LPN left facility to get coffee-License suspended for patient abandonment
Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation!
Published
I am looking at a suspended license for 6 months for "abandonment" leaving a facility I was working at through agency for only the 2nd shift. Evening shift. It was a 133 bed LTC facility of which 47 were mine. In this type of facility you don't really get report. You count narcs, take keys & the previous nurse leaves. (Worked at over 100 facilities & they were all basically the same on that) so anyway, off going nurse said make sure you take your lunch, mgt was upset last shift you worked bc you didn't take a lunch break.
So I after 5pm med pass I went around asking everyone if they wanted anything from the store & that I was going to get coffee. NO ONE EVER SAID YOUR THE ONLY NURSE. I ASSUMED that having 47/133 pts there was another nurse in the building. (My mistake) I was gone 7 min from start of finish, didn't even get coffee dt phone call from one of the CNA's screaming & cursing me that I need to get back & I was the only nurse. When I got back, the DON was already there and they sent me home plus only paid me for 2 hours. (My last note was at 620pm. Started shift at 245pm) over a year later I get called by the oksbn wanting to suspend my multi-state for 6 months (licensed in AR W/ multi) $500 fine + cost of investigation, 1,000 hours of working under another nurse to prove competency, 100 hours of education, & I can APPLY to get my multi-state back after this is all completed. Newest news is, I'm up for renewal next month & AR will not allow renewal if under investigation for complaint. I sit in front of the board end of this month & my license will expire end of next month. I guess my question is, how do I deal with this? I know I made a mistake & will definitely make sure I'm asking titles of everyone going forward. How do I keep from getting my license suspended over an HONEST mistake?
Also, what can I do with my skill set for LPN if not nursing? I've been in medical field since I was 15 years old. I don't know anything but nursing.
Published
I am looking at a suspended license for 6 months for "abandonment" leaving a facility I was working at through agency for only the 2nd shift. Evening shift. It was a 133 bed LTC facility of which 47 were mine. In this type of facility you don't really get report. You count narcs, take keys & the previous nurse leaves. (Worked at over 100 facilities & they were all basically the same on that) so anyway, off going nurse said make sure you take your lunch, mgt was upset last shift you worked bc you didn't take a lunch break.
So I after 5pm med pass I went around asking everyone if they wanted anything from the store & that I was going to get coffee. NO ONE EVER SAID YOUR THE ONLY NURSE. I ASSUMED that having 47/133 pts there was another nurse in the building. (My mistake) I was gone 7 min from start of finish, didn't even get coffee dt phone call from one of the CNA's screaming & cursing me that I need to get back & I was the only nurse. When I got back, the DON was already there and they sent me home plus only paid me for 2 hours. (My last note was at 620pm. Started shift at 245pm) over a year later I get called by the oksbn wanting to suspend my multi-state for 6 months (licensed in AR W/ multi) $500 fine + cost of investigation, 1,000 hours of working under another nurse to prove competency, 100 hours of education, & I can APPLY to get my multi-state back after this is all completed. Newest news is, I'm up for renewal next month & AR will not allow renewal if under investigation for complaint. I sit in front of the board end of this month & my license will expire end of next month. I guess my question is, how do I deal with this? I know I made a mistake & will definitely make sure I'm asking titles of everyone going forward. How do I keep from getting my license suspended over an HONEST mistake?
Also, what can I do with my skill set for LPN if not nursing? I've been in medical field since I was 15 years old. I don't know anything but nursing.
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