RN1121

My car will be the one right behind you with the 5 screaming kids. My place is with my family, SAFE. If they tell me to evacuate, I'm gonna evacuate. Without a doubt in my mind. The job would be the last thing I worry about in a crisis like that. I certainly wouldn't abandon my patients if I were there for duty already. But let's say that I wouldn't be there to put myself in that position to begin with. I'd have likely planned ahead and called out. I can't be much more honest than that. Bless everyone in the south who is going through this terrible scenerio right now. My thoughts are with you, and I hope you don't have to decide between your family or evacuations/staying at your hospital to work, etc.

It seems though you have overcome some setbacks and are well on your way! Just one step at a time. Finish the associate degree program, then you can prepare to advance your education from there. :typing

I'd think that finding a position outside the acute care setting without any previous acute experience may be challenging; but obviously not impossible. It depends on where you live, what resources you have, how far you are willing to travel to work would come into play. Many employers for alternative RN positions are requesting atleast a year of acute experience. You may get very lucky and find one that is willing to work with you. Let's see, lately I saw ad's for flu vaccine nurses (obviously temporary), plenty of home care opportunities, LTC, doctor's office, clinic work, outpatient surgical center, school nurse......There are so many options for you to work outside the hospital. I worked Med/Surg right out of nursing school for a few months, wasn't comfortable with that; went to LTC, home care, L&D, and then stumbled upon a great opportunity performing utilization review. I work no weekends, no holidays, no evenings. I have regular hours, stable income. Great opportunities for advancement. I was very blessed to have gotten my foot in the door with that position. Direct patient care is not what I want to do. Clinical experience isn't for everyone. So I understand what you mean! The best part of being a nurse is that you have all these options open to you. If you don't like one job, try something else until you find the right fit. I believe when you are a nurse, it's important to be content with your chosen specialty.

Nobody can make you feel guilty! You are responsible for your own emotions and reactions to the decisions you make in your own life. Time to take care of YOUR needs; because there ain't nobody that will care for you like you do! You'll go back when you're ready. Enjoy!:heartbeat:redbeathe:heartbeat

I agree. Unless you have a compelling issue, childcare, home obligations, etc, I honestly would suck it up and do the 90 days on her schedule. Especially since you stated you do like her. I think this happens a lot in preceptorship/orientation to have different hours while learning the ropes. I wouldn't rock the boat unless I had a really good honest reason for it. Congrats on a new job.

You totally, without a doubt did the right thing, IMHO. You should be proud of yourself to be able to: 1. Identify a potential safety issue dealing with the care of your residents; 2. Cared enough about it to know your rights; and 3. NOT ACCEPT an assignment you feel is unsafe. I have done the exact same thing before. I have refused an assignment due to safety issues. You have to be reasonable when choosing to walk away. Know your rights. You of course, don't have the right to walk away from your patients. That's abandonment. But it seems you identified an issue prior to accepting an assignment. Here, in PA, we aren't supposed to pre-pour meds on SNF; but we can pre-pour them in assisted living. It's been a little while since I've worked in direct pt care, so I'd have to double check my accuracy on that one. Best wishes.

I just thought of something to add to my previous answer. Is is possible that the agency holds one to two paychecks as a rule for their payroll? I have heard of that happening of an employer chooses to hold a couple of checks, and then pay you when you choose to leave the agency.

Well, would you want to work for an agency like that anyhow? Are you working for free? It sounds to me like the agency doesn't have your best interest in mind. Heck, after the first time, I can see maybe one mistake. But two missed checks? I'd be frantic! The should have offered to cut you a check right then and there after the second time! Not a good situation, and maybe a job change is in order. Afterall, it's not their money, it is your hard earned wages. Best wishes. They are indirectly saying that you aren't worth their time or accuracy. Totally, completely unacceptable. Integrity is important, and they aren't demonstrating that quality. I want to show my support!

Here are a few questions you may want to ask the unit manager on your interview: 1. How many staff do you directly oversee? 2. How do you handle issues within the unit? 3. What are some challenges your unit has overcome? How have they overcome these challenges? 4. How would you describe your managing style? 5. Why is this position open at this time? 6. What is the orientation process? Best wishes for your interview! :typing

Is she delusional? You must be frustrated and angry. I just wanted to send peace of mind and support. I hope everything is worked out NOW, and she gets it for falsifying accusations. What goes around, comes around. (((hugs))) :heartbeat

Well, I took time off after I graduated from Nursing School to focus on my studying and be READY to take the NCLEX. I wasn't in any rush to test. I used a book as a guide. (I forget which one) I graduated in May 1998 with my ADN, and sat for my boards in Oct 1998. I felt ready to test, and I passed the first time. Many students can't wait to take the NCLEX and schedule the first available appointment, but I wanted to do it in MY time. It turned out great for me. Best wishes for you!

Does your facility do random drug screens? The facility needs to be made aware of the possible liability and potential danger this employee is. This is FAARRR fetched, but was she possibly kidding around with you?

That's a great idea to check the backs of the blister packs. I've heard stories about nurses cutting open the foil, taking out the narc and placing a vitamin c back in the blister pack. CYA

When I worked agency and came on/off shift, I was extremely thorough with counting the narcs. I looked at the book AND the actual meds on hand to make sure they matched. I wasn't ever one to take chances. If the count was off when I came on shift, the supervisor was called to sort it out. Agency nurses are frequently the ones who were blamed for everything. I made sure there was never a reason to blame me. We even started to look at the duragesic patches on the actual resident each shift to make sure it was still there on their skin, properly dated. One can't ever be too careful.

Well, what shift is this? Because in LTC on 11-7, it is not unusual to have 60+ residents with one nurse and a few CNA's. Please remember that if you feel unsafe with an assignment DO NOT accept report from the off-going shift. The minute you accept report, you assume responsibility for the welfare of the residents. You have the right as a licensed nurse to not accept an assignment YOU feel uncomfortable with, without any resulting discipline from the BON. That is how it is here in Pennsylvania. It is not considered abandonment unless you assume responsibility and accept report. That is in place to protect us as well as the patients from compromised care. Who told you that you can't take a break? You're entitled to it. If you were the only nurse in house, you wouldn't be able to leave the building, but you still would get a break! Give me a break! If this is any indication as to how this facility operates, I'd be out the door and not look back. Best Wishes