionainnRN]

I'm sorry you're going through this. It sounds like you really don't have a choice in the matter. If you don't resign it sounds like you'll be terminated. At least with the resignation you'll look better to your next employer. And this may just be a sign that nicu isn't for you. I've worked trauma ICU and ER and the idea of NICU to me is terrifying!! I would take this as a learning experience and go back to med/surg and really build up your confidence. Then in a year or two start looking for a different specialty if you want. There's no rush. Good luck.

[firstinfamily, RN]

It seems HR and the unit manager may not agree on how to place you. It seems you would still be an asset for them to keep you, but beware you will be watched closely no matter where you go in this facility. I wonder if your NICU unit manager was being profiled as well. With any management shake up there are usually staffing changes. You should perhaps write out your letter of resignation with a contingency that they provide a positive reference for you and I would get a reference in writing. Or, they remove the incident from your record. They will try to intimidate you and make you feel so low that you will want to leave. You do not want this incident to follow you throughout your career. All of us have made mistakes and I guarantee the person who they replace you with will make some also. The facility should not treat you any differently than they have other staff, so if the HR person said someone had expired because of a separate incident you can hold management accountable by that standard. It could be the stress at work, managerial changes etc. is really affecting how you work. You work in a high stress environment and the additional stress/insecurity of not having a unit manager can be overwhelming and affecting the flow in the unit. Has anyone else in the NICU made mistakes recently? Is their case being handled the same as yours with threats of resignation etc.? And it is a threat from them to force you to resign. Usually it takes three incidents before someone can be terminated, so the question is : are you going to be able to work under that type of stress knowing that it will take only one more mistake---no matter how minor--for you to be terminated?? It may be a better decision for you to find other employment. However, you should do this in a manner that the previous incidents do not follow you. Good Luck!!! A very tough decision.

[cowboy up]

Nobody ever talks about the second victim when there is a med error,that victim is the nurse who made it. I've bee. In yourvpostition myself and nothing is more terrifying than a med error. You showed courage and integrity for owning up to your mistakes but it's clear the powers that be want you out and I think you would be better off by resigning. On your next interview be proactive and get it all out front and accept responsibility for what happened.

[VANurse2010]

You can't collect unemployment if you quit (although you won't be getting it anyway because they have the documentation to justify a termination).

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

You can't collect unemployment if you quit (although you won't be getting it anyway because they have the documentation to justify a termination).

I've personally collected unemployment compensation after having resigned from two different positions. During both instances, the unemployment department determined that I was forced to resign and exhausted my options.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I too have drawn unemployment benefits after resigning. I've even gotten them after being fired.....twice. If you are not fired for misconduct, there is always a chance you can get UIB.

Frankly, I think you'd be better off resigning. You have a very large target painted on your back, and rightly or wrongly, TPTB want you out. Best to leave with your dignity intact.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I would discuss with HR and get in writing that you would be eligible for rehire, and that is the only thing that they will tell a future employer.

Then, I would write your resignation. Literally, I am resigning my position effective ___________. And that is it. Do not give a reason in writing, do not elaborate.

Going forward I would state that you resigned your position due to process issues that was a reflection of staffing shortages/changes.

You were a new nurse to the NICU. Which is a specialty. It is always important to have another set of eyes on an order. Especially an order that is mg/kg as opposed to give ____mg q 36 hours. (and the fact that pharmacy will usually mix a med such as a specialized dosing of an antibiotic--and they did not catch that it was not due, either--and if you are mixing your own meds, great gray area...)

Again with the feed. If you read it wrong, you read it wrong. But the question is, was it clear, labelled, etc?

Yes, you made errors. As most every nurse has. Sometimes more than twice. But the processes that are in place need to be clear as well. Don't ever be afraid to ask "hey, can you double check my mg/kg math?" or "Is this reading .5 or 5 to you?"

Best wishes moving forward.

[MissyWrite]

I think the real issue to look at is why you made the errors. Yes, everyone makes errors. But instead of generalizing, look at yourself specifically.

Do you have more work than you can handle? Do you have enough support? Are you too exhausted during night shifts or 12-hour shifts to think straight? Are you getting a break so you can eat and avoid hypoglycemia, which inevitably brings with it cognitive trouble? Is an intensive care situation right for you, or would your personality be more suited to a slower or less acute environment? Or were the errors due to some system problem within the hospital?

My advice would be to resign, and find a new job that won't keep causing the issue you identified as the problem.