I messed up

[magslu]

Hi guys

I'm dreading the day ahead....

I am new to nursing, it is my second career, so I am ancient. I don't even have 6 months into the field and I'm having trouble.

I work in hospice...when I started I raved how much I loved my job, since then, three wonderful nurses left the company. I am now the only LPN there. I work full time and that is even more rare for my area.

I went to one of the facilities this week to do my routine wound care. I also look in to check on the other patients. They are all dementia pt's qualified for hospice and for the most part pretty much stable.

the door to my wound care products was locked. So I started my rounds. I knocked on the door for one of our pt's. I cracked it and was waved to come in by the DON, a man was sitting in a chair next to the pt with his back to me. I looked at the pt, he was in distress, gasping for air. I looked to the DON who was kneeling at the foot of the bed doing nothing more and (donned in a serene - how wonderful the progression of death is.... smile on her sick face).

I immediately went into OMG, this pt is in crisis, not knowing who the man in the chair was, I bent to her and whispered, do you need me to do anything ? does the pt need continuous care ?. she replied she wasn't sure yet and then introduced me to the man, who was the pt son, I shook his hand and greeted him...... do you see what I did wrong here ????

then she said to the son, the pt needs to be turned, we are going to find the HHA. She ushered me out the door and blasted me for not announcing myself. I apologized and agreed it was wrong. I said I understand the facility policy and will not do it again. She did not stop there ( by the way, I'm old enough to be her mother ). She continued, and said, it is not about policy, it is about being human and you are not being human !!

I was shocked, hurt and tried to deflect the conversation. I already made my sincere apologies. Then she demanded me go back in the room to turn that pt, stating it is my job as a hospice nurse to do so. I am not stationed at this facility for the day, my company wants the nurses to do visits and move on to the next pt. So, the company has HHA's stationed at these facilities and this is part of their function. I told her I would find our HHA to help (feeling I should be out of her site and hair until she calms down). Well, this infuriated her even more, with more harsh words.

I called my case mgr, who was on her way to do her daily check on this pt. I called my DON to give her a heads up a complaint might come through. My DON was very understanding and told me not to cry, she understood.

Well, the next day, I am asked to repeat the episode, this time my DON was not so understanding. She said they must have taught you in school about entering a room. This was a one time episode and situational, I do announce myself, however, I was more concerned about the pt condition then an introduction when she knew me already.

Did this really need to go to a level of considering me not human ???

I feel it was a hostile attack, I feel if I went into that room to turn the pt, she would have blasted me for something else.

So...all of this has caused a big meeting, my DON and this facility DON and it is sometime today. It will not be in my favor because the facility brings our company business. I'd like to say, just find another hospice job, but they don't hire full time LPN's just perdiem continuous care in my area. I can't push a med cart, because ethically I feel it's dangerous when you can't pass all the meds on time and working in a dr office you get paid little money.

I worked 36 years for one company and now I can't even make it 6 months in nursing !!! honestly haven't been happy since the 3 nice nurses left

I am so beat down

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I can't push a med cart, because ethically I feel it's dangerous when you can't pass all the meds on time and working in a dr office you get paid little money.

Yes, you can push a medication cart. However, you won't push a medication cart.

Please return soon with an update of this situation's outcome. We wish you the best of luck!

[magslu]

Hi Commuter,

You are right for what ever it is worth, I will not push the cart. I did one day of it, falling behind, not going to the bathroom or taking lunch, no time to do a treatment. I realize there are short cuts, but my conscious would not let me sleep

So...I had my day today, and it didn't fair well. I still have a job, but I'm sure this is a large mark against me.

I am starting to look at other options, don't know what or where...but will try

thank you for caring !!

[Moriah02]

That is a whole lot to do for such a little mistake. If I was the DON I would have just said hello to you inside the room & then introduced you to the son, & kept it moving. People make the biggest tado about nothing.

[magslu]

thank you moriah02

I thought this also..I was more concerned about the gasping pt than saying my greeting.

I was scheduled to go again at the end of the week. When I saw her, I nodded my head and smiled (what I felt was an alternative to a verbal acknowledgement) to avoid anymore unpleasantries. This apparently bugged her because she called my DON to complain I didn't acknowledge her.

I have been kicked out of the facility now. My company feels the incident isn't good for business and if their DON has a personal issue with me, it's best to keep me out of there. I find it all out of place.

wow, how this kind of discourages me from the whole nursing experience

[Moriah02]

In nursing you have to learn to brush off a lot of things. Sometimes patients don't like or say rude things to you. Sometimes families don't like you. Sometimes jobs just aren't the right fit. As long as no disciplinary action has been taken against you, your license isn't in jeopardy, and your hireable some place else I wouldn't worry about. I would look on the bright side at least you don't have to deal with that DON again.

[nursel56]

thank you moriah02

I thought this also..I was more concerned about the gasping pt than saying my greeting.

I was scheduled to go again at the end of the week. When I saw her, I nodded my head and smiled (what I felt was an alternative to a verbal acknowledgement) to avoid anymore unpleasantries. This apparently bugged her because she called my DON to complain I didn't acknowledge her.

I have been kicked out of the facility now. My company feels the incident isn't good for business and if their DON has a personal issue with me, it's best to keep me out of there. I find it all out of place.

wow, how this kind of discourages me from the whole nursing experience

That should not discourage you from nursing-- these types of interpersonal conflicts are not at all unusual. Nursing is not like any other field, but a rough patch doesn't mean you don't have anything to offer.

I had trouble following your story, though. I reread it, and noticed you mentioned you had knocked and the DON waved you in the room? Sometimes when emotions run high like that the problem isn't from person a to person b, but a failure to communicate and understand what both parties are really upset about. This person seemed to really freak-out and over-react, but what exactly was going on isn't apparent.

Sometimes it's best to go the extra mile for the sake of peace. You can know you are right, but decide to assist in turning the patient to defuse a volatile situation, anyway. Sorry you went through that!

[nifty_n]

Geez this is so petty and a waste of time...I hope I never have to work with people like your DON.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

There is a difference between CAN'T and WON'T. You are in the latter category. And if you end being fired over this, any money you make in a clinic is going to be better than the money you are NOT making in Hospice. Just saying....

Hi guys

I'm dreading the day ahead....

I am new to nursing, it is my second career, so I am ancient. I don't even have 6 months into the field and I'm having trouble.

I work in hospice...when I started I raved how much I loved my job, since then, three wonderful nurses left the company. I am now the only LPN there. I work full time and that is even more rare for my area.

I went to one of the facilities this week to do my routine wound care. I also look in to check on the other patients. They are all dementia pt's qualified for hospice and for the most part pretty much stable.

the door to my wound care products was locked. So I started my rounds. I knocked on the door for one of our pt's. I cracked it and was waved to come in by the DON, a man was sitting in a chair next to the pt with his back to me. I looked at the pt, he was in distress, gasping for air. I looked to the DON who was kneeling at the foot of the bed doing nothing more and (donned in a serene - how wonderful the progression of death is.... smile on her sick face).

I immediately went into OMG, this pt is in crisis, not knowing who the man in the chair was, I bent to her and whispered, do you need me to do anything ? does the pt need continuous care ?. she replied she wasn't sure yet and then introduced me to the man, who was the pt son, I shook his hand and greeted him...... do you see what I did wrong here ????

then she said to the son, the pt needs to be turned, we are going to find the HHA. She ushered me out the door and blasted me for not announcing myself. I apologized and agreed it was wrong. I said I understand the facility policy and will not do it again. She did not stop there ( by the way, I'm old enough to be her mother ). She continued, and said, it is not about policy, it is about being human and you are not being human !!

I was shocked, hurt and tried to deflect the conversation. I already made my sincere apologies. Then she demanded me go back in the room to turn that pt, stating it is my job as a hospice nurse to do so. I am not stationed at this facility for the day, my company wants the nurses to do visits and move on to the next pt. So, the company has HHA's stationed at these facilities and this is part of their function. I told her I would find our HHA to help (feeling I should be out of her site and hair until she calms down). Well, this infuriated her even more, with more harsh words.

I called my case mgr, who was on her way to do her daily check on this pt. I called my DON to give her a heads up a complaint might come through. My DON was very understanding and told me not to cry, she understood.

Well, the next day, I am asked to repeat the episode, this time my DON was not so understanding. She said they must have taught you in school about entering a room. This was a one time episode and situational, I do announce myself, however, I was more concerned about the pt condition then an introduction when she knew me already.

Did this really need to go to a level of considering me not human ???

I feel it was a hostile attack, I feel if I went into that room to turn the pt, she would have blasted me for something else.

So...all of this has caused a big meeting, my DON and this facility DON and it is sometime today. It will not be in my favor because the facility brings our company business. I'd like to say, just find another hospice job, but they don't hire full time LPN's just perdiem continuous care in my area. I can't push a med cart, because ethically I feel it's dangerous when you can't pass all the meds on time and working in a dr office you get paid little money.

I worked 36 years for one company and now I can't even make it 6 months in nursing !!! honestly haven't been happy since the 3 nice nurses left

I am so beat down

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

You'd better get your resume in order.

thank you moriah02

I thought this also..I was more concerned about the gasping pt than saying my greeting.

I was scheduled to go again at the end of the week. When I saw her, I nodded my head and smiled (what I felt was an alternative to a verbal acknowledgement) to avoid anymore unpleasantries. This apparently bugged her because she called my DON to complain I didn't acknowledge her.

I have been kicked out of the facility now. My company feels the incident isn't good for business and if their DON has a personal issue with me, it's best to keep me out of there. I find it all out of place.

wow, how this kind of discourages me from the whole nursing experience

[KayStanley]

I feel like you were attacked. While you were in the wrong, every nurse makes mistakes. I think the words they said to you were to harsh, as you did see you were wrong, and apologized. I'm sorry. But don't let them bring you down. You have made it 6 months, that's better than no months. You have every right to be a nurse and to work in hospice, so if that's what you want to do, don't let a few people make you second guess things.

[NuGuyNurse2b]

I think OP isn't really grasping what is rally happening here. Hospice...sounds like pt was doing that chain smoke breathing (I know the real term, it's a joke from another thread this week, thank you) and she panicked in front of the family member and the DON. I don't think they were really upset about the lack of an introduction - OP created a stressful environment for a family member who clearly didn't need it. I would be upset at OP too.