Jokes on me....?

[Ms.UndastoodRn]

I've been traveling for almost 2 years now and have gained so much knowledge along the way. Been a nurse since 2007 and its been an honor. Very big accomplishment for a mother of 3. My recent position was in east Columbus on a busy CMICU unit. Patient ratio is 5:1, which I couldn't believe due to patient acuity ( OHS patients, fresh thoracotomies, Ptca, and pacer implants, etc). This particular night I started with 4 patients, a patient awaiting OHS on Heparin drip with a new infection, new onset Afib on a cardizem drip, IVDU with endocarditis/septic emboli going for colonoscopy starting prep and new MI first troponin 5.74. The night was BUSY to say the least, family issues in one room, colon prep already working in another, sleep deprivation in the 3rd and constipation in the last. I had 2 heparin drips, Aptts drawn every 6 hrs, one therapeutic, the other way to high. My new MI needed her drip shut off, my OHS patient was therapeutic. As the night went on I ordered a new bag for my OHS patient. Doing hourly rounding I noticed the OHS room was dark, no glow from the IV pole. Going all the way in the room I found that the bag wasn't hanging, the pump shut off and no connection to the patient. Found the bag and tubing in the trash. Waking the patient up, she reported a guy being in her room dismantling the IV, thats how she was awakened. Coming out to the nurses station, I asked if anyone had been in that room or dismantled the IV. It was met with disbelief from some and laughter from others. It was 3 males working that night, charge being one of them. Not knowing how long it had been off I quickly restarted the bag I ordered and waited for next Aptt to be reported. It was barely therapeutic. I was very upset by this. No excuse can be made for someone's actions. It was deliberate. What can I do moving forward? What are my options? I think light should be shed on this act? Patient safety can be argued. I need help in understanding this. I'm struggling....and ended with a 5th total complete patient before morning. HELP.......

[JBudd, MSN]

Wow. We can't give legal advice, but I surely hope you have your own lawyer and malpractice insurance. Is your company refusing to send you elsewhere?

[Ms.UndastoodRn]

Basically! They can't send me anywhere until the process is complete. First it was the investigation that held up sending me elsewhere, then I was deemed un-rehireable. My recruiter informed me that that was the last process but I knew it had to be another step. So I requested to speak to someone above her and that's how I found out about the grievance process. Just waiting to hear the findings or ruling from that to be able to move on.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I've had patients disconnect their own IVs before

[Ms.UndastoodRn]

She didn't. She identified that it was a guy in a black or blue scrub top. We, the nurses wear blue and lab wears black.