I was Discharged..and Now my LICENSE is being threatened/Retaliatory Actions HELP!!!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC, Rehabiliation Nursing.

I worked for 9 months at a rehab facility. Very long story short...Another nurse who was a float stepped into a room where I was feeding a red spoon patient in a supine position, made a 10 second evaluation of the situation, and accused me of unsafe nursing. Although I proved later, I had the doctor come in and evaluate the patient, (the patient had no swallowing issues..only pain and limited ROM issues) and I was actually acting under that doctors orders...this nurse was a favorite of the Nurse Manager and DON....and my life subsequently became hell. They put me on probation, because of the supposed 'severity' of my unsafe actions. Even after I proved I was not acting unsafely, and wrote a letter of appeal to the DON, both as the DON and a member of the ethics committee...she completely ignored my letter..and they just said that I was on probation for to many med errors, to many latenesses, and to many missed shifts. I never once missed a shift! I traded shifts with verbal approval.

I was in the right. I have never been written up for anything..never had patient complaints..as a matter of fact I was written up in the company newsletter for exemplary care of a patient due to a letter she wrote. I have had two verbal warnings for being late...and that was because I was dealing with domestic violence and my ex husband stalking me. I still came to work and was able to forget all that and immerse myself in my patients and their needs.

This nurse actually caused my patient pain and harm with her actions...but somehow...Im the one out. :banghead: She just happened to be best friends with the nurse manager AND the DON.

I eventually had to leave my job. They changed my schedule to one I could not work, and when I told my nurse manager that...she said, well..dont work it, and its no call no show..and your done. Im miserable about it...but a lesson learned.

Be careful whose toes you step on.

They just might be attached to a butt you should be kissing.

That did not matter...and Im now fighting for my license....after getting unemployement..(which I actually only collected for 4 weeks)

Five days after getting unemployment? More than a MONTH after I was 'let go', The DON wrote a letter to my state board accusing me of multiple med errors, lateness and missed shifts.:crying2:

My life is hell...nursing IS my life, and now I am trying to write a letter to the board showing that this is retaliatory. I am devastated...I have nursing insurance, but I dont know if its to help me in a situation like this...isnt it just if a patient sues you? I am also supporting 2 children by myself, going through divorce, with no financial support.

I am working right now, but Im so scared.....

I do have all the documentation pertaining to the situation to support my side.

The unemployment was granted because they tried to claim I chronically missed work. Simply, as a 32 hour a week employee..I showed unemployment my paystubs, and not ONCE did I get one under 74 hours, and most were 80 plus.

I had to get unemployement due to my financial situation..it was not an option not to. Had I known this would happen...I wouldnt have. But..I cant believe a DON would abuse her powers this way. I am a good nurse...my skills have gotten better..my review was excellent, and my nurse manager took it and ripped it apart as a disciplinary action, instead of writing me up or following any of their own rules as a corporation.

Again...Im devastated and frightened, I worked so hard to get my license...I am NOT a bad nurse...I had a 2 week orientation and was put on the floor with a full mod of high acuity patient..and over half my med errors are NOT even med errors, they are my documentation errors. Of course the DON did not send my med sheets where I explained the situation...just a list of med errors, 11 in 9 months, that make me look like an incompetent nurse.

ANYBODY, ANYBODY with advice to help me...I am desperate for any advice...I have talked to a lawyer...but you know, if you do that, who will hire me then?

Crushed in the NorthEast....

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I'm sorry to hear what you are going through. The only advice I can offer is maybe you should consider consulting with a legal nurse attorney. If it is just a consult I don't see how any future employers would know about that. Your consult should be kept confidential.

I'm not sure what the problem is about you collecting the unemployment. Were you saying that the DON had a problem with it? Do they even know if a former employee goes after unemployment?

It sounds like they were looking for something to catch you on. Maybe not, but appears that way, you might also feel that way.

I lost my job more than a month ago over an order the dr. signed and then decided to complain about it, that it really wasn't an order. Another nurse got herself involved and I think she might be the reason I was let go. I know what you mean about the hurt, fear, disappointment, and all the other negative feelings that go along with a job going sour. About her reporting you to the board of nursing though, wow, that is really harsh and probably way out of line. You are going through so much with your family, divorce, now this, I just can't imagine. I don't know of any other advice to offer but I wish you luck and hope everything works out for you.

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BTW, what is a redspoon patient?:clown:

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Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC, Rehabiliation Nursing.

Sorry, red spoon patient is a nickname for the patients with swallowing issues..which you have a lot of with strokes and brain injured pts. This pt did NOT have any swallowing issues...I researched it before I went to the doc.

Thanks Phoebe...

Im doing my best...it was retaliation on her part...It was over a month before I applied for and got unemployment...and I got a letter from her 5 days after that that she reported me to the board. If I was such an unsafe nurse...why did she wait 35 days?

Go figure...

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I'm so sorry to hear that, but I know very well these "kind of games" exist everywhere.

I do agree that a lawyer (whose specialty is health care) would help you a lot. They know the ways to "get to the point", if you understand what I want to say. Everything is harder if we have no experience on what we are doing and dealing with law can be really painfull.

But do take action... you own this to yourself!

Best luck to you and keep us posted!

Brazilian Teresa

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