Is this LTC facility trying to take her license?

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My wife is a LPN for an agency. It was her first job with this agency and she had no training at the Long term care facility that she went to and she was on to do a double. She had no idea where anything was and when she asked the employees that actually work there the kept on ignoring her or telling her I don't know. At some point a med aid showed up and said she herd that she needed assistance. My wife thanked the med aid and then the med aid sorry, she was leaving. At some point a nurse came over and asked for my wife's login info so she could check over the charting and and asked her for the med keys. My wife was frazzled because of everything that was going, the lack of care from other employees because she was "agency" and being behind on handing out meds so she just thought this nurse was helping her out. Luckily there was an agency CNA there that witnessed this. My wife later found out that she wasn't helping, but rather the nurse was charting under my wife's name. At the end of her shift, my wife tried to count out with the oncoming shift but they refused to. My wife started to feel like she was going to be thrown under the bus and she was. She was told not to come back, was notified by the other agency worker that there was a lot of **** talk about her to the residents, her agency let her go and the RCM wants to talk to my wife but she is afraid to talk to her because she fears her license is in jeopardy. She is trying to figure out if she should go to the board of nursing, get legal counsel first, or just return the call.

On a side note, the residents thanked her for treating them like people when she apologized to them for being late and was even told that sometimes the staff is so overworked that they take it out on the residents. This place is riddled with complaints and formal investigations.

Any advice would be great as she can't be the only LPN to have this happen to.

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Specializes in hospice, LTC, public health, occupational health.

Sounds horrible but no nurse who values her license and her freedom hands over her log in and med cart keys to anyone. How long has she been a nurse? Because she should know better than that.

I think calling a lawyer sounds like the best option right now.

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She had worked at a small home environment facility that was ran differently before agency home health 1 on 1 and a different agency that put her in a LTC facility that took the time to have her come in and train her about that facility. So really this is like the 3rd place she has been and the first that treated her like this. Forgot to say the she had no breaks or lunches during this 16 hour shift.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

I can't offer much advice except that this is going to be a very hard lesson for her to learn - every single nurse knows they should not give someone their log in information let alone their med cart key, at all, period. There will be little that can be said to excuse this, even though the environment in general sounded horrible. Still there's no excuse for this as a sane, licensed nurse. I would recommend contacting a lawyer ASAP.

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I missunderstood her. She was logged in on the med cart trying to catch up when this person started to chart under her name. So no, she did not give it out.

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Your wife now has an example of how agency nurses are treated in LTC facilities. Instead of welcoming agency help and assisting these nurses to do their job, facility employees usually take their frustrations out on easy targets. Your spouse needs to concentrate on getting a regular position where it is inherently easier to adjust as time goes by.

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Why are you posting for your wife? The forum is for nurses not their spouses.

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Specializes in hospice, LTC, public health, occupational health.
Why are you posting for your wife? The forum is for nurses not their spouses.

Actually, this is a public forum where anyone may post. He clearly identified himself as a non nurse and has not violated any rules. Don't be rude.

I missunderstood her. She was logged in on the med cart trying to catch up when this person started to chart under her name. So no, she did not give it out.

Or she changed her story to make it look less bad once she saw how other nurses reacted. She still allowed someone else to chart under her login and handed someone else her med cart keys. Both of those are insanity for a nurse who, as I said, values her license and freedom. Call a lawyer.

I also agree with the poster who suggested she get out of agency work and find a regular position where she can learn and grow over time in the same environment. She doesn't sound experienced enough to make the adjustments agency work requires, and that's okay. I wouldn't work agency unless my family were starving, it's not for everyone. The reason they pay higher is because it's fricking hard.

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Actually, this is a public forum where anyone may post. He clearly identified himself as a non nurse and has not violated any rules. Don't be rude.

Or she changed her story to make it look less bad once she saw how other nurses reacted. She still allowed someone else to chart under her login and handed someone else her med cart keys. Both of those are insanity for a nurse who, as I said, values her license and freedom. Call a lawyer.

I also agree with the poster who suggested she get out of agency work and find a regular position where she can learn and grow over time in the same environment. She doesn't sound experienced enough to make the adjustments agency work requires, and that's okay. I wouldn't work agency unless my family were starving, it's not for everyone. The reason they pay higher is because it's fricking hard.

Actually it's meant to be a forum for nurses, read the terms of service.

We had a run of husbands posting for their wives over the years. It never ends well. We are basically listening to a story that will change.

The details are not from the horse's mouth, so to speak. We are getting a husband's version of what his wife told him. Then we are expected to give him advice that he can then pass onto his wife.

She should just create an account and tell her story.

The name Red Ranger still makes long time posters quiver in anticipation of what fantastic story he will tell on behalf of his wife.

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Specializes in hospice, LTC, public health, occupational health.

Show me a quote from the terms of service that states non nurses are not allowed to post on these forums.

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They're not trying to "take" her license, but they don't care one way or the other if she loses it. That's true anywhere you go in nursing. Again, how new an LPN is your wife? She allowed herself to be put into a v. risky (professionally) situation. I hope things will work out for her. Best wishes!

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Specializes in LTC and Pediatrics.

Did she have LTC experience before working for this agency. Any good agency would not hire a nurse without experience in the area they would be sending here. Experience gives a good basis from which to build when going with an agency. I worked with an agency after having gained some experience in LTC and I usually received 1-2 hours orientation though it usually did not amount to much. Since I did have the experience, it wasn't too difficult to jump in and figure out what to do. I would usually let the residents know that I was new and once I was there a few days, I would be faster. I only had one facility where it was not a good fit.

Just my 2cents worth here from one who has been there.

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