No nurse to relieve nurses

[Platypus]

I am currently on light duty (work related injury) and am a shift supervisor. I have been working primarily on the desk, assisting staff where I can.  Recently, we have been given the schedule book and call off phone and I track when people call off and try to fill the openings (previously this was held by an on-call nurse. admin.) One night, we had 4 admissions. I had one CNA leave early due to family issue another CNA called out and an RN called out. This is STR and LTC, there must be an RN in the building at all times.  I started calling staff about the open shift. I was able to get the CNA openings filled, but no luck on RN. I called the staffing agency and let the DON know she needs an RN for overnight.  She asked me for CNA numbers, tells me to strike off a CNA for the next day. no response to the nurse issue. I called her..no answer.

As the end of the shift approached, I called her again. I called the unit managers who also did not answer the phone.  I called the administrator, who also did not answer the phone. The two agency nurses (LPNs) for the other units needed to get sign ins for the building. These had not been taken care of, so I spent over an hour dealing with that. 

The two nurses who were left without a replacement were very upset. One did finally say they would stay if taken off the sched. for the next day. I stayed until 4 am to help get as much of the 4 admits completed as I could.

I am very angry with the admin, particularly with the DON whose license is on the building. It is her responsibility to the patients to ensure staffing is in place. In the past, they have actually come in themselves or arranged to have a unit manager come in. I felt abandoned and just amazed at the lack of accountability.

Would the nurses that were here at the end of the shift been in their rights to just hand me the keys and leave? I cannot physically be on the cart at this time.  I did end up calling the corporate complaint line because of the ridiculous amount of time I spend trying to get sign in and passwords for agency staff and that nobody was responding to my calls. What if there was a fire, building collapse or active shooter incident? 

[Robbin Sicher, LPN]

Did you ever find any information about your situation. I am disabled and hired in for 2days per week, I never missed a day but after several weeks of being forced to stay because the DON didn't bother to cover shifts I was physically declining and told her I can't keep staying and a week later she set me up giving me false info on patient protocol for a Covid isolation situation. I was told she completely lied about the situation to save herself. She even told me I was not allowed to follow my chain of command to address it. She was terminated 1 month later for other reasons, I just want my job back but I can't get those higher up to call me back. If I had not stayed  and left after my shift wouldn't it have been patient abandonment leaving one nurse with 60 patients and that nurse was on a drug program and couldn't hand out narcs? I want to call corporate or a lawyer but don't know what to do. 

[Platypus]

Not at all. It has happened 2 more times and I have been really lucky to find someone at the last minute. They keep putting nurses and CNAs on the schedule who are repeatedly calling out. FIRE THEM!!  Im sorry, but calling out  or no call/no show 7 times in 1 month is grounds for termination IMO.  Why hang on to deadbeats, even if they are good at their job..they are no good if they do not show up!