Please read! I desperately need advice!

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I have been working at the same hospital for 20 years as a pediatric nurse and was terminated 2 weeks ago for a med error. Anyone out there have a similar experience happen and go on to get a good job? Any advice on what to do?? I'm devastated! I have a mortgage and lots of bills! Any input would be appreciated. Thank you.

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Go to a home health agency. You would be a shoo-in for pediatric extended care cases. Your situation can be explained at the interview with the DPCS. If one does not want to hire you, the next one most likely will. Good luck.

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Thanks. I am looking into home care especially since that's where I started my career. I of course will be willing to take any job right now, but home care does not pay well. I'm wondering if I can ever recover and go back to making anywhere close to what my salary and benefits were in acute care.

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Well, like I say, some pay is better than no pay, but just yesterday I was forced to reconsider a prospective employer that offered me CNA wages for work that would entail long, long drives in heavy urban traffic. Not that I think I can be picky. I just realize that it takes real income to put gas into the car before driving to work.

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Wait. What? Fired for a med error?

Either that was one horrendous (life threatening or life ending) med error, or there is more back story here than we are privy to.

Also, 20 years at the same facility might have some bearing on an employer's motivation to get an employee gone. Being at the top of the pay scale these days is a liability to job security.

It's really tough out there right now. I seriously hope you find a solution soon.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Wait. What? Fired for a med error?

Either that was one horrendous (life threatening or life ending) med error, or there is more back story here than we are privy to.

Also, 20 years at the same facility might have some bearing on an employer's motivation to get an employee gone. Being at the top of the pay scale these days is a liability to job security.

It's really tough out there right now. I seriously hope you find a solution soon.

This.

Due to your experience, have you thought about becoming an educator or otherwise?

Try finding other positions that honor your experience and go from there.

Best wishes.

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There is more of a back story but I was just trying to keep it short. I made three med errors in a short period of time. I got written up for each one. 2 of them had to do with not following proper protocol and one involved a patient receiving the wrong dose. I did not think you were supposed to be punished for med errors, but it's my understanding that it was more about not following protocol and not a system error. I do feel if it had been another nurse with serveral years experience that did not get paid my salary and benefits that they would have been given another chance.

I just desparately need to pay the bills and I loved my job. I just want to know I have a chance to get another job and that I also have a chance to make the salary I was making. As it was, I was living paycheck to paycheck. Now I have no money (I had no savings), no health insurance and lots of bills. Just looking for some hope. If anyone was in a similar situation and has a success story to share it would lift my spirits greatly. Thank you.

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There is more of a back story but I was just trying to keep it short. I made three med errors in a short period of time. I got written up for each one. 2 of them had to do with not following proper protocol and one involved a patient receiving the wrong dose. I did not think you were supposed to be punished for med errors, but it's my understanding that it was more about not following protocol and not a system error. I do feel if it had been another nurse with serveral years experience that did not get paid my salary and benefits that they would have been given another chance.

I just desparately need to pay the bills and I loved my job. I just want to know I have a chance to get another job and that I also have a chance to make the salary I was making. As it was, I was living paycheck to paycheck. Now I have no money (I had no savings), no health insurance and lots of bills. Just looking for some hope. If anyone was in a similar situation and has a success story to share it would lift my spirits greatly. Thank you.

Med errors are nothing to sneeze at. It's a big deal. But you've been an RN on this same unit for twenty years and not had any issues until recently?

If you have had a great working career up until now, then I would say they were looking for a reason to shuffle an expensive nurse on down the road. If you have a long history of being a problem, then you gave them the fodder they needed to get you gone.

Either way, seeing as you put in 20 years there, my guess is you have a pretty good track record overall, not a problematic one. This reeks to me of the rampant "house cleaning" we've been witnessing over the last few years.

I really hope you find something else. Will it be at your current pay rate? Probably not.

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