Thank you all for listening to my plight. I was called into the office at lunch time and told I had to be let go. I worked in Asst. Living. The residents are very much oriented x 3. I know we have rules that must be followed and I had no problem with that. When I first went there I was told I could be hired as a med tech. When I appeared for the interview two months ago the facility administrator hired me on the spot as an LPN at $21.00/hr. I had orientation for a couple of weeks with 8 different people. Instead of one to mentor me and had no consistency. Everyone had their own way and their own rules and told me this is what they did. So, I took a little from each one and then went on my way to be on my own as a new graduate. I had to apologize to a resident last week for an aide telling a dear woman that she was disgusting when she went in to clean her colostomy bag. Just today I had to apologize to another resident who is on hospice for waking up the aide during night shift at 1:00 AM wanting prune juice from her fridge and tylenol. Resident was brought the tylenol and not asked what the pain was, the scale of pain or where the pain was located. An EMT was on and told her to be quiet and get back to bed it was 1:00 AM. I had found out after being hired that there were 2 med techs there in their early 20s. Since I was hired they had zero hours. Also, the one was reinstated after she had been relieve of duties due to disciplinary measures.
I had a resident who has a yo yo blood sugar. She had a b/s of 80 at 5:00 PM and refused 5 units of insulin. After dinner I took b/s again and it was 87 she refused insulin. The MAR stated at 8:30 hs to give 2 units. At that time her b/s was 250. Since she had no coverage at all at dinner I gave her 2 units plus 2 units for coverage. The other patients in asst. living are sliding scale. I had to leave and there was NO nursing coverage overnight. I wrote this up in the notes what I had done and why. The next day I was told it was a VERY serious med error and that the family had to be called. There were no side effects at all and it was 2 extra units on a nursing judgement that I made. Why then was I allowed the next day to work and give out all the medications on the 2nd floor then called down and told to sign a form and they had to let me go. Was this a serious med error in Asst living to give 2 extra units for a 250 blood sugar? I am so crushed.
I loved these people and had grown fond of them. I truly care about my profession and made a bad call. The DON said I should have called her at home or call the doctor. Well ok so now I have lost my job that I was just settling into. Was this really grounds for letting me go? Just like that?
The people really liked me and I cared about them.
Oh, the DON told me as she walked me out the door that she liked me as a person and would
write me a good letter of recommendation for another job if I needed it. She told me she would
not report me to the state regarding my licensure. ??? Am I the only newly graduated nurse to make
a bad decision like this. Is this what happens when you are on the job and new??
