I have been an RN for 5 years. Two years ago, a small hospital in which I was practicing reported to my state BON every mistake I had made during my entire 2 years of employment. This happened AFTER a doctor and myself got into a very heated argument over a pt. I made the mistake of questioning his orders. This doctor is known for his fury! He is NEVER wrong! He reported to the DON the incident and she informed me I should submit to a drug screen for the doctor had stated: "She has errated behavior".
Well, I firmly 'planted my feet' and refused a drug screen unless the doctor also took one. Well, this went over like a 'turd in a punch bowl'. After approx one hour of discussion, I resigned after telling them all how I felt.
My license were placed on 2 year probation and I had to sign an Agreed Order with my state BON. I had NO idea how serious this was. I had no clue r/g an attorney so I signed the agreement.
The probation would have been up in Feb. BUT, I recently went to work for a small nursing home. My job responsibilities were: passing meds to 38 residents, skilled charting, assessing the skilled residents, breathing txments, wound care, and any admissions which came in, take orders off from incoming requests the day-shift nurse had requested, ordering all meds for residents.
I eventually made two med-errors which consisted of a med not given to two residents.I filled out a med error form.I also faxed an order for a resident to our out of state pharmacy and failed to place her name on the order. The pharmacy called almost immediatly for the name inwhich I supplied.
After approx 50 days into this job, the new hires, one of which at been there 6mos, were place in one day orientation. I was fired a few days later for the above incidents. This facility reported this to the board.
What you all need to understand about this night-mare is this: I stupidly signed an Agreed Order with the BON stating I would be PERFECT. You all know as well myself, we as nurses are NOT perfect no more than any one else in this world.
Get this...I was given the option of either quitting or be fired for...ready for this?....GIVING ONE eye tear instead of two! Now this mistake only happened with one eye. I did give two drops in the other eye! Geez!!!!:uhoh21:
Get this...I was given the option of either quitting or be fired for...ready for this?....GIVING ONE eye tear instead of two! Now this mistake only happened with one eye. I did give two drops in the other eye! Geez!!!!:uhoh21:
Well you did give only 1 eye drop, It is not like shooting up with morphine, demerol, stadol, talwin, You know the dangerous things. I have discovered the easiest way to get off the hook is to foul up so bad that the hospital cannot report you to the board because they look stupid for hiring you,
I was written up and placed on a work improvement plan for doing things on my days off. Some incidences happened while I was off and my unit manager was mad at me for going nose to toes with a DR. It made her look like an idoit
You know as well as I do s--t flows downhill. If I had a penny for every time I have pulled a DR's butt out of a crack I would be a billionaire, and so would you.
I am glad you retained an attorney. I feel so sad that this has happened to you. You know, it makes me so mad that all these egotistical MD's are walking around, pointing the finger at us "nurses" when mistakes happen. It almost seems like our profession is one that sets you up to fail in a way. Expecting perfection is not reasonable. I am praying for you. I will also pray for that doctor, so that he doesn't repeat what he did to you to someone else. Good luck to you, and keep us posted on what happens.
Well, your biggest mistake was refusing to take a UDS, unfortunately I think a refusal is considered an admission of guilt by the powers that be. I will take UDS any day, any time, any where. My job could call me up right now and I would drive up and take a UDS...its that important that you cooperate when it comes to some SBON's.
Its not that I don't believe, its the fact I don't want to believe its true lol.
I had a situation where I had a lung CA patient and a patient that had pancreatitis, basically hitting up the pyxis q1 hour for large doses of dilaudid, valium and demerol. I guess pyxis flags such behavior and my charts were reviewed. Well the chart reviewer decided I didn't chart well enough and I was basically told I was being suspended pending the results of a UDS (not your average everyday uds, the sent the sucker out for super duper test lol). Of course it came back negative, the hospital reinstated me and said I had to take charting classes etc. I explained I knew how to chart but having 8-9 primary care patients with only 2 aids for 30 patients on the floor was not conduscive to even the minimal amount of CYA charting.
I also felt guilty until proven innocent and was basically treated like a druggie by the DON and unit supervisor until my results came back negative. I gave my notice, that was the straw that broke the cammels back.
I wish you luck and pray you have a positive outcome, hell for every door closed another opens. Some days I feel like ripping up my nursing license and going and working at walmart.
I've been thinking about how nursing seems to be a little like a witch hunt. I know we are being taught to be all that we can be and perfect but sometimes I'm left wondering whos on whos side. I recently went to my prof to ask if I should report this one nurse to the College for misconduct after I was treated like dirt. (long story) I was at a crossroads beecause I was thinking "What if this nurse loses her job? What if she was really tired? What if this is her 3rd report and she gets let go 1 month prior to receiving her pension? "
My prof goes "Oh no!! You get on it right away. I am happy you are exercising some of your knowledge of nursing practice and what it entails.."
A little too eager beaver for me. I hate snitching and it sems there is a lot of it going on. I know we need to protect the public but who protects us? Procedure? I will feel everyday that I need to watch my back and even if I'm innocent, theres still that danger of not being believed.
GOD'S my BOSS, and HE LOVES ME... Thank you GOD for being GOD and GOD all by YOURself. In the Name of Jesus.
Well said! He is, after all, the only ONE whom we have to please.
How very unfortunate that we've come to feel we have to watch our backsides when our true focus should be the patients...and certainly NOT fear of the MDs or BONs. I imagine Florence Nightingate would be appalled at the "advances" made in this profession!
I think it would have helped if you had taken the drug test...and if that didn't work, then I guess you should have been EXTRA careful to not get those medication errors during your probation period. Yes, mistakes happen, but apparently your rate of mistakes were high enough that it concerned people. frankly, if I were your patient, I would want you suspended also if you kept making medication errors. That could kill someone.
I hope it works out and you get to practice again, but please be careful!
I take it you are perfect and have never made a human error. Fess up no one is perfect. Hopefully you aren't one of the ones that just love to find other nurses mistakes to make yourself look good. Nurses need to support each other not eat their young.
I got suspended for giving a double dose of a narcotic to a resident in a nursing home. what actually happened was during the narc count I accidently signed twice. there were 2 sheets and I already signed one and the other nurse said there was one short and I remembered giving it so I signed the sheet. have no idea what happened to the pill because I only gave one. the only thing that I could figure was that it fell out (accidently poked out during a count).This place was unbelievable. Iwas working on a shift that I wasn't use to and there were 10 accu checks to be done before breakfast and they ate at 7:30 plus all the residents were looking for pain meds. this was a rehab center. one nurse,3 aids for 32 pts. these were fresh post hip,knees, accidents, strokes etc. so don't feel bad and I have 24 years of nursing. there seems to be more (out to get the nurse) going on these days.
Anyone with licensure problems should be represented by an attorney. Nurse Attorneys obtain better results than attorneys who are not also nurses. The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA) can direct you to a nurse attorney in your state that has experience with your BON. We urge you to refer to our nonprofit website for support and education: http://www.TAANA.org
I have a case that is going in front of the state board, I was assualted at work and pushed the patient away from me as I was not sure if I was going to get assulated again. So far the investgation has found nothing in my past to prove I have a anger problem I sure I'll be cleared of any problems. But, I have wonder why WE nurses have no rights to protect ourselves when we get assulated. Of course the SBON investagator can't really talk to me about this. You have to wonder why there is a shortage ??? We are to be angles while get we walked on, by patients and our own...
I do have an attorney at this time. I only wish I had gotten one 2 years ago..
Huggs to you all for responding....no can know how devastating this situation is to me BUT a group of nurses who had their lives turned upside down going through nursing which at times was sssssoooo over-whelming it was as if we 'walked through hell with gasoline britches on'
Good God KY huh??Me too. 5 years here and have been an RN since 93 I hear Ky has some really nurse unfriendly BON interpretations/rules. I shudder to think. I guess any state that is so union unfriendly would be of the old mindset that I doctor is alway right and never the nurse. I am sorry for what you are going through... somehow it doesn't surprise me.
Out of curiosity, why do you all think people refuse the drug screens when they are requested? Honestly, I don't really think that if you have grounds for refusing a drug screen, you ought to be practicing nursing...
"Out of curiosity, why do you all think people refuse the drug screens when they are requested? Honestly, I don't really think that if you have grounds for refusing a drug screen, you ought to be practicing nursing..."
Many people refuse drug/etoh tests because it offends their sense of privacy and civil rights. We also have a policy that "erratic or potentially volitile" behavior can result in drug testing. Who decides that? Not having anything to hide is NOT a reason to compromise your personal rights.I smelled a strong etoh odor on one of the docs, but he was not asked to take a drug test. Instead, he sucked on mints all day and slept in an empty room.I am not saying we should be co-dependant with collegues who have drug problems, but we do need to protect their rights, too.
Iamjustme
13 Posts
Get this...I was given the option of either quitting or be fired for...ready for this?....GIVING ONE eye tear instead of two! Now this mistake only happened with one eye. I did give two drops in the other eye! Geez!!!!:uhoh21: