Wund5

Indeed, the propaganda of "nursing shortages" is really nauseating. The only reason the ANA, NLN, nursing schools, colleges, and universities perpetually manufacture this false crisis is to lobby for monies from the state and federal government. Without a shortage- the governments will not allocate fundings towards potentially derailing it. The ANA has just recently asked for $215 million dollars- an increase of $44 million for 2010. Other subsidiaries are asking their congressmen/senators, etc in individual states for increased funding or to abstain from any budget cuts concerning this bogus issue. Although there is a shortage in nursing faculty-(the average age for faculty is around 56). But mostly this is due to the fact that faculty are extremely under paid and that it is too expensive for most to continue on with studies to earn an MSN or PhD. There are some professors in their late 70's and early 80's who still teach only because the colleges are unable to find replacements. Right now, RN grads face competition from foreign nurses (hospitals want a return on their invetsment- and the ones I have met get paid much less), nurses who may have retired, but decided to stay in nursing due to the recession (their husband lost his job, they've lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the market, they're paying their grandchild's tuition, etc), internal hiring freezes/downsizing in hospitals, LTC, as well as competition from the numerous grads within their area. Incredibly, there are 16 nursing schools within a radius of 150 miles where I live. Eight years ago, the main paper for this city posted 4+ pages of ads for RNs in their Sunday edition. This Sunday there were 3! - yes, 3 ads for RN's and 2 of them required master's degrees! Even with the influx of computers- there are a very limited amount of openings. It is truly sad to think of the innocuous hopes of people going into nursing schools (after a 1 or 2 yr wait), changing professions, thinking they will always have a job and be employed only to find out unless they relocate to CA,TX, or NYC, they are facing the same situation- if not worse.

This is a fascinating dilemna, and one which almost every RN will encounter sooner or later. In some hospitals and facilities, as long as you notify the MD- AND THE PATIENT of the missed dose,(as long as the pt. is cognitive) and neither party has an issue about it- you document that both parties are aware- and that there is no harm/adverse side effects- then there's no need to fill out an incident report. You d/c the original order on the MARS, and write the correct order. It seems every facility is different as to their policies and procedures concerning these type of occurrences, and even so, some nurse managers/supervisors will advise you to do something different from even the house policies. Usually you have to notify the house supervisor on night shift- and go according to what she/he says- sometimes, they will say-I'll take care of it or to proceed with policies accordingly. It seems you lose either way. Ultimately, the patient comes first, and your license second- you did the right thing. Hopefully the veteran nurse will be mature enough to not hold it against you or go for your jugular. Supposedly, "medication misadventures" are to be used as learning tools- not for purposes of punitiveness (unless of course, there was injury to the patient).

Hi indiansfan- First, you have the option and right to appeal the decision by the Dept. of Labor. The Dept. of Labor will schedule a hearing in which you, a rep. from the DOL, and a representative from your facility (usually the DON or ADON) will appear. If your facility was union; then your union rep. should assist you on this. Should this be scheduled, or if you appeal on paper- you will need as much documentation as you can muster up. Hopefully you have a copy of all past performance evaluations- which would prove that you were competent, conscientious, etc. If you have any friends who are nurses (RN/LPN) ask them if they would write a letter of reference for you. It would be especially helpful if they worked at this facility. (Unfortunately, most women will not stand behind their comrades, even when they know they were wrongfully dismissed- for fear of their own job- especially if they are governed by an unethical/insecure DON). Try to obtain some free counsel via attorneys who deal with labor issues/Dept. of Labor. Call the legal aid society for some free consultation as well. Next, keep looking for employment at whatever areas are feasible for you to commute to or possibly relocate (if that is an option). You could state on the application when asked "reason for leaving" - unsafe work environment or management differences. By law, employers are only suppose to provide your beginning and ending date of employment. However, many employers ask- would you rehire this person? And, of course, if the answer is no- then the potential employer may know there's a problem. Don't give up- there's always a solution- really. If you have 25 years of experience- this is to your benefit- there are plenty of potential employers out there who would rather hire an experienced nurse than go through 3- 6 months of training a new grad. The other side of that situation is of course, $- and sometimes employers would rather hire a new grad- for much less pay. Beyond that, make sure you have an up-to-date resume, with references from the past who will provide good references for you. Even letters or cards from patients/residents/families who wrote to thank you for your excellent service. etc. would also help your case (with the DOL). As a very last resort- if you have a disability, or could be considered a minority(race, religion,etc)- you could claim discrimination (maybe it really is in your case?). Good Luck