Lakalm

At the hospital, I had more O/T than anyone, scrub techs or nurses, except one nurse. At the surgicenter, I stayed a lot of times so others could leave early, which they did a lot. It's like they were shocked the one time I left early.

Yes, the other tech said the dr. never acted like that at the other facility. The nursing mgr. was always abrupt with us & sided with dr. Yet we are the ones taking care of the patients. Also I don't break down like that normally, people say I'm very calm. Dr. about traumatized me, and no support, but mgt. sure knows who to depend on, don't they, and don't even need to ask.

Thanks for all your replies! Please tell me your evaluation of this, good or bad. I need to explain more about the pt. abandonment: I am not certified surgical tech, I was not criminally charged, they said "We decided fire you for pt. abandonment," 2 days after the incident. This didn't happen because of my working the 12-hrs. It happened the next day. I said that to show I am not a person who would leave a patient. I was almost always the last one to leave. After clocking out after the 12-hrs. (Tuesday), I noticed I wasn't scheduled the next day. I thought it was an oversight, because sometimes they fill in my hrs. at the last minute. There was no one to ask, so I just went in the next morning at 6:00, just in case. The next morning, (Wednesday), I was scheduled to work with a new surg. tech. I went to introduce her to the dr., & before I could finish, he laughed & said he knew her & had been working with her for 20 yrs., (at a different facility). She actually had more experience than me. We decided to alternate cases. I told her that I wanted to do the next case so I could get more experience with that case. She already was proficient. So it was horrible. He started with the CRNA because she did or didn't give a drug. He just stopped with his arms folded in front of him, not doing surgery, scolding each person. A resident sat across from him this whole time retracting the wound. He asked me for a hemostat, & used it to point out his mistakes (3), caused by him "worried about us doing our jobs, so he couldn't do his job." Then he threw it back at me. The nursing mgr. was called in the room, and she just kept agreeing with him. He was saying over & over the he wanted "the same crew," on all cases. To me, this meant he wanted the new tech, not me. Maybe they hired her to work with him? Then nursing mgr. left. Then a drill malfunctioned, & he had me keep holding it (3 x's) to prove it was too hot to hang onto. We had it sent out for repairs, and also checked it before the case, which of course he asked us about. When he resumed surgery, he kept throwing sharp needles, scalpels, on the table, causing sharps to jump around. He was very, very angry, & said he'd been sued 3x's for cutting a nerve, caused by the nerve jumping because the CRNA gave wrong drug in the past. So the pt. left the room. I ran to the locker room, burst out crying & I didn't know how I'd face the next patient because they'd notice. The next & last pt., was a simple 5-10 minute trigger finger. The other tech was scrubbed in & set up as agreed, no patient in the room. I told 5 people I was not doing the last case. Also I was leaving the room and going home, since they told me if I had O/T, I had to leave early, so there would be no O/T on my pay, or they would "crack down" on me. I had 6-8 hrs. O/T. It was customary for people to leave early with even one hr. O/T. The mgrs. couldn't be reached by phone or in their office, so I asked those 5 people to tell them I left so I wouldn't get in trouble with the O/T, (not to mention I was a wreck & dr's. incompetence, etc). So they fired me 2 days later, (Friday), not because I left, but for patient abandonment, which doesn't fit the description. But please let me know what you think. Also I had nothing on my disciplinary record. Thank you.

Nohika: Not without asking or even informing me; common courtesy? This was at a surgicenter. At the hospital, if a person normally works 8 hrs., then they are asked or volunteer, which I have many times. Techs aren't paid mandatory O/T, even if forced to stay. My point is I am very good about staying over. I stayed until all cases were done. I just think it was crappy to keep me going from 2:30-6:00p without even calling into the room to check on me. (This happened other times).

Is it easier to become an RN if you're a surgical tech already working in the hospital? I am 53, previously worked as a surgical tech, & currently unemployed. I would love to go back to school for RN. I'm still trying to find work as a surgical tech. My plan is to then take up nursing and be an OR circulator, or any other nursing position. But I would be about 3-4 yrs. older by then. My hope is that the hospital would just upgrade my job and I would have better chances, (despite my age), than new grads who did not work at the hospital. What are my chances? I am unemployed because I was falsely charged with pt. abandonment. I had just worked 12 hrs, no lunch/no breaks. Any advice or comments would be welcome. Thanks!