Well.. I guess I am going to be canned

Nurses Safety

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Hi all

I am a new nurse 4 mos off orientation working on a med/surge nuero floor 6 patient ratio. Its a brutal floor and yet.. I manage to survive albeit exhausted and oft times just disillusioned with the Candy Land notion of nursing I had in school.

So, what did I do? I let someone work outside of their scope of practice under my watch. Yes and now I have to go to Human Resources to have an interview b/c said patient has a PTSD issue (pysch) and it could potentially turn into a law suit. A housekeeper applied tape to a bandage, that was the practice outside of scope and told me and I didn't report it to my manager, who later found out.

I apologized to the patient, management and see the error in my ways and am now feeling like a dang fool. So, pray that I can salvage my job, but I think I will get the boot.

Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.
Does anyone know a pro bono lawyer, or legal service that could look at repayment of a Nursing contract after being terminated? That would give me some relief. This may be a topic for another thread, but if someone knows, I would appreciate. I am in North Central Florida.

Tks

Check with the closest law school. Many law schools now have clinics where students (supervised by professors) address legal issues for people.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Does anyone know a pro bono lawyer, or legal service that could look at repayment of a Nursing contract after being terminated? That would give me some relief. This may be a topic for another thread, but if someone knows, I would appreciate. I am in North Central Florida.

Tks

Do you have ....I know i had asked this before and you haven't answered. IF you do they will have legal services......another testament why nurses SHOULD HAVE MALPRACTICE.

We cannot offer legal advice nor can we give referrals.....a Google search showed...

Pro Bono: Legal Aid - The Florida Bar

FloridaProbono.org

Welcome to Florida Legal Services

Pro Bono Directory - Florida - American Bar Association

Florida Law Help

Specializes in Consultation Liaison Psychiatry.

I don't believe that malpractice insurers will cover this kind of situation. Termination is not the same as being sued for malpractice.

If the patient had sued then malpractice coverage would help.

Specializes in LTC/LTAC.

Thanks again for all the wonderful advice. I have contacted legal aid in Fl. Now there is the sticky matter of the would you rehire this employee? I am hoping I won't run into any issue with it. That would be a real incentive to not give a dime especially if they say they would not rehire!

Specializes in Peds ED, Peds Stem Cell Transplant, Peds.

Totally off topic, but you brought it up. Ever seen the pictures of the lady parts and groin area of the woman who spilled McDonald's coffee on herself? The coffee was Not. Drinkable. Caused third degree burns. Totally negligent to heat coffee to that temperature (to save a buck, mind you) and serve it through a drive thru window. It's not a matter of "coffee's hot." I encourage people who know nothing about that lawsuit to do some research on it if you're going to use it in your daily life as a debate point. Maybe watch the documentary "Hot Coffee" available on Netflix. The pictures are less than 30 minutes into the movie.

Thank you Thank you Thank you. I hate it when people try to use hot coffee logic when they have no clue of the true damage it caused. Could you imagine ehst could have happened if she actually drank. Imagine what it would have done to her esophagus.

Specializes in Peds ED, Peds Stem Cell Transplant, Peds.

I find if interesting that people say housekeepjng does not do patient care. I have worked at many hospitals were housekeepers have to know CPR. If giving CPR isn't patient care, then what is?

Hey Phoenix, how did it go? Curious to know if everything worked out ok

Specializes in ER, Trauma ICU, CVICU.

What a ridiculous WASTE of time and resources! I can't believe you are even worried about this. I am so sorry you are having to deal with this silly silly thing. WOW.

Thank you Thank you Thank you. I hate it when people try to use hot coffee logic when they have no clue of the true damage it caused. Could you imagine ehst could have happened if she actually drank. Imagine what it would have done to her esophagus.

The first part of this I agree with, but nobody that I can think of, knowing that coffee is supposed to be hot, would take a big enough drink to burn their esophagus without testing it first.

I find if interesting that people say housekeepjng does not do patient care. I have worked at many hospitals were housekeepers have to know CPR. If giving CPR isn't patient care, then what is?

While it is true that housekeepers are required to know CPR, it's also true that housekeepers do not give day-to-day patient care. I don't believe it is an accurate assessment of a housekeeper's duties to say that housekeepers give patient care just because they are required to know how to give CPR in the event of an emergency. I would even venture a guess that most housekeepers go their entire lives without ever giving CPR. To me, saying that a housekeeper gives patient care is the same as saying that any layperson who knows how to do CPR gives patient care.

Specializes in ER.

How did this even come around? Did the housekeeper tell someone? Did the patient complain?

Specializes in LTC/LTAC.

I know I am replying very late, but to answer your question, the patient told 1 of the dr's about it, the dr ran it by by the charge nurse, who did in fact play it down by saying "don't do that again". The patient told her mother and that got to the NM. The patient let me know she ratted me out and said"no hard feelings she just had to clear the air". This person was a "known" problem on the the floor and the hosp was handling her with kid gloves

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