Prior employer restricting EPIC access for new job/employer

Mergirlc, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 4

This does not strike me as retaliation. If you did not give four weeks notice and that is what your prior job required, then for their records they put you on the "do not rehire" list and that is their right. The contractor you are now trying to work for, must abide by the rules of the hospital (aka your previous employer); so unless your new company can contact the hospital directly and take care of this problem, you may not be able to hold this job.

You have to look at it this way: what if the hospital put you on a "do not rehire" list because you took drugs out of the Pyxis for yourself or you did some other nefarious action. Would you expect the hospital to let you access their system and work for them thru a separate entity and contract because now you sought out another job from this new company? I know not giving adequate notice is, by far, not as bad as taking drugs, but you get the picture.

I would suggest asking the new company for a new assignment, if possible, at another hospital system. If there's nothing else in the area where you are at, then unfortunately you just may be out of luck.

I hope something comes up for you and Good Luck.

pastudent · Jul 4

Thank you -

The other factors include that I resigned while orientation - which I feel like most organizations view differently. It was a toxic, dysfunctional environment to put it lightly - and HR was well aware. I knew that resigning would make me ineligible for rehire - but never thought it would reach as far as preventing me from working in the future.

Other RNs that work for the new company have been removed from this list in order to gain access to Epic. For some reason they are making me the example.

Mergirlc, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 4

Based on what you added above, there may be some things to consider as to why the other RNs were removed, while you have not been. Were the other RNs regular employees who worked for the hospital and not just PRN and on orientation? Did these others give sufficient notice? Do evaluations come into play? I don't know if you were ever evaluated at this hospital, but if you were, were they favorable?

If you have a way to contact these other RNs who were removed off the do not hire list, perhaps ask them how they went about this. Always great to get advice from others who have found a solution.

Companies vary as to who they mark as a hire or rehire. I once worked for a company (non-nursing) who marked everybody ineligible as a rehire if they left the company. Didn't matter if you were there for one month or 20 years. They just elected to not rehire anybody who had left. Yes, I thought it was strange, but it was their policy.

pastudent · Jul 5

I am not sure how the other nurses landed on the do not rehire list. But it sounds like they were removed fairly easily. I understand that an organization can decide to not rehire people - even without a valid reason. It is the fact that its preventing me from working for a new employer that seems pointless. If it takes me hiring an attorney to get off this list I will probably do it. In a state where there is a critical nursing shortage the largest hospital system in the state is blocking me. 😩

JKL33 · Jul 6

They are miserable.

Coulda stopped reading at the part where a PRN employee is required to give 4 weeks notice.

No legal experience here but unless you happen to speak to a lawyer who knows exactly how they will successfully handle this I would be leery. You're barely at the tip of the iceberg of nastiness potential of large health care corporations. And I'm not sure what legal principle could obligate them to give you access anyway. Unfortunately.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Jul 6

Sounds bizarre to me. When an employee leaves a company, all types of access to the IT system (including Epic) is revoked regardless of the circumstances. OP is saying that they work for a different company now that requires access to the former employer's Epic EMR. Typically the new company applies for a new Epic account as a contractor/non-employee (since the old log in used as a former employee is no longer active). Is the OP saying this request was denied because of "burned bridges"? I've never actually heard of this being a thing.

pastudent · Jul 6

It is my understanding that I am only blocked from accessing the Epic system for this large hospital. If I got a job at another organization that uses Epic I don't think I would have a problem.

The new company I am working for is a virtual company that contracts with my prior employer. So they would not have their own version of Epic

As I step back and look at this - the way that I am being treated by HR feels like a continuation of the way I was treated for the 6 weeks that I was there. It was beyond a little workplace conflict - it was big problems in a very small department, and at times, patients paid the price. I don't regret leaving without notice, I could not go back. But this feels like way more than a "do not rehire" list.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Jul 6

I understand that. In what capacity do you have to use this former hospital's Epic EMR as a contractor? Is it to do non-clinical stuff? (utilization review, QI). Is your role clinical? I think a lot of the circumstances of this situation you are referring are not clear to me.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Jul 6

pastudent said:

If I got a job at another organization that uses Epic I don't think I would have a problem.

Epic shares clinical information across organizations. If you happen to work at another hospital that uses Epic, you can access information about services a patient received in your former employer's institution through "Care Everywhere" (that is if a patient was ever treated there).

pastudent · Jul 7

My new position is with a virtual nursing service that utilizes a camera to interact with the patient to collect medical info including med list, history etc. ( basically admission and discharge process ) It just so happens that this large organization that I resigned from is the largest client of this virtual nurse company. I could understand if there was a question about my nursing practice, integrity etc.. but that was not the case. I also feel like the term "do not rehire" sounds specific to, well, hiring. It doesn't encompass what is really happening. Its added a layer of frustration to what was already a stressful 6 weeks there on orientation. And until this is resolved, I am home without pay.

Career Columnist / Author · Jul 7

It could cost you a significant amount of time, money, and frustration to pursue a legal option. What would other options look like?