I gave my notice--now I'm on the RADAR

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

I just gave my notice at my curent job--a LTC/TCU. We have 48 LTC beds and 24 TCU. I work all three wings, but mainly the TCU.

The last time I worked was Tuesday. I had put my notice in writing and had given it to my DON the day before. We had a very nice chat, she was glad I wanted to stay on-call. I made it clear in my resignation that the issue was the benefits package and the pay. My new job and another TCU is $5.50/hour more, for a virtually indentical commute. I told her if she could match it, I wouldn't leave because I was very happy working there. She said she couldn't.

Anyway, the next day I was on a LTC wing, and took a new order for a fentanyl patch. We put the orders in and send the new order to the pharmacy. I reported off, told the on-coming nurse that the patch had been ordered and to watch for it. Pharmacy is supposed to have the new meds in house within the day. Order was sent at 1pm, should have arrived by 6pm. The 'script was signed by the provider--so no issues in getting it ASAP as a new order. I blocked it off in the MAR so everyone would know when to change it (every 3 days.)

Friday I arrive for my CPR renewal class, and a manager asks me if I got her call. I didn't, and she said she called because she wanted to know if I had ordered the fentanyl patch. ***? The daughter came in on Thursday and the patch still had not arrived, she was very upset that we had not gotten the new pain meds. I would have been too. But why call me?

I asked her why she called me, when she should have been checking with the nurses who actually worked the last few days why they didn't follow up.

She got mad and said it was my responsibility to make sure it was properly ordered. Our fax machines don't print confirmations, only delivery failures, and I told her that...asked if she had expected me to call the pharmacy to make sure they got it or not.

She says "no, I did that after I faxed it and they didn't get it." Well, clearly this is a problem on the end of pharmacy then right? No, apparently, it was MY problem. What about the PM shift on Tuesday, the AM & PM shift on Wednesday, and the AM shift on Thursday? Why are they not responsible for reading their MAR and saying "Hey this new order should have been received by now?"

It felt like a witch hunt to call me at home for this...I've never been called at home for an issue before. EVER. Interesting that it happens right after I give my notice, as if I somehow am now going to give sub-standard care.

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.

A sign of the bad economy, some facilities just are not worried about managing their workers anymore. Blame falls on whoever is the easiest to tag, whoever offers the path of least resistance. You are on your way out, so, easier to confront you and not have to worry about any long term lingering effects of poor moral. She's stroking the egos of the people who are staying........"Yes honey, it was that nurse who is leaving that caused this, not you. ".

Around where I live, some people are starting to move away from nursing. Not enough to call it a trend or anything, but conditions have gotten so that people are just..........moving on. The relationship between nurses and the facilities has become such that some would recommend not performing a 2 week notice, its not worth the risk. You can almost be 100% assured that during your two week notice, every and anything that goes wrong will somehow be placed on you.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

Don't let it get to you...now you see the "other side" of this employer and you can be glad to know that your move is benefiting you in more than financial ways.

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When my brother left a job, he was told that after his departure that everything bad would be blamed on him. I suppose this was to discourage him from having second thoughts and attempting to return. Or it could just have been that the departed make perfect scape goats.

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I just gave my notice at my curent job--a LTC/TCU. We have 48 LTC beds and 24 TCU. I work all three wings, but mainly the TCU.

The last time I worked was Tuesday. I had put my notice in writing and had given it to my DON the day before. We had a very nice chat, she was glad I wanted to stay on-call. I made it clear in my resignation that the issue was the benefits package and the pay. My new job and another TCU is $5.50/hour more, for a virtually indentical commute. I told her if she could match it, I wouldn't leave because I was very happy working there. She said she couldn't.

Anyway, the next day I was on a LTC wing, and took a new order for a fentanyl patch. We put the orders in and send the new order to the pharmacy. I reported off, told the on-coming nurse that the patch had been ordered and to watch for it. Pharmacy is supposed to have the new meds in house within the day. Order was sent at 1pm, should have arrived by 6pm. The 'script was signed by the provider--so no issues in getting it ASAP as a new order. I blocked it off in the MAR so everyone would know when to change it (every 3 days.)

Friday I arrive for my CPR renewal class, and a manager asks me if I got her call. I didn't, and she said she called because she wanted to know if I had ordered the fentanyl patch. ***? The daughter came in on Thursday and the patch still had not arrived, she was very upset that we had not gotten the new pain meds. I would have been too. But why call me?

I asked her why she called me, when she should have been checking with the nurses who actually worked the last few days why they didn't follow up.

She got mad and said it was my responsibility to make sure it was properly ordered. Our fax machines don't print confirmations, only delivery failures, and I told her that...asked if she had expected me to call the pharmacy to make sure they got it or not.

She says "no, I did that after I faxed it and they didn't get it." Well, clearly this is a problem on the end of pharmacy then right? No, apparently, it was MY problem. What about the PM shift on Tuesday, the AM & PM shift on Wednesday, and the AM shift on Thursday? Why are they not responsible for reading their MAR and saying "Hey this new order should have been received by now?"

It felt like a witch hunt to call me at home for this...I've never been called at home for an issue before. EVER. Interesting that it happens right after I give my notice, as if I somehow am now going to give sub-standard care.

The next shifts should have noticed the med on the MAR and questioned its where abouts.. Just a word of advice. Its always a good rule of practice to dot all your i's and cross all your t's before leaving for the day.. that way you can not be blamed for not doing your job... Not everyone will have your back so you have to have it for yourself..., but, I think the other shifts should have a talking to as well., It is part of their job, not to mention the scope of practice, to find out where meds are that are on the MAR....Hang in there

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.
The next shifts should have noticed the med on the MAR and questioned its where abouts.. Just a word of advice. Its always a good rule of practice to dot all your i's and cross all your t's before leaving for the day.. that way you can not be blamed for not doing your job... Not everyone will have your back so you have to have it for yourself..., but, I think the other shifts should have a talking to as well., It is part of their job, not to mention the scope of practice, to find out where meds are that are on the MAR....Hang in there

What else should I have done? I reported that a new med was ordered, and I ordered it. I also put it on the MAR. What the heck else could I have done? Stayed until it arrived and put it on myself?

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