On March 9th, 2005 while working on the step-down unit I was injured by a combination of bending, twisting and lifting a patient up in bed. I felt something give way and a sharp pain in my lower back and right hip.I told the supervisors about the injury. I did not want to file workmen's comp. I believed filing a claim could cause problems with my job, possibly decrease my marketability for future hospital jobs, and mostly I believed I would recover. I returned to work wearing a brace. I was called into the office the following month was told that audits had been done on my charting. (I was the only one audited) I was told I was terminated because my charting was incomplete and this put my patients safety at issue. I was shown three instances where I had failed to chart on the MARs. I told them I knew my paperwork had suffered after the injury. I was frequently behind on my paperwork after taking care of my patients. After the meeting my boss suggested I use the grievance process to try and save my job. He also ask me if I had filed on the injury I had lifting the patient. When I said no he replied that was good and he was going to try and help me save my job.
Six weeks later I was called in by the State Board to see the Nurse Investigator. She told me was she was a formerly employed as a manager for the Department at the hospital that fired me. She told me the hospital had accused me of drug diversion. I denied this and told her about the injury and that I had not worked since fired. She suggested I go back to work and told me I must get a Substance Abuse Psych Evaluation ($300 my cost) from the list of providers they gave me. She inferred that this would resolve the issue without going befor the full board. I had the evaluation done and told them I had been taking pain medication for my back after the injury. I also told them during the evaluation that I had taken pain medications while working prior to a total left hip replacement in 1999 and before a total right hip replacement in 2004. I had not had any problems either with my job or stopping the pain meds after my surgery's.
The last time I went to see the nurse investigator I was told that the evaluators recomendation was I should complete the evaluation group's Outpatient Program (I expected that) and also that I not be allowed work as a nurse until all my back issues were resolved. I was told to either surrender my license until the above was done or it would be suspended. So I surrendered my license at that time.
When I picked up a copy of the evaluation I found out the recommendation that I not be allowed to work as a nurse came from the evaluator's discussion with the nurse investigator. Initially at the first meeting the nurse investigator had persuaded me it would be simpler to waive the right to a meeting before the full board and agree to follow her recommendation. I was just to eager to please.
At the present time my backs still messed up. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get my license back.
