mirasmommy

Thank you for the shout out. I loved that job. I loved the people I served. I understand that he had to do what he had to do. All I really care about is staying healthy and clearing my name. The lawyer I talked to specializes in nursing issues. She is the only one in the state of Oklahoma! It is like a three hour drive to get to Oklahoma City from where I live. Luckily peer is also in Ok City so when I recieve "the letter" I am to call her and tell her my app. day and she will see me before I go before them. I do feel a little better about stuff. I told my dad what was going on. He stuck with me and helped me through peer assistance. He even said he would go to see the lawyer and also go with me when I go to see the board. Nice having a dad that has my back. I am still stressed but don't feel as shameful as before telling my pops.

I successfully finished Peer assistance 5 yrs ago. Up until yesterday I was at the same job that I worked while being monitored. Never had any issues. I got to work last night and the administrator called me in the office to terminate me because a couple of nurses aides told him that they saw me put pills in my pocket then walk out the back door. Either somebody mistook what they were seeing ( I have gotten motrin off the med cart but nothing else ) or, they had it out for me. The administrator was forced to turn this into the police and he said he had to contact the BON. I offered right there to drug test. I asked him like three times. He was actually uncomfortable confronting and firing me with this. I have been a valuable employee ( been there seven years, my only job since peer) I have a good relationship with all the other nurses and my DON. I was just sick about it last night. I still feel that shame from my first peer experience. Even though I didn't do anything wrong. Pissed off a couple of aids. Long term care facility. The division between nurses and aids can be tense but never would I have thought that anyone would screw me over in this degree. I woke up this morning and first thing went and took a drug test ( lol even the same place I used to go to monthly ) the test was all negative. Just like I knew it would be. I took my paper back to my job and talked with my DON and another nurse. I showed them the paper and and basically just told them that I was innocent and I wanted them to know that I wasn't using. And that I loved them. All of my coworkers that I work with are supportive of me. Even the administrator, he even told me to come back when I got "this mess all figured out". I called a lawyer today as well who specializes in nursing board stuff. I still haven't called my family about these allegations. I feel shame with telling them I got fired and how come. I AM TERRIFIED OF THE BON. They just see me as a number. I am scared they are going to judge me from the past and just throw me to the wolves, even though I am innocent. Has anyone else been through peer and then ended up having to deal with the board again? I hope that clean drug test will prove it. This seems out of my control. I am eating a lot of chocolate right now and am stressed out. Would love thoughts, advice..........

I just want to thank you all for your kind words. And you are right, there is a bigger plan in life that I have no control over. If I am in the same situation God forbid, again I will definetly speak up. This whole experience for me is a wake up call on choosing love over fear.

I am a new lpn, working in a small rural hospital. Last week my charge nurse died in an mva on the way home from work (12 hour night shift) I and pretty much all my coworkers had noticed that she was not "all with it" her notes were indecipherable, and she was slurring her words by the end of the shift. She had recently lost a son to a drunk driver (three months ago) this was the second son who had died the same way. I am feeling very guilty about not talking to her, stopping her, etc. Being new I felt intimidated to confront her about her mental status ( i chalked it off as having low blood sugar, knowing instinctively it was not) anyway the our last night on shift together just happened to be very busy and hectic and she was rotating between the floor and ER. We got the call in the hospital about 20 minutes after she had left ( the report not specifying who was involved) and I and another nurse looked at one another and knew it was her. I should have not been so ******* chicken and said something to her. Now there is her new widower (married in may) her remaining children and even grandchildren left without her because I am a coward. Hindsight is 20/20 and if I knew then what I know now it would have been different ( I would have knocked her cold if thats what it took) I realize that God doesn't give you more than you can handle but I cannot fathom the tradgedy that has come on this family. I was one of the last people that had spoken to her and even questioned her on her funky ass notes (respectively suggesting she look over and revise them as I couldn't understand them) I knew she was under the influence of something and said nothing. I don't think that I have fully absorbed the grief and remorse in which I feel. I have tucked it deep in the back of my mind and conscious and gone on with my life, duties, etc. It is just all so sad, she and I were working together the night the call came in about her son, and she was off for a couple of weeks and came back and seemed fine. Too fine. I was so scared to say anything (like I would be reminding her of anything painful) The grief she was experiencing was so deep I felt scared to go there. All these emotions I feel I share with other nurses who were and are in the same situation as me, knowing and not doing anything about it. There is nothing I can do about the situation now, nothing will ease the grief of the people who love her left behind. And the thing that shames me most about the whole situation was how I looked at the nurses notes she opened of mine and kind of giggled about them with my coworkers ( like, what the hell is this?) I feel ashamed and disgusted with myself for not taking that clue as SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE. This whole situation makes me question my character as a person, that I was too damned scared to talk to her and see if there was anything I could do to help. We weren't really close but still, my heart ached for her loss. I even reheorificed different things I could say or do for her that might help her in her grief. I made the choice of saying and doing nothing out of fear. Now she is dead. I am sorry I made this post so long, I have really not dealt with the whole thing. Trajic.

I am only speaking from my own experience. I work in a rural hospital as an lpn, and we get very busy and everyone can get stressed out. I know first hand the hard work it takes to be a cna, and a lot of the time this gets overlooked, people become resentful over being taken for granted. I would be up **** creek without cnas helping me. Please realize that nursing is a team effort and sometimes you have to just step back and realize that peoples remarks may just be a vent to the stress at the moment. Establishing a good rapport with your aids is essential, let them know in words and in actions that they are appreciated. A simple thank you or even helping with baths, vitals, etc. goes a long way. An aid can make you or break you. Seriously. Let go of pride and be humble. It is a win, win situation, the patient benefits, you benefit and the cnas benefit. Many cnas have been doing their jobs for years and know much more than you, accept this and learn from it. Being a nurse is hard work, don't make it any harder on yourself by creating or keeping a wall up with your aids. People are human and sometimes we say what we meant to just think. Please don't forget how extremely stressful ( both mentally and physically and financially) it is to work your butt off as a cna and not feel appreciated. This post is not meant as any disrespect for you a fellow nurse, I know our job is hard also.

Okay here is the deal. I am a student. I am scheduled for my last clinical rotation and the first part of it is ER, I want to know how I can go into this and learn while not getting in the way. I have done very well in all my rotations thus far as I am aware that I am there to learn and at the same time try not to get in the way. Please, if anyone has suggestions and tips for what not to do I would very much appreciate it. I can go over and over my ABC protocol but would really like some feedback on how I can be of help and not hindrance, thank you Shannon

I had my first clinical rotation in medication and found myself completely overwhelmed. Up till now I have done well with my pre research ( which includes an explantation of results for all labs on the pt I am assigned) for the medication rotation I was assigned three pts, I had to research all the meds, the labs the night before and needless to say it turned out to be an all night process. I wanted to be prepared but still found myself really nervous and unsure of pretty much everything. I thought I was prepared but things were just so hectic. I did my first UA cath and put it in the wrong place ( my teacher was very sympathetic about this but I felt like a complete moron) the IVPB, drips, tubes, connections, diluents, pump settings, was so confusing. I really hope practice makes perfect with all of this. The other two students were about as confused As I was. One of the hardest things for me is getting a routine down, especially with timing. Checking the medications with the Dr. new orders is a biggie. The hospital I was at had just switched to a computer system, the nurses were dealing with learning that and dealing with us students around and they were kinda rude. Any tips on establishing a routine would be very helpful. I really hope I can get through this, I graduate LPN school in June ( possibly) thank you Shannon