HELP - employment with restrictions

[sandi67103]

I have 14 years experience as RN. I was employed by a specialty hospital and was given 5 days orientation to a 26 bed critical unit. My task was to be in charge my first weekend by myself. Fri then Sat and on Sun I decided that was enough so I quit my job after employment of 7 days. DON told me if I did not return to work I would be reported to State Board of Nursing. I was reported for questionable behavior (that was it nothing else-nothing proved). My next employment was LTC for 10 months. DON changed and some staff where a nurse I had worked with before began employment. This person was not a team player. We had split duties for the weekend and on Sat this person walked out on my shift I did not know treatments were not done as they were signed as completed. I tried to report to DON but call was never answered. I had taken benedryl OTC for my allergies that day and when I sat down to chart after a 12 hour shift I was drowsy. I was reported to State Board of Nursing, fired from job because work was not completed (actually by other nurse that charted and did not do). Now I must complete 12 months of random drug screen as benedryl OTC is considered an addictive substance (I did not know that), no employment in LTC or home health. Now where and how do I get employment without further humilitation if thats possible????

[scoutsmom]

Benedryl an additive substance? Then anyone who takes tylenal PM is taking an additive substance, I guess any substance could be additive though.. You maybe should of taken something else for the allergies that didn't have the benedryl in it. , so sorry you are going through all of this.!!! could you seek employment at a hospital, or clinic?

[morte, LPN, LVN]

benadryl is not addictive.....sedative, yes......but to be drowsy from the benadryl you would have had to take ON THE JOB, it doesnt last 12 hours....i would have been looking for a lawyer when this went down.....probably too late now.

[sandi67103]

I was required to go for addiction evaluation which I did and was told benedryl is addictive and was given a hand out for it. State Board of nursing upholds this. I do not even take benedryl very often. I am so upset its terrible but will have to deal with it now. I only hope other don't have this happen to them. Thank you all for your responses.

[caliotter3]

Your story just goes to remind us how easy it is to get taken out of the ball game. Your employers owed you more than what they gave you. I still would seek legal assistance to deal with this. Something is just not right about the entire process here.

[gr8rnpjt, RN]

benadryl is not addictive.....sedative, yes......but to be drowsy from the benadryl you would have had to take ON THE JOB, it doesnt last 12 hours....i would have been looking for a lawyer when this went down.....probably too late now.

I totally agree with the above. If you haven't spoken to an attorney yet, I would consult one...need to find one that is well versed in administrative law. Couldn't hurt.

[whodatnurse]

If the other nurse charted the work, didn't she either sign it with HER signature (if paper) or log in with her own userid (if computer - and the audit trail would show that). Why are YOU being held responsible for that aspect of the situation?

As for the OTC benadryl. So...is an allergy sufferer who's a nurse supposed to do nothing to alleviate their discomfort? If the expectation is that NO OTC meds are to be taken at any time during or a designated number of hours prior to a shift, then that should be clearly stated in a facility's policy manual (which employees have the responsibility to become thoroughly familiar with).

The profession of nursing, much to its own detriment, seems to be an outrageously punitive one. Ongoing patterns of problems are one thing, but it seems like every day there's yet another story of someone doing the best they can, or what they believe to be a good thing, and then WHAM, they're fired for some one thing an otherwise reasonable person couldn't have forseen as a potential problem.

I too think you should at least pay for a consultation with an employment lawyer to find out what your rights are.

[Meraki]

As for the OTC benadryl. So...is an allergy sufferer who's a nurse supposed to do nothing to alleviate their discomfort? If the expectation is that NO OTC meds are to be taken at any time during or a designated number of hours prior to a shift, then that should be clearly stated in a facility's policy manual (which employees have the responsibility to become thoroughly familiar with).

There are many,many other OTC and prescription allergy pills that are not sedating. Benadryl has a common side effect of drowsiness and of causing sedation, I wouldn't take it at work. I have severe allergies and take prescription strength allergy pills - however they are the non drowsy kind. Most people I know with ongoing seasonal allergies do not take benadryl as their first line med - with so many non drowsy allergy pills on the market, who wants to feel groggy and tired. I do use benadryl for allergic reactions but not for general allergies.

Did you continue to take more benadryl throughout the day? I don't see how a benadryl could be making you that drowsy 12 hours later.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

I was required to go for addiction evaluation which I did and was told benedryl is addictive and was given a hand out for it. State Board of nursing upholds this. I do not even take benedryl very often. I am so upset its terrible but will have to deal with it now. I only hope other don't have this happen to them. Thank you all for your responses.

what freakin state are you in?

http://allergies.emedtv.com/benadryl/benadryl-addiction.html

http://www.allergyescape.com/benadryl.html

the first citation mentions the taking of high doses sometimes resulting in halucinations.....that is the only mention i found in ~ 15 articles......

1) you arent fessing up to the issue of other use

2) you have "been had" big time

3) you are yanking our collective chain

[sandi67103]

The other nurse was not cited for anything. It was my responsibility to insure work was actually performed. Benadryl is not something I commonly took for my allergies but was all that was available to me at work. I was not allowed to leave the facility as I was the only nurse on duty. No other nurses would come in and DON would not return my calls.

[whodatnurse]

The other nurse was not cited for anything. It was my responsibility to insure work was actually performed. Benadryl is not something I commonly took for my allergies but was all that was available to me at work. I was not allowed to leave the facility as I was the only nurse on duty. No other nurses would come in and DON would not return my calls.

How is ANYONE supposed to ensure work was 'actually' performed unless they stand over the shoulders of the person to whom it was delegated and observe it with their own eyes as it takes place??? If work was charted by another nurse as having been performed, then why would anyone assume it had not and re-perform it, which could lead to potentially serious problems of another kind? If the other person just took off, what exactly is it that your employer claims you should have done? Why is this other person not being charged with patient abandonment?

[morte, LPN, LVN]

The other nurse was not cited for anything. It was my responsibility to insure work was actually performed. Benadryl is not something I commonly took for my allergies but was all that was available to me at work. I was not allowed to leave the facility as I was the only nurse on duty. No other nurses would come in and DON would not return my calls.

unless the other nurse was a LPN, why were you responsible?

and why in heavens name would you take Benadryl on the job?!!!!! that would certainly = impairment!

who was on call? what about administration?