Need help

[irrac]

I texted my DON 6 days ago asking why she did not go by the availability sheet, that she had me fill out a few weeks earlier, when she made the schedule. I did not receive a response. I was sick on Sunday and called in, she then had human resources call me and say that i needed a doctors note for my absence before my shift on Friday. I do not have a note and have not been to the doctor. So it was with a heavy heart i decided to put in my resignation effective immediately yesterday. My boss called me within 2 hours saying i needed to finish out my 2 weeks or sge was going to have to turn me in for abandonment of patients. Can she do that?

[WheresMyPen]

I could be completely wrong, but I thought that job abandonment was when you leave your shift and abandon patients? Not like being sent home sick, but like walking out on the job?

that being said I think giving two weeks notice is the professional thing to do. Can you try to stick it out?

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

If you have malpractice insurance, ask them.

Not to be legal advice per AN TOS, however, I am not sure that one can be reported for abandoning patients when they do not step foot on the property and take report on any.

BUT what it can do is start a "thing" with the BON that you then have to spend time and money to defend.

Your reasoning is your own, however, not sure why there's an "availability sheet" if the information provided on it is not being used. Was there some sort of "disclaimer" on it that says it is a "guide and not guaranteed"?

There also can be language in your union contract or handbook that states that they schedule due to need.

Without notice, a facility can put you on a "do not rehire" list. Which would include all facilities under the parent company. But to threaten you with patient abandonment is over the top (and done quite a bit as a scare tactic it seems). You can go to the parent company website and make out a complaint under ethics/compliance. You could have conversation with your compliance officer. If you have a union, speak with the delegate.

With all that being said, just for future reference, I would take all requests for schedules as a guide as opposed to carved in stone until such time as the schedule is posted. Any request for vacation or time off not guaranteed until it is signed. It does put the unit in a lurch when someone quits outright, and not getting the schedule that you want and is ideal is common. Unfortunate, but common. But to then use threats against your license is dirty dealing. So you need to protect yourself--for no other reason than to save yourself the aggravation over defending yourself.

[loriangel14, RN]

No resigning is not " patient abandonment". If you accept a patient assignment and walk out in the middle of your shift, THAT is patient abandonment. She's just trying to scare you.

why are you quitting? Just get a note.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

That's just a standard scare tactic that DON's like to use. She's planning on you not knowing any better.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

No, godzilla can't do that. She also can't force you to produce a doctor's excuse for one sick day.

What she did do is back you into a corner, where you made the bad choice of quitting without notice.

Best of luck finding a new position. Let us know how it turns out.