New grad, working 3 mo, maybe fired!!

[costarica786]

I have been off of work for 4 days pending the decision of the DON on something that happened at work. I work at a LTC facility, I have 22 patients at the max and throw a admission on top of that isnt a nice mix. I had a new admit with acute respiratory failure and I remind you this is a rehab unit and he was suppose to get a bipap continous and O2. I set up the compressor for the O2 and put together the bipap machine and then I asked the new resident if he would like to put on his bipap machine, he responded no both times that I asked so I just left his O2 on and went to chart I even documented that he refused the bipap machine. We dont have RT so the nurses are responsible for applying the bipap machines and to be honest I just thought that bipap machines were suppose to be in ICU or CCU, guess not. Well I left from the 8 hour shift the resident was still living had a sat of 89%, 90% I thought that would be expected because he was in acute repiratory failure. Well the next day I get a call and say dont come back to work until monday because I didnt apply the bipap machine and they had to send him out that morning because he had a O2 sat of 34% but I dont really understand because it was a night nurse who didnt even kno that he had a bipap machine so she must didnt even go in the room or check on him because how did he go all night without her putting the machine on and I get blamed for it, they asked her and she said she didnt kno that he had a machine. He was a new admit did she not even bother to look at the chart, the MAR, or the treatment sheet. The bipap machine was on all three documents including he refused putting it on for me. Should I be to blame for this?? I need input please...

[Peetz, BSN]

No, you should not be blamed for that. You can't be blamed for that. You documented the attempt to apply the Bi pap machine twice, you can't force a pt to wear it. besides sats of 89-90% for a person on acute RF is pretty darn good. The Bi-pap should have been applied while he was sleeping, that is typically when sats tank and apnea will drop sats quickly. The NOC Rn should be the one in the hot seat not you.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

I have to ask....did you report off to this nurse who claims she didn't know about the bipap?

There seems to be something missing, but you shouldn't be the one on the hot seat if you documented correctly. Have they called you in yet to go thru the chart with you? If not, I would demand it.

Sounds like a place I would run from personally.

[costarica786]

Well to sum it up. I didnt lose my job just was suspended as well as the other lady was suspended as well, but I am currently looking for another job because I just feel as if 22 residents are too much to handle and 8 hrs is not enough time and rushing cause mistakes....