florencelpn
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may i take your thread a step further? i'm looking for my 2nd lpn job since boards (nov 09) and anticipate a tough time with references from my 2.5 month-long 1st lpn job at a 30-bed alf/dementia, alz. i can't believe i'm uttering this to another living soul, let alone to other nurses, but i made 4 med errors in those 2.5 months. i'm blessed to say no one was hurt. the errors were not the "wrong med, wrong patient" type. although a med error is a med error, mine were less cut and dry. the 1st one was in my second week of working there - a resident had been out with her family all day and i forgot to go to her and give her meds when she returned at 9pm. the final one was about a doctor's order change i didn't follow because the nurse who took the order on the previous shift didn't put it in the mar or mention it in report. my don begrudgingly admitted that i may not have made 3 of my 4 med errors had there been another nurse around i could consult with. we were small with only one nurse per shift. a little context: the week after i resigned, for their own reasons, 2 of the other 3 resigned, and the 4th advised the don that she was actively job-searching. by the time of my resignation, my don had taken a fair amount of heat (which of course trickled/flooded down to me) regarding my med errors - for not monitoring my work the 1st few shifts i worked there and also for not training me according to policy. the whole situation was so dysfunctional and turned really sour from then on. i know i will be an excellent nurse when i have some experience under my belt - hospice home health is my goal. i also know that in this 1st year of nursing, i need to work in a larger, more supportive environment where i can bounce things off of other nurses as i learn. there may be laws protecting employees from negative references, but i don't have the time, money, or heart to pursue any of that. i list this employer on my resume and applications, as is legal and ethical, but, which is unfortunately also sabotage. seems most facilities require in-person completion of an application packet along with a resume before they'll schedule an interview. this 3- or 4-page packet includes a release form - that must be signed on the spot - addressed to the previous employer requesting disclosure of any and all information in the applicant's file, and that the applicant holds them utterly and eternally harmless for doing so. i was not fired, but i would not be considered re-hirable there either. if i were an efficient hr person, with that release form in hand, i'd get a reference before taking precious time for an interview. so, obviously, i may not even get out of the gate with some of the facilities. i'd so appreciate any suggestions at all about navigating this fallout. thanks in advance!
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am looking for my 2nd lpn job since boards (nov 09) and anticipate a tough time with references from my 2.5 month-long 1st lpn job - at a 30-bed alf/dementia, alz. i can't believe i'm uttering this to another living soul, let alone to other nurses, but i made 4 med errors in those 2.5 months. i'm blessed to say no one was hurt. the errors were of the sort like: doctors' orders having been changed and me not recognizing it (in one case, because the nurse who took the order neglected to put it in the mar). another case was about a resident who was out with her family all day and i forgot to go to her and give her meds when she returned. no rationalizing! they were my errors and my responsibility! period!! however . . . my boss, a brand new don took a fair amount of heat from the ed for not adequately training me enough to avoid such errors and also for not checking my work on the 1st few shifts i worked there. my boss took a very strong dislike for me after that and it looks like i may have lost a great new job due to her unfavorable reference. i know i have the capacity to be a good nurse. i also know i have to work in a larger, more supportive environment where i can bounce things off of other nurses during this 1st year of nursing. there may be laws to protect an employee from negative references, but i don't have the time, money, or heart to pursue any of that. but i sure would appreciate any suggestions about how to handle prospective interviews, warning a prospective employer to anticipate a negative reference: "but really - give me an interview anyway so i can explain!" (ha!). thanks!!