Kind of threw someone under the bus...

[stoberto]

I am a long time lurker and new poster...

I am finishing my RN (associate's) in a month and a half, and have been working in LTC as an LPN for a month. I knew what I was getting into w/ LTC, but I just wanted to gain experience for a few months while I finished my degree. I actually love my residents, but have found the the workload in LTC is extreme and that some of the other nurses are pretty sketch. I work Thur-Sun full time 3rd shift right now.

The issue is that the first week of work I had a stat order for a controlled substance (ativan) that I gave before sending a resident out via EMS. It was only after the next shift came on 2 hours later that I learned I needed a hard script and authorization from pharm to pull this med from the stat box (no one taught me this during my 5-6 shifts training).

So anyways, I worked out as much as I could, then left paperwork with my ADON. I tried to follow up, never heard anything. I though it was OK, but a week later I found the paperwork still empty. I talked to my ADON again, then followed up with her on the phone that day and she stated everything was taken care of (she rounded with an MD that day) and that they would have the stat box refilled.

Fast forward A MONTH AND A HALF. Another nurse and I pull meds from the stat box (with authorization numbers this time) and I pass it along to my ADON the next morning (by the way my facility has been in transition as far as DON during this time), and she follows by pulling out my empty paperwork from her box and stating that will still need to take care of that (***, you told me it was taken care of over a month ago). She tells me to leave the paperwork for my DON who is at a conference because "she is just so confused." So what I end up doing is calling my executive director of the facility and explaining the situation. I have caught several med errors during change over a few days earlier, so he is OK with me right now. My ADON calls later and I can tell she's ******. Did I do the wrong thing? I know that I can't throw people under the bus, but I feel like this person is screwing with my license by telling me things are taken care of when nothing has been done. Maybe I should have just waited until I was done with my RN and could get a job at the hospital...no wonder hospitals get bad vibes about past LTC nurses.

[caliotter3]

The individual said it was taken care of and then nothing was done for more than a month. You did the right thing to protect your license short of taking the paperwork in person to the right person initially, and bypassing the person who threw you under the bus, by putting it back in the box with no action taken.

[RNTOBE_1970]

I don't throw anyone under the bus...but refuse to go down with a sinking ship. You did the right thing.