Medication Error/Unruly DON

[anj1995]

I worked this past Sunday from what was suppose to be 7-11pm turned into 7-1am. I work in long term skilled care facility. Well...at 8pm my DON calls to ask if i could stay any later because the person that was scheduled could not come in for the 11-7 shift, so my DON was left to do it, but she did not want to. I told her that i could not stay any later at the time she called. Then she calls back an hour later saying she went to a get together (party) and had been driving around for an hour looking for gas. (This area has not been hit that hard regarding gas shortages)...anyways...she says that i am just "stuck" and have no choice as if she was telling me i had to stay until 7am. What could i do? Nothing. Say i was leaving and loose my license? No! So i called my DON's boss, the Executive Director to settle the problem. My DON ended up coming in at 12:15 am. My question is...there was a med due at 12am, neither I nor my DON gave it. She is filling out a med error due to it and probally will blame it on me. Neither her or I ever work 11-7 shift, I charted the hour i worked over while waiting on her. Who is at fault? Also...does anyone else have a difficult DON that they deal with? Sorry for ranting...maybe it's time i look for another job. I love my patients and my co-worker's but The DON is just not the person I want to work for. Are all bosses like this?

[Noryn]

I honestly feel you should have gave the medicine. You were on the clock when it was due. Most places have an hour one way or the other. In this case you would have had 1 hour 15 min to give it whereas the DON had 45 minutes (less than this once report and initial rounds were done).

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

anj

I agree, you 'own' this error. However, the DON who relieved you could have administered it also, so she (?) is also partly to blame if the dosage was missed.

No - not all DONs/managers are like this. As a matter of fact most organizations are working very hard to improve the quality of their nurse managers because they are so essential to retaining quality staff. By all means, go elsewhere. And - a question you may want to ask at your next job interview "How much education and training do your managers receive?"

[litbitblack, ASN, RN]

I think it was ur med error. I would probably look for another job if that don put u in the position that u had to stay because she didn't want to come in . Kudos to u for going above her head!!!