just quit job

pielęgniarka, RN · Oct 23, 2008

I just quit my job.No orientation,and was expected to pass meds for 45 people,and do treatments for 90.I am not even joking.I did not know who anyone was who was not in their rooms.Staff was horribly rude.
Am I the only one who has been in a situation like this?It was LTC.

No orientation? How is that possible? I would have called the DON when I realized there was no nurse mentor for the shift, and refused to work without proper orientation. That's a terrible risk-- You can't allow yourself to be put in that situation. The ratio nurse:resident is a bit extreme even for LTC. The whole thing sounds fishy.

soulofme · Oct 23, 2008

I just quit my job.No orientation,and was expected to pass meds for 45 people,and do treatments for 90.I am not even joking.I did not know who anyone was who was not in their rooms.Staff was horribly rude.
Am I the only one who has been in a situation like this?It was LTC.

Situations like these pmo...I would call the State and have them stick their nose in...Laws need to be passed re: LTC facilities...I believe pt. neglect and abuse is rampant with the ratios they have.

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2008

I just quit my job.No orientation,and was expected to pass meds for 45 people,and do treatments for 90.I am not even joking.I did not know who anyone was who was not in their rooms.Staff was horribly rude.
Am I the only one who has been in a situation like this?It was LTC.

You are not alone. I quit a similar job about 15 years ago. It was at a massive LTC for developmentally disabled people run by a religious organization. 90 tx, meds for 60. I am really organized and very fast and I could not get even 3/4 done. The conclusion I came to was that people had just been signing off on stuff without doing it out of desperation. Blew the whistle and quit.

I've since learned to leave any job that my gut tells me is toxic.

SunnyAndrsn · Oct 23, 2008

I just quit my job.No orientation,and was expected to pass meds for 45 people,and do treatments for 90.I am not even joking.I did not know who anyone was who was not in their rooms.Staff was horribly rude.
Am I the only one who has been in a situation like this?It was LTC.

:banghead::banghead:

That's horrible! My LTC orientation was 2 days of general orientation at corporate, plus 5 or 6 days 1:1 with a mentor, I was orientated on all three wings. It was still really hard the first few days on my own, and several months before I felt comfortable, and 6 before I felt like I really knew what I was doing.

mikeg · Oct 23, 2008

CA has nurse to patient ratios to prevent bad management from doing things like this

BradleyRN · Oct 23, 2008

Quitting was the best thing to do. The lack of adequate regulation has led LTC facilities to reach a new low. When i was a new LPN, i received 4-6 weeks of orientation. These days, i hear of new nurses getting 2-3 days. That is ludicrous. No orientation at all however should be a CRIME.

You should not have worked that shift at all. You have the right to refuse any assignment you feel to be unsafe. In LTC, you may find yourself in this situation many times (i did and i was happy to refuse insane assignments).

Turn them into the state. But from my perspective, the state doesnt really care about the negligent care. When they come and watch nurses give meds, it take at least 5-10 minutes to do each pt. They only watch 4 pts and then go on their way, never once stopping to multiply the time spent with 4 , to the other 35 still to go. If they did, then they would realize that at this rate, the med pass would take several hours and not just the 2 that they allow. The whole thing stinks, and they turn a blind eye year after year. :down:

soulofme · Oct 23, 2008

CA has nurse to patient ratios to prevent bad management from doing things like this

I don't know what part of CA you're from but they didn't in N. CA. 2 years ago.

mikeg · Oct 23, 2008

I'm not sure how long it has been effective. Also, the hospital may not have followed the law, but it is statewide. Please verify at www.calnurse.org It's one of the advantages of working in CA. Are you a treveler?

IamVickiRN · Oct 23, 2008

I currently work in a toxic environment similar to what you have described. I was a brand new nurse, so new that the ink was still wet on my license! I started in July and had no orientation. The nurse I was supposed to "orient" with called in and left me hanging. I just started doing what I could, these people had to have their meds! Since July I am continuously getting calls to come in when I am not scheduled, etc. I am still in school working towards my RN but they don't care about that, they think I should work all night long and go to clinical the next day and then back in at 7pm. I have had to call off this week because my daughter is ill, when I called in I was told that I *had* to be there, I would just have to bring her with me, she could rest on the couch in the great room. (103.9 temp, vomiting, coughing...you get the picture) I am so disheartened right now that I believe I am going to quit. I'm nothing more than a warm body with a license there and that is frustrating to me. If this is what nursing is, I'm done!! My only dilema at this time is do I give them notice or not. Right now, I'm so disgusted with them, I think NO!!

Sorry, I got off on a tyrant there, but I just wanted to offer my sympathies because I so know what you are going thru!

Croutonx · Oct 23, 2008

Nope I was just shown boxes where paperwork were and was told that I would have to 'figure' it out.

The way other staff was 'getting it all done' was they were signing it off without doing it as another poster stated.My blood pressure is still so high over this place.

MadisonsMomRN, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2008

This happens way too often unfortunately. I have been thrown in "to the wolves". I quit too... it is ridiculous because we are liable for so much and they just throw you out there. Ugh...