I have a problem that I have never seen addressed on here before. I recently graduated and happily accepted a job at my local hospital. Anyhow, a physician on staff decided to do a favor for his patient as the patient had an emergency and had to go out of town. The MD took out a drain in the hospital in a room that was not being occupied with other patients. Upon completion he told the nurses to put a gauze on it. All of us nurses were busy, but as I was the new grad, I was asked by the charge nurse to put the dressing on the patient. I asked if that was o.k. for me to do and I was told yes. I did no irrigation I just placed a gauze with one piece of tape over it (bad move) didn't think there would be a problem since I had no idea about the area.
Here is the problem, the doctor literally did the patient a favor by pulling the drain and asked the patient to come to the room to do this procedure. The patient had not registered and no auth had been recieved. The doctor could have done it in his office, but was tied up at the hospital all day. I was called by the CNO and asked about the situation today, I told them what had happened and then I was told that I was going to be in trouble for the situation and given a warning and that the list of protocals that I broke would be listed on the warning. I am by far not trying to pass the buck, but I have been at this job for 11 days and I was orientating. I am crushed, confused and feel like I was thrown under a bus. I understand that there are protocals, but I am new, did not know and was told by my superiors to do it? I have never worked in this area before in my life. I am sure I will never make that mistake again, but I just feel that me getting in trouble to the extent that it is seems rather harsh, I am scared confused and feel that the charge nurse will not have my back in any situation. I have caught her on more than one occasion blaming me for mistakes and when confronted by me , she told me they were her errors.
I was told that the physician will be in trouble, the charge nurse will be written up but I will have the most reported on me. I have worked so hard for this and I am just reeling with confusion, anxiety and fear...what should I do?
I was told that the MD had called the patient while he was trying to admit and the admitting clerk went and told...and the rest is a nightmare!
I think the whole thing stinks. You are being treated very badly. How could you possible know how the system works at such an early point in your employment. I doubt if the rules about such a thing are even in a book somewhere. I would not be surprised if you were the only one that got punished because that is the way the system works. Usually the lows person on the totum pole gets punished and it is done to make the higher ups look clean.
oramar
5,758 Posts
I think the whole thing stinks. You are being treated very badly. How could you possible know how the system works at such an early point in your employment. I doubt if the rules about such a thing are even in a book somewhere. I would not be surprised if you were the only one that got punished because that is the way the system works. Usually the lows person on the totum pole gets punished and it is done to make the higher ups look clean.