How many nurses here have their license currently suspended?

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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.

Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

"One of my coworkers was using an herbal medicine for weight loss and she tested positive on her drug screen...found after an incident at work..she had a mild stroke on the job, ended up admitted, TPTB drug tested her and voila... opened up all kinds of problems for her and ended up with her being fired. Very sad story but shows what can be done with info. The truth is she had health problems (Lupus) and they used this info to get rid of her...:(

What a terrible thing to happen!:( Sounds like a violation of her confidential information--ussed to fire her.....seems to me she could/should have slapped a lawsuit on her employer based on that...you know--a HIPPA violation? Did she think of doing that or consult her attorney(if she had one?) Seems at times that we as nurse have NO rights!

We seem to live in a world where "accidents" no longer exist, and what used to be accidental has become "negligent", "incompetetence", etc. Our society must place "blame" and have "retaliation" for anything and everything! It is not just in Nursing ... it is everywhere.

A child is injured playing with a toy, the manufacturer gets sued. People smoke cigarettes, the tobaco company is sued. There is an automobile accident, someone in it gets sued. A parent's child is injured playing, the parent is accused by authorities of neglect. It is really a SICK society. The human attitude has to change before blaming and retaliation for our being "wronged" will stop. We are off the deep end and caught up in a viscous circle of blame and blaming! We can't blame all misfortunes in life on someone or something else and then expect to be compensated by getting financial or emotional satisfaction through blame, vindication, and bringing harm to someone or something else.

Accidents do happen and blaming and retaliation does not make accidents and mistakes stop.

People love to sue. Someone dies and the family can't wait to blame someone and file a law suit! A mistake is made on the job and there is always a peer waiting to jump on it and put their fellow worker down in order to make themselves look good. Unfortunately we live in a mean world full of evil doers, and self rightous egotists. It isn't a pleasant realization but it is a fact in today's world. These things won't change until we change.

:idea:"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." "He who is without sin, cast the first stone." My, my... wouldn't it be a different world if everyone would just remember and practice those two little sentences!? :p

:nurse: :balloons: :balloons:

I always advise my students to choose their practice areas very, very carefully, as some areas are so toxic and/ or unsafe that they can destroy a nurse professionally. I warn my students to stay away from certain units or certain facilities.

VICKY

Would you mind giving some general areas where it would be best to consider as high risk areas to be working within a hospital? I am green as grass, and would really appreciate your input on this!

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
VICKY

Would you mind giving some general areas where it would be best to consider as high risk areas to be working within a hospital? I am green as grass, and would really appreciate your input on this!

Not to start a flame war, but, as a rule of thumb, medical-surgical units. Ratios are generally terrible, patients are very SICK... just five years ago many of the patients on the general floor would have been in the ICU! Ironically, we instructors USED to advise our students to take a year of med-surg right out of school... but not anymore! I now advise my students to go to the cardiac stepdown units. However, every area and hospital is different. My advice is to talk to your instructors or nurses on certain floors of the hospital in which you are interested in going.

WOW and you do you feel should work the med/surg units?

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
WOW and you do you feel should work the med/surg units?

Obviously someone needs to staff these units. But that someone doesn't have to be you, if the unit is unsafe. And I'm not saying all med-surg units are that way. Some are actually wonderful. It depends on the area and the institution. Some of the smaller outlying hospitals in my area have generally pleasant and safe med-surg floors. The most popular hospital in our area, however, has very rough med-surg floors (that's why I advise them to go to the cardiac step-downs instead). One nice thing about the nursing shortage is that we can generally be very choosy about where we practice. However (as is often the case) good units are few and far between :o

I know two nurses in similar situations. They said they couldn't get a lawyer to listen to them. What kind of lawyer did you hire?

Cardiac stepdown at my hospital is a danger zone. Understaffed, of course. A patient died when her monitor recorded asystole but stopped alarming after a few minutes. I don't think they have anyone actually watching the monitors.

Not that med-surg is any different. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to my old gen-surg floor. I know my MICU is good, and NICU, and SICU isn't bad either. L&D may be okay. Seems like the high-visibility areas get better staffing and support.

I live in KY

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'

WHAT PART OF KENTUCKY ARE YOU FROM . I LIVE THERE TOO. JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHAT HOSPITAL TO AVOID!! Please send me a private message (PM) with the information. Thanks!

WOW and you do you feel should work the med/surg units?

AS A MEDSURG NURSE I CAN TELL YOU. IT IS NOT AN EASY FLOOR TO WORK. NO MONITERS TO TELL YOU WHEN YOUR PATIENT IS GOING BAD. 7-8 PATIENTS TO A NURSE. VERY SICK PATIENTS WHO AT TIMES DO NEED MORE MONITERING BUT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH MONITERS TO GO AROUND. JUST YESTERDAY I SENT TWO PATIENTS OUT. ONE TO ICU, ONE TO CCU. BOTH WENT BAD IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, NOT HOURS. IF NOT FOR DILIGENT ROUNDS BY ASSISTANTS AND RNS THESE MAY HAVE BEEN MISSED. THANK GOD FOR A SLOW NIGHT. IF IT HAD HAPPENED THE NIGHT BEFORE WHERE WE GOT 7 ADMITS IN A 4 HOUR PERID WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED.

Specializes in Nurse Attorney.

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

This where I found my attorney :)

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