I was fired for refusing to give injections incorrectly!

[katlpn6]

Hello, my name is Katherine. I have been an LPN for 10 years. I am an experienced clinition and have won awards for my excellence in clinical practice. I worked in an office for 10 years which gave me a vast amount of experience, from family practice,internal medicine,pre-op teaching,pediatric nursing to urgent care. I take pride in my skills and am dedicated to doing it right for the benefit of my patient. I loved my job but felt it was time for a change so I took a new job in a pediatric office, this office served patients from birth to 18 years old. When I discovered the nurses in this office were giving IM injections with a 5/8" needle I requested that they order some 1" needles, which they did. When the nurse who was orienting me told me that she "tapes syringes together" to give immunizations I almost fell over! I told her that was not clinically appropriate and I would not be doing that. I worked there for two weeks and was brought into the office managers office after work one evening and told that it wasn't working out and they would have to let me go. When I asked why she told me it was because I was too set in my ways and obviously was not willing to do things their way. As difficult as this has been for me, I feel proud that I stood my ground and refused to do it wrong to just keep my job. From what I understand the department of health got word of this and has since gone in to correct the situation. Unfortunately it was at the expence of my job but at least I know the children are being properly immunized because of my sacrifice. Now I'm off to the trenches again to find a job that appreciates a skilled and dedicated nurse!

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

Katlpn6, I'd rather be a "trouble maker" nurse like you. Far too many nurses are worried about being liked and as a result aren't efficient patient advocates. I may piss people off because I speak up when I need to, but at least I can look myself in the mirror and know that I do the best I can for my patients. You did the right thing. Bravo!!

[linzz]

It is hard caring enough to do the job right. Thank you for being that one. I am sure you have saved many peds patients a lot of needless complications. I just can't believe that anyone would tape needles together, some shortcut that is. This is a different situation, but I have heard of a nurse that thought that regular and intermediate acting insulin could not be mixed in the same insulin syringe so she would give the patient two different needles, uggh! I am sure you won't have trouble finding other work.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Here's to hoping that the OP was able to move on and find another nursing position in the 2 1/2 years since the thread was posted. :)

[heathIam, RN]

I've been in peds for 30something years and I have NEVER heard of taping two syringes together to give two injections.........so I don't think this is a peds thing.

It is most likely just an ignorant lazy incompetent thing

[struggling nsg s2dnt]

howeee that's what i'm afraid of.. torn bet two things.. but i must say that whatever it is, we must always stand for the patient's safety bcoz that's our role as nurses..to be their advocate

[angelique777]

Did you ever sue your job for wrongful dismissal I hope you did!!!!!!

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

Reminds me of a job I had as an LVN where everyone drew up the cloudy insulin first then the regular. I caught it because al the regular insulin containers were cloudy. I asked the nurses who had been there for two years and they argued with me about the correct practice.

I called our boss and asked for a meeting, brought several peer reviewed articles. The nurses were ticked, but the boss was angry at them.

I ended up quitting that job, but at least I did what was right, as did you.

Good for you!

[Vito Andolini]

It does make sense to give two shots at the same time, but there's a much safer way to do it. Two nurses, one on each side, giving the shots in opposite limbs on the count of three is MUCH better. That's how we do it in the NICU when we have to give our little ones their slew of vaccinations. Just like when they pierce kids' ears - they do both at the same time.

But taped together...sooooo wrong! And those short needles scare me, too. How many years have they unknowingly been giving IM shots SQ????

Depending on the size of the child, the shots would not necessarily be SQ instead of IM.

But the practice of taping syringes together sounds not quite right, especially if it is causing infection and abscesses. The doc is aware? Is he or she making extra money by the child having to be seen again for post-shot infection? Probably good you got out but I'm glad you reported it.

Just curious - was the one who fired you a nurse or an office person who really doesn't know about shot technique?