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.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
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.
Actually, according to the Joint Commission, agencies are no longer allowed to place nurses in areas where they don't have pertinent experience within the past year.
Show me a quote from the terms of service that states non nurses are not allowed to post on these forums.
Regardless of what is or is not in the TOS, I really do think it is best for the wife herself to come on here if she wants advice/support. Obviously we cannot supply legal advice, but I am worried that we are not getting a 100% accurate view of what happened, and the wife may not be getting a thorough representation of the suggestions on here.
FWIW, I think the wife needs to talk to lawyer. I guess this serves as a warning to everyone, no matter the profession: never give out your password for any account, whether work related or personal.
Show me a quote from the terms of service that states non nurses are not allowed to post on these forums.
If you actually read the TOS it states "peer to peer nursing community on the internet". A spouse of a nurse is not a peer.
In the about us section "a global site reaching nurses and nursing students".
The mission statement addresses nurses, nursing students, and educators.
I wouldn't sign up for the medical student's forum (although they have been known to troll here) nor would I sign up for the Thin Blue Line because I'm not a LEO.
I certainly wouldn't sign up as a LEO's partner and ask questions on their behalf. I'd be laughed out of the board.
Specializes in hospice, LTC, public health, occupational health.
If you actually read the TOS it states "peer to peer nursing community on the internet". A spouse of a nurse is not a peer.
In the about us section "a global site reaching nurses and nursing students".
The mission statement addresses nurses, nursing students, and educators.
I wouldn't sign up for the medical student's forum (although they have been known to troll here) nor would I sign up for the Thin Blue Line because I'm not a LEO.
I certainly wouldn't sign up as a LEO's partner and ask questions on their behalf. I'd be laughed out of the board.
None of that states that non nurses are not allowed to post on these forums. Try again.
A facility or hospital or any other entity cannot "take" a license from a nurse. The Board of Nursing is strictly responsible for issuing and governing licensure of nurses in their particular state.
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
None of that states that non nurses are not allowed to post on these forums. Try again.
The original statement never said they weren't allowed, the post said "Actually it's meant to be a forum for nurses, read the terms of service." And I think they provided adequate information to back that up as accurate.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Hi, spouse of nurse.
Well, my personal reason for wanting to hear this firsthand is that someone who is upset about how their spouse was treated is bound to put a spin on it, although I don't think it's deliberate.
In this situation whether or not the place has a bad reputation, the sincerity of your wife's apologies for the late med pass, what the residents think of the full-time staff, and how employees are gossiping about your wife shouldn't be priority things to stress about right now.
The very first thing to be concerned with, as an agency nurse, is to determine enough about the assignment that you can make an educated decision about whether or not to accept the assignment in the first place. There are places who will put a warm body anywhere, but it isn't up to them to protect us.
It may have been her first assignment from this agency, but more importantly, what was her experience level working as an agency nurse in facilities of similar size and similar job duties?
Needing to learn which shelf, drawer or cupboard contains which thing is a job expectation in agency nursing. If a typical LTC med pass is part of the assignment she accepted, it is assumed she can do it.
Being flexible, and having a broad base of experience is a requirement in agency nursing. Not everyone copes well in this environment, some people have a talent for adapting. Those who don't choose not to work agency.
Here are some points that we most likely need more detail about to give any advice.
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.
It's very possible they didn't know. As it seems the med pass was the overwhelmingly stressful event, she may have been asking techs or CNAs these questions. Your wife was there at least in part because she is licensed to pass meds and they are not.
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.
From this I understand that the management or on-call person became aware that your wife was struggling to keep up, and that they sent someone to assist her. It isn't at all clear why the med aid would then turn around and leave, and that would be an important thing for us to understand before we could offer helpful advice.
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.
So, the med aid disappeared, and a nurse arrived, asked for your wife's login info, and your wife somehow thought the nurse arrived to provide the help the med aid inexplicably refused to provide?
If your wife were writing this, we would probably want to know what led your wife to assume she was there to help. Did they discuss what was done or not done at all?
The rest of the story is too confusing to comment on, but the salient point really is that your wife was "frazzled" and probably in some kind of panic mode. That happens sometimes and it's a living hell when it does.
Hopefully she can learn from this how to avoid anything similar in the future.
Now since we don't know any other sides of this story and your wife believes her license is in jeopardy I'll say talking to a lawyer would be a good idea.
Actually in my state joint commission does not oversee or regulate ltc the state board of nursing oversees them I have worked agency and no orientation or training outside of what the agency provides is required to take a assignment in a ltc facility
Specializes in hospice, LTC, public health, occupational health.
The original statement never said they weren't allowed
You were saying?
Why are you posting for your wife? The forum is for nurses not their spouses.
The fact is that the TOS does not disallow non nurses from posting here. If it did, you'd have to kick every MA, CNA, EMT, tech, and student off of here. There are a few posters who like to remind these other professionals that they are not nurses, yet no one tells them they can't post here.
I still think the response was unnecessarily rude, and if you look at some of my posts, you'll see how high a standard I have for that.
Wondering if the OP has any update for us, but I have a feeling we won't hear from him again.
When you work agency, try to go in an hour early on your own time to get oriented for that first shift. It's a fast learning curve, but you are expected to know what you are doing even if you have never set foot in that facility prior. Also, try to get passwords set up ahead of time and ask questions about the structure of the unit. Is there a med nurse? Is there a treatment nurse? Stuff like that. The first shift is the worst, then if you make it through, you'll be asked back and then things get much much easier. Working agency is very difficult but you have to use judgement to decide what shifts you will agree to take because you are expected to go and get the job done!
TriciaJ, RN
4,328 Posts
Actually, according to the Joint Commission, agencies are no longer allowed to place nurses in areas where they don't have pertinent experience within the past year.