Dear Nurse Beth, I really need some advice. 8 years ago I was working at a hospital in a state up north. I had a patient that coded. After several attempts at resuscitation the patient passed away. I was heartbroken as any nurse would be because we do this job because of the patients...not the hospital. I did all that the hospital asked of me. They stated "We love you and we are here if you need us" My husband and I moved to a new state and I started a new job. After a few months I received a phone call from the BON in the state up north. They said a complaint had been filed against me from the hospital where the patient had passed away. I was devastated. I immediately told my nurse manager and my director what was going on because I felt that honesty was the best policy. They said to keep them informed. I kept them informed. Again, I felt honesty was the best policy. Long story short, I ended up voluntarily surrendering my license in the state up north because honestly I didn't have the money to hire an out of state attorney to fight. I was the only breadwinner in a house with 6 kids. I told my nurse manager that I surrendered my license. She said OK and that I was doing an awesome job as the floor supervisor. Also, I had just been chosen as one of the top 10 employees out an extremely large hospital campus. It was a huge honor. The next day I was off and my director called and asked that I come in to meet with human resources. I said OK...I mean, again I tried to be honest. I walked into the room and I just felt glaring eyes looking at me. The manager of human resources asked what happen in the other state. I told her...I felt like I was on trial. She told me that I was a piece of crap and that I lied on my application. I told her that I did not, that the incident happened after I had accepted the position, then she called me a liar. Told me that I was terminated effective immediately and that she was going to make sure that I never worked in this state again. I left feeling just completely numb, disgraced and humiliated. I received a letter from the BON in the state where I was currently living in to appear. I went to the meeting. I had written a letter that I read begging for them to not take my license. The attorney who represented the board was the most unprofessional person that I had ever encountered. She kept giving me extremely glaring looks through the whole hearing. She said that I was a liar and that I should never practice as a nurse again. The BON suspended my license. They stated that once I got my license back in the northern state that I could reapply for a license and also after I paid $4000 in court costs to them. Once again I left so numb and humiliated. I felt like they were right...that I shouldn't be a nurse. I went into a very deep depression which put a huge strain on my marriage but my husband stayed by my side and loved me through it. I contacted the state up north to ask about reinstatement. They said that I was an excellent nurse in an unfortunate situation. They sent me the appropriate paperwork, I applied and completed a RN refresher course. Then a week later I received notice that my current state filed a judgement against me for the fine.Then later on I found out that the hospital in the state up north that I worked for was also using me as an example in their nurse orientation class. They talk about what a terrible nurse I was and also put my name in big bright red letters on an overhead. They use it as a scare tactic for nurses going to work there. I kind of gave up on ever coming up with that kind of money and still hold a conditional license in the state up north but it's going nowhere. I recently got offered my dream job as a marketing and sales rep for a wound care company. It was truly a blessing to finally be making the pay that more that I was making as a nurse. Finally after all these years something good had happened. Then yesterday after I had been on the job for 3 weeks they called and fired me. They stated that part of my background check had come back and that I was on the exclusion list. I didn't even know what that was. I was shocked and heartbroken. I looked up the Office of the Inspector General website and tried to search for myself on there but after trying my full name, my first name only, my last name only, even the first 3 letters of my first and last name nothing came up. What the heck do I do now? I desperately need some serious advice.

Dear Lost My Nursing License Twice, Lost Three Jobs and Mother of Six, You need professional advice from an attorney specializing in nursing licensure. The BON is not your friend, as you now know. The BON's sole duty is to protect the public. An attorney's job is to protect you. Without knowing the details or knowing what your responsibility was for losing your license two times, (you do not offer any explanation), here's the current state: You voluntarily surrendered your license up north but completed reinstatement requirements and now hold a conditional license from up north state.. Finding a job with conditions on your license can be difficult, even if you did want to move back up north, because conditions require extra supervision and paperwork for employers. If the conditions are drug related, sometime dialysis clinics are more willing to work around licensure conditions than other employers, such as hospitals. Your license in your current state is suspended and a judgement has been filed to obtain the $4,000. Once the $4,000 is paid, you need to find out what the requirements are to reinstate your license. You will then choose either to meet the requirements or not. You landed a great non-nursing job but then you were promptly fired for being on the exclusion list? I do not know what the exclusion list is, perhaps it is internal, but organizations in most states can usually hire/fire employees at will. All we know for sure is something came up in your background check and they no longer wanted you as an employee. On your application, were all questions regarding past employment or legal infractions answered fully? There are some missing pieces here and you really need an attorney to sort this all out. Clinically, there is more to this than a code where the patient died despite your best resuscitation efforts. Licensure and disclosure-wise-does your current (southern state) BON require you to notify them in a timely manner of discipline by another BON, and did you? You must find out what the background information is that caused you to be fired. "Deep" background checks are employed by BONs and by some employers, and involve an FBI level check. Whatever it is, it's likely to pop up again, and you will always be fearful. A second concern an attorney can help you with is possible defamation of character by the up north hospital. You need an attorney because it may be public record and therefore not admissible. I truly hope you can get this straightened out and behind you. Best wishes, Nurse Beth

I'll take "Things That Never Happened" for $800 Alex. I had just been chosen as one of the top 10 employees out an extremely large hospital campus. She told me that I was a piece of crap and that I lied on my application. She was going to make sure that I never worked in this state again. They said that I was an excellent nurse in an unfortunate situation. The hospital in the state up north that I worked for was also using me as an example in their nurse orientation class. They talk about what a terrible nurse I was and also put my name in big bright red letters on an overhead. Also- getting put on the OIG Exclusion list has to do with financial fraud- not clinical practice. So I am calling shenanigans on this entire event as described.

I'm late, but that is absolutely nuts. I really hope she got herself an attorney or maybe 2... The BON just has way too much power. All this was because a patient died? That makes no sense to me. In a code you have several nurses working together, a doctor, pharmacologist, etc. I'm not judging but what would give them the right to single you out? Patients die many times. I'm late, but that is absolutely nuts. I really hope she got herself an attorney or maybe 2... The BON just has way too much power. All this was because a patient died? That makes no sense to me. In a code you have several nurses working together, a doctor, pharmacologist, etc. I'm not judging but what would give them the right to single you out? Patients die many times.

Mother of 6 Lost Nursing License X 2 and Job

Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation! Nurses Nurse Beth Nursing Q/A

You are reading page 2 of Mother of 6 Lost Nursing License X 2 and Job

0
- Select Rows
- All
- None
- Hidden
- Unhidden
- Unapproved
Sort by votes
Sort by date

Good answer?
Sign In

Guest849204

93 Posts

I'm sorry you are in such a bad situation, stay strong!

That said, something much more serious than a "complaint" must have been sent to the BON. Unless they had a HUGE lapse in judgement or you got hit with some random technicality, the BON would not ask for you to surrender your license (which is the nice way of saying "either you give it up or we take it from you") unless you did something clearly wrong that caused significant harm to a patient. The BON doesn't take away nursing licenses lightly, and there are not many reasons you can lose your license for a true accident, it has to be something you either intentionally did wrong or did it unintentionally but should have known not to do it.

Would you be willing to give us any more details?

Good answer?
Sign In

Guest849204

93 Posts

I'm really confused, did you run the code alone?? Something is not right and missing, purpously omitted!!

I agree. I'm in ICU and have participated in and/or heard about many codes where the patient died, included cases suspicious enough to be investigated by the ME and no one has ever had their liscense taken away. The BON ss well as the justice system even tend to give people more of a break inc ases involving code blue because they recognize all the factors that make it easier to make a mistake so for a RN to be fired and have her license permanently revoked, she must have had done something both intentional and directly lead to significant patient harm. Even cases where relatively healthy patients die as the direct result of a mistake don't result licenses being taken away.

Basically, unless it was an intentional action that the person in question knew it was dangerous and did not intend to benefit the patient and especially if it actually resulted in patient harm, the board wont take away a license for anything a RN might do in a code. There are only a few exceptions like being arrested for a felony will (I think) cause you to lose your license even if the felony has nothing to do with actual or potential harm, and anything related to illegal drugs.

I'm not saying this person deserved to have her license revoked, just saying what the BON usually considered reason to revoke.

Good answer?
Sign In

Live9059

4 Posts

Wow. I let my malpractice insurance expire 2 months ago. I literally just logged on and renewed it after reading this. Our employers are not our friends they will hang us out to dry to save their a##. It would have been cheaper to hire an attorney to save your license and reputation than be in this situation/ unemployed for so long. How hope everything works out but you need to go back to that hospital and find out what they reported.

Good answer?
Sign In

A.A.I.

11 Posts

Yes because the training always sucks at facilities we try to follow their so called protocol but not *** is in place. Also the advice sucks and there is no leader. I know those glaring eyes the same damn eyes that made mistakes probably more than you! Damn people don’t take responsibility for their staff and leave you all to your own?!! Wow I’m a new nurse and it’s been very ratchet out here. I’m on your path and it’s devastating. Hope I pull it together by trusting my common sense. I know these nurses are all jealous I haven’t made mistakes like them and it feels like I’m being sabotaged so they can save themselves. Very cruel and inhumane. Anyone who doesn’t agree is a glaring eye.

Good answer?
Sign In

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN

7,899 Posts

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I'll take "Things That Never Happened" for $800 Alex.

I had just been chosen as one of the top 10 employees out an extremely large hospital campus.
She told me that I was a piece of crap and that I lied on my application.
She was going to make sure that I never worked in this state again.
They said that I was an excellent nurse in an unfortunate situation.
The hospital in the state up north that I worked for was also using me as an example in their nurse orientation class. They talk about what a terrible nurse I was and also put my name in big bright red letters on an overhead.

Also- getting put on the OIG Exclusion list has to do with financial fraud- not clinical practice.

So I am calling shenanigans on this entire event as described.

Good answer?
Sign In

allnurses Guide

Nurse SMS, MSN, RN

6,843 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Its possible the "exclusion list" is Group One if the OP lives in Texas.

Good answer?
Sign In

A.A.I.

11 Posts

On 2/3/2018 at 3:59 PM, Yep, Me said:

No matter what you pay for, go hungry rather than skip on buying malpractice insurance!

That being said:

I had a similar situation: pt coded & DON asked me to "rewrite the code documents because they aren't clear" & back date them for the date of the code. I said I would write an addendum, with a list from Admin about whatever was "unclear", but would not rewrite the original documents. After some pressure & me gently saying "you know what you're asking is illegal". Admin quit asking.

Yes because the advice seemed suspicious but because their title is higher than yours you may respect them and not be insubordinate. That’s what happened to me and I was “thrown under the bus”. I will still be a team player though... hope I can be as strong as you and confront which I do at times.

Good answer?
Sign In

The0Walrus, BSN, RN

175 Posts

Specializes in Psych.

I'm late, but that is absolutely nuts. I really hope she got herself an attorney or maybe 2... The BON just has way too much power. All this was because a patient died? That makes no sense to me. In a code you have several nurses working together, a doctor, pharmacologist, etc. I'm not judging but what would give them the right to single you out? Patients die many times.

Good answer?
Sign In

The0Walrus, BSN, RN

175 Posts

Specializes in Psych.

1 hour ago, londonflo said:

OH, rethink your values with this statement.

You're taking this out of context. Patients code. Sometimes they make it and sometimes they don't. The nurse is not always going to be able to save people. I know it's shocking to know that nurses and doctors can't save everyone. If there is negligence and that's why the patient died I understand it, but if not and the patient died due to something out of the medical team's power then yes all this because a patient died. No need to get pedantic.

Good answer?
Sign In

Ernest

7 Posts

Specializes in nursing student.

The first step to resolving this, and repaying your husband for standing beside your; and representing the profession well is to start being honest with yourself and others. I have been in management for years and I always advise subordinates (and my children) that when things go wrong, those in charge primarily want to ensure the root cause is identified and the person involved has learned the lessons necessary to prevent them in the future.

If you keep being reticent in your truthfulness and full disclosure to those who are required to make decisions based on your individual performance, you will never move forward from this because no one will ever trust you or your professional judgment. Most of the time when you are loose with the truth, people know it. Whenever I am tempted to lie, I always tell myself that the person I plan on doing this to can see it coming. I decide 100% of the time that situations are only made worse in the course of a lie.

Stop seeking sympathy, and start seeking a way to move your professional life forward by getting good advice based in the truth of your actions or inaction.

Good answer?
Sign In

caliotter3

38,333 Posts

There has got to be way more than what this poster is sharing. Wayyyyyy more.

Baby 7 is on the way.

Good answer?
Sign In

londonflo

2,922 Posts

Specializes in oncology.

47 minutes ago, The0Walrus said:

. All this was because a patient died?

OH, rethink your values with this statement.

+ Add a Comment