FutureERDoc

Well the reaming and the disapproval of my action that I have received on this site has actually been beneficial. I certainly won't do it again or any other procedure until I am in medical school; I start in a year. I do agree that my best chance is to express remorse and to keep it simple. And that is what I will do. Thanks for the suggestions and comments, and I will be sure to keep you all posted as to what happens. I know I could go elsewhere and work, but the bond that I have with the nurses and physicians at work is worth fighting for. Working with people that you truly enjoy being around is a reward all in itself.

At the time of the incident; I truly didn't believe that I was doing anything wrong, but after being terminated for it, I quickly realized the 'legal' aspect of what I did. I am aware that I am not an MD yet, and I am also aware that I have had no previous training in such procedures. Would I do it again if I got my job back? Certainly NOT! My learning would definitely be more passive and I wouldn't practice outside my scope again. I'll stick to IVs and EKGs.

Well, actually, I didn't tell anyone about the procedure. One of the other ER techs walked in and saw me doing some sutures and she alerted the ER manager. This same tech once handed her badge to the ER director and walked out on the job, but they gave her her job back. And, no, I don't think that I will bring up the fact that others have done procedures outside their scope either. If there is a chance of me getting my job back, it will have to rely on my job performance and qualities. The doctor who allowed me to assist in the suturing is an amazing doctor; truly a gift! She is nice to everyone and genuinely cares about her patients. She was quite distraught that I was terminated. The biggest thing that I have to worry about is the actual procedure itself. The physicians that I talk to laugh at how "over the top" this case has become, and are amazed that they fired me, they boastfully state, "Because you sutured???" Nurses on the other hand seem to have this idea that I performed brain surgery. I am allowed to bring a few character witnesses, so I hope that helps. My mentor, the charge RN, says he has my back. I say he's my mentor because he has taught me more about becoming a doctor than the doctors have, haha.

Well in reality, EVERYTHING is out of scope of practice for an EMT/ ER Technician. We are simply not allowed to do anything unless it has been approved or assigned to us by a physician or nurse, which is completely understandable. My main point in bringing up nurses and scope of practice is it is evident that people do in fact go above what they are allowed to do, but are not terminated for it. Did I think I was allowed to suture? NO, but then again I wasn't allowed to do any procedure unless instructed to do so. My only inquiry was to see if there were ways around this, and me possibly getting my job back.

The reason why I think that nurses could help, or at least have advice is simply because of the fact that nurses run hospitals. The doctor did speak up and so did the medical director, both saying that they didn't think that I should be terminated. In my time in the ER I have witnessed many nurses practice outside their scope, including intubations, sutures; etc. But, they never get fired, merely suspended. And most of the time suspension begins on the the next day and includes days off. The termination as of now stands, but I have to undergo a peer review evaluation as the next step to possibly getting my job back. This panel will be made up of other technicians and nurses, and human resources says that if they rule in favor of me that I will be reinstated. I am allowed to bring others to speak on my behalf, which I think could be my saving grace.

So, I am actually an ER technician and was recently terminated for suturing a patient. I was under the supervision of the MD, but still terminated for practising outside of my job scope. I actually wasn't aware of the possibility of me getting fired over it, and simply took it as something new to learn. I have seen all over the internet that many ER technicians are able to do basic sutures, but not able to find out much information beyond that. The job scope set in place at my former hospital was very ambiguous and I am currently trying to get my job back. I miss the nurses and the doctors that I worked with and truly don't think I deserved the termination, especially since I was directly supervised by the ER doc. Any insight given would be truly appreciated... Am I doomed or are there certain things I should know that would help me get my job back? It may even seem dumb that I am fighting for such a job, but I really enjoyed helping people and I really think that my time in the ER so far has helped me become a better person. I have two bachelor's degrees, and I am going to medical school next year, and I really want my job back, a job that only requires a semester at a junior college. Why? I miss it...