understaffed and dangers to license?

Nurses General Nursing

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i went to work last saturday and recieved report. after report i was told there was no cma or wound care nurse. i called staffing and don. they told me they were working on it. a cma showed up to work 8 of my 16 hours. i did my duties and wound care. when cma left after 2pm i did my best to then add med pass. i missed some vitamins but nothing life threatening. i then got a phone call before my next shift that i wasnt on schedule. i called staffing to confirm and was told i would recieve call from don. it has been 4 days and no call. 2 days ago i ran into a cna that no longer works there and was told i was suspended for not passing meds. someone who no longer works there heard rumors from coworkers and was the only person so fa to tell me whats up at work! what are my rights? is my license in danger? im in oklahoma.

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i have called don to find out and she has yet to answer her phone or call me back. i have called her cell phone even.

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Specializes in Ambulatory Care, Geriatrics.

I have had personal experience with under staffing when I worked in Texas. I would recommend going onto the Board of Nursing for your states website and see if there is a "SAFE HARBOR" form. Texas provides nurses with a SAFE HARBOR form for under staffing. If they are suspending you because of not being compliant with in your med pass, while being under staff; I would call your facility's Human Resources or your Corporate Office and File a complaint.

There is no reason for that and YES you do have rights. Just make sure you are following your states guidelines.

P.S

I don't think that is professional for other people to know that you have been suspended or anything like that. Employees have the right to privacy too.

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

To nursetony, you can only invoke Safe Harbor BEFORE you do something that may jeopardize your license and you will likely lose your job over it anyway.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Pain, End of Life Care.

Keep working your way up the food chain until you get an answer....and start looking for another job...that's no way to be treated...your a professional nurse, not a pre-schooler.

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I worked in a AL facility and when speaking to another nurse and a care associate regarding our staffing shortage, mentioned that the executive director could go f*** himself, the nurse told him what I said and he fired me, after 3 years there. Granted, it wasn't my proudest moment, but I don't regret it. I filed for unemployment which they fought, bought unemployment determined that it was not a terminable offense and I won. Check with a labor lawyer regarding your suspension and the laws in your state.

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This is the main reason I quit floor nursing! I was put in this situation many many times.....and to top it off, most of the patients blamed me when I couldn't answer the call light the second they pressed it.....stress, stress, stress! It was hard, bc in nursing school they told me that I worked very hard to obtain my nursing license and I needed to protect it by not placing myself in a situation where I could lose it! But when my employer put me in this type of situation I didn't fell like I could say no and leave my coworkers even more short staffed. So I put my license on the line many times and made to fell like I wasn't doing good job when my patients wouldn't be very patient (even though I would only pee one time for 12 hrs and miss lunch with no scheduled breaks)......I did my year and then got out....very sad. Often times hospitals want you to give better care so they can get higher satisfactory scores....in my opinion.....stop building million dollar addition so often and use a liitle of that money to HIRE MORE STAFF!!!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC, Rehab.

It is a shame that after a year in med-surg I want to leave. Not because I don't like what I do. I could do bedside nursing for the rest of my life and be happy. It's the fact that there is never enough support staff and not enough time to take care of my patients the way I would like.

I hate going home at the end of my shift knowing that a patient didn't get a bath that day because I had too many other priorities and there was no patient care help that day.

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Specializes in Neuroscience/Neuro-surgery/Med-Surgical/.

Check out this website: laborlawtalk.com

Its has labor lawyers that volunteer their time to assist/direct people to the appropriate sources regarding work issues/termination/suspension/etc... basically they can help you to determine whether or not you have a case, or where to find more information particular to your state.

Unfortunately, this is what bedside nursing has become; and I for one, do not accept it. Patients deserve better. When we are short staffed, I will take the time to write up incident reports (and we can do so anonymously, but I always sign my name), as these get passed on to the hospital risk management lawyers, as well as our manager, and the director of the floor. There is a documented record of unsafe staffing, and I carry .

I continue to pursue/research other jobs almost on a weekly basis. And until then, I will do the best I can in the environment that I work in.

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I worked at this one hospital and it was a ortho surgical unit. I was tired of coming in and having 8 patients. Very dangerous. I came in one night, looked at the assignment and took my happy self home. I never even clocked in. That hospital was so desperate they sent the police to my house looking for me. It was a hot mess. It is my lisence and I worked hard for it. Rumors were floating that they were going to charge me with abandonment. I NEVER TOOK REPORT!! They had no case. Refuse report and you will be surprise how fast help shows up. The understaffing problem is not yours until you take report!!! Find out what you are working with before you get report.

I was per diem at another place that I hardly work in a psych unit. They wanted me to be charge of the worst unit in the entire facility. I told them I wasn't going to do it. The off going nurse started giving report anyway and I walked out. I guess the techs would be in charge. You must protect yourself because if you ever go to court, the lawyer will be on you hard. When you stand up for yourself, you must also be willing to face the consequences. Yes, I can look in the mirror in the morning if I can't come back to your unit or hospital but If someone under my care dies because I couldn't provide proper care, that I can't live with.

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Specializes in Ambulatory Care, Geriatrics.

The Safe Harbor protects against retaliation....so nobody should lose their job over that if they use the form correctly.

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i dont believe oklahoma uses safe harbor. i did call and tell them it wasnt safe. i am now on day 5 and nobody has called yet to tell me what or why i am on suspension. i dont know what to do. its like im frozen.

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