help! boss threatening to charge me w abandonment??

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hi everyone-

so here's my story. I am a newly graduated RN I have worked in a LTC facility for two weeks now. last week, after my second day, I decided I did not like the facility - understAffed, did not like the care the residents were receiving. I called the supervisor (on my day off, leaving a day between my shifts) and let them know that I would not be returning. next day I get a call from the regional manager asking why I quit. so I told her the truth. and she asked if I would give them a second chance , and if I still wasn't comfortable then I could leave peacefully. well that's exactly what happened. I didn't like it. so I called and told her that before my next scheduled shift. she responded by saying that I abandonment my patients and she could challenge my license??? is this true? I understand it was not prifessonal. but my heart was telling me those patients were not getting proper care. and I don't want to be a part of that. I called before my shift, did not accept any patient care...

Specializes in retired LTC.

Oooooooo!!!!

NSO for insurance.

DOH with some specifics, esp the missing narcs.

DoLabor for paycheck.

Other posters comments good ideas too.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

On what shift????

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cnas do meds and Ivs and gtubes and caths all the time I guess so they can save money. Norcos I'm not sure what shift I was off that day

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2 Rns two cnas on days/evenings...nights it's 1/1

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Look up your state's regs on LTC staffing -- it's no use reporting that there are 2 RNs and 2 CNAs for 87 residents ... if that's in compliance with state regs. For starters, google "nursing home staffing in XX state".

I'm always amazed at stories of managers who throw out the abandonment card ... Duh, you can't "abandon" a patient for whom you're not providing care. If you feel the need to play hardball with staff, at least do it intelligently ... :rolleyes:

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Specializes in retired from healthcare.

I think it's always helpful in these cases to give at least 48 hours notice so they can find someone else.

I have met at lease one RN who walked off her shift when she got mad. She was then only permitted to work as a C.N.A.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Go to your state's BON and print off the section that describes abandonment. Highlight for her the definition. I did that when I had a supervisor threaten me.

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Go to your state's BON and print off the section that describes abandonment. Highlight for her the definition. I did that when I had a supervisor threaten me.

Yeah sometimes you have to educate the ignorant :)

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

They may be holding your paycheck to force you to go there and get it. You see, then she's got you there in the facility and can claim that you accepted report and then quit, thus "abandoning" your patients. A few years ago, I quit a transport job and in the course of returning all my controlled substances, I made certain that everything that I had been issued was documented as having been returned. Did it make my supervisor angry? Quite visibly so. What I did ensured that I couldn't be reported to the state for stealing any controlled substances. You see, since there was no log present for my supervisor and I to sign, it was obvious that was what my supervisor was going to do. It's also the easiest way to really muck with someone's life after they've left employment somewhere.

Why do I say this? Just to warn you that when you're dealing with people of shady ethics, be very careful. Do NOT allow yourself to be placed in a position where your license could be put at risk. My suggestion is simple: require them to send your paycheck to you in a manner that verifies when it was mailed. Generally speaking, they're only allowed a few days leeway to process your "final" paycheck if they do not hand it to you on your last day. If they do not give you your check then, they must send it to you within a specified time-frame or they're in violation of law. If they violate that law, report them to the appropriate authority.

Bottom line, protect your own license. If you absolutely must go back there, bring a credible witness with you.

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Good job getting out of the there! LTC is a hit or miss field, and most of the time it's "miss." Sketchy managers like to threaten abandonment charges with people they don't think know better, like new grads. If a place has to try to scare you into working there, it's a good thing you're gone. Call the state. That place sounds like a wreck.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

I agree with everything every has sad before me in the thread and understand you needed to quit to take care of yourself.

However, please consider this in case the same thing happens again. You wrote that they are short-staffed. You quit with very short notice. They couldn't hire someone to take your place immediately. So, the patients are left with a staff that's even more short, maybe even making a few days pretty crisis-driven. Giving longer notice would have been more caring toward the patients.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I'm always amazed at stories of managers who throw out the abandonment card ... Duh, you can't "abandon" a patient for whom you're not providing care. If you feel the need to play hardball with staff, at least do it intelligently ... :rolleyes:

That's why I always had a copy of the BON definition of what is and isn't patient abandonment taped to my clipboard.

It never ceased to amaze me how many supervisors didn't know the regs. It also amazed me that I was never fired :)

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