blugreeneyez

RUN!!!!!! No need in putting your hard work and license on the line for it

I have to say I totally agree. I was hired at a LTC I was given 5 days of orientation. Two of those days my preceptor was sick. There for 3. I had the hall I was on which was the highest acuity hall for two whole shifts alone and was trying to get a set "groove" for myself and got a blood sugar late mis counted a count and had to take a drug screen which showed a false positive for THC and I was fired. I did go straight to my family physician and had a drug screen which was negative and I took it to the administrator but that didn't change anything I was told that I wasn't going to work out. Needless to say It killed my self esteem as a person and a nurse. No LTC for me again. How can a person get a routine down in two shifts....not to mention the false accusation of drug use.

I have heard nothing else from it so no news is good news. I was so upset because they did that to me but I have now decided that God was looking out for me according to some of the horror stories on LTC

They also said I took a blood sugar late. It was my second day on the hall I didn't even have time to learn the patients well. I didn't feel that it was fair, but the more I see on the LTC posts the better I feel that it was in my best interest and God was looking over me. Time to move on...

That is why I went straight to my doctor I don't do drugs anyone that knows me knows that

Thanks guys I knew I didn't have anything to worry about

How do u get false positive out of databases?

How do u clear ur name if its in 10 databases

I take Protonix

I have a question or 4 for the LTC DON's first I want to say I respect the hours you put in and the work that most of you do, but if you had hired a nurse to work 2nd shift would you require that they do all the orientation on 1st shift or do you agree he or she should have some orientation on 2nd shift? The next question you are implementing a new med admin system and the nurse you just hired does not have a password to orient his or herself to this system and makes two mistakes and doesn't know how to correct them in the charting bc of no training can you throw this up as a reason for them to be terminated. A pill count is done at the end of shift 1 hydrocodone 5/500 is off but the nurse shows the crushed pill to the on coming nurse and makes it a point to waste it the nurse agrees to take a drug screen and it shows positive for THC but the nurse immediately went to her physicians office within 30 minutes and took a drug screen he or she paid for out of her own pocket and the drug screen is negative and you still fire her? Yet another question this nurse had a history of PTSD from a severe domestic violence relationship and the anxiety attacks can happen for any reason this nurse went into the med room out of sight of others to calm themselves and another nurse happened to walk in and reported it to you. Would you in turn tell the nurse that they had lost the respect of their co workers and that is why they were fired? The drug screen was wrong, its not the RNs fault that she was not properly trained on a new med admin system b4 you placed them on the floor alone, and how could say that he or she lost the respect of their co workers bc she had an anxiety attack? How do you honestly say it is only the nurses fault his or her employment was a failure? Do you not see any flaws in the system?

I have been a nurse for 10 years now...I don't know if its bc I am getting older or just the way healthcare has become. I am actually scared to get a job doing something I love. I have always knew I wanted to be a nurse I have achieved my dream but now I am scared to death to work. People want to look for any reason turn a nurse into the board. I had a bad experience at a place I was just hired and fired from in three weeks. I took a pre employment drug screen, then bc of a discrepancy in a pill count for a norco 5 which I had wasted and even had the crushed pill in the cup with applesauce to show the other nurse I had to take another drug screen, they in turn told me this one was positive for THC. I immediately went to my physicians office and paid to have a drug screen myself and of course it was negative bc I don't smoke marijuana, also it was negative for the norco, I was still terminated. Of course a multitude of reasons were made up but I am really thankful now bc as I read these posts on here I see that people are being accused of doing things wrong when the truth of it is that nurses are overworked and under paid. I was thinking how is it that one RN or one LPN is responsible for every little thing that happens with 27-30 patients? We are human we are going to make mistakes no matter how hard we try not to. That is not why I became a nurse, I became a nurse to help people not to be scared to death to make a wrong move or a wrong statement. Healthcare is a business any more not a calling.... It has become how many patients can one person take on for the least amount of money. I am saddened by this. Nursing was a respected profession. Now we have to constantly look over our shoulder or wonder does so and so like me etc... I know I am just rambling but I don't like being scared to do something I love... Does anyone think I am being just paranoid?? Thanks for listening to me rant and rave I don't really have anyone to talk to about this..

I totally understand what u r sayin. I Thank God I was fired last week for a supposed positive THC drug screen I went to my physicians office within 30 min of being dismissed and paid for a drug screen myself which was negative! Of course then it was some other reason they gave for firing me. Mind u I was oriented for 4 days on day shift and was to work 3-11. A new system for med administration was just implemented and I had no password to practice on it. I have a history of severe domestic violence and have a diagnosis of PTSD had an anxiety attack went to the med room alone and attempted to let it pass without the knowledge of my co workers and one walked in so according to the DON I lost the respect if my co workers. I will admit at first it hurt my feelings bc I have been a very good caring nurse for 10 years but I have a feeling that staying there wud have been a bad choice for my license. I have now decided to return to school and get my BSN MSN and soon after my FNP or even PA! God works in mysterious ways

Unfortunately that's the way it is!

I am a nurse and have 10 years of experience in several different areas of nursing. My favorite is Psych. I have 5 yrs of psych experience. I am having a hard time finding a job in my area. I never thought I would ever have trouble finding a job at nursing and its my def career choice since I was 8 years old. I am a very good nurse. In Feb of 09 I fell ill with aspiration pneumonia on 5 different occasions thru Aug 09 I was hospitalized on 5 different occassions and because I missed more than 12 calender days I was terminated. I admit I missed alot of days because in Oct of 08 my grandmother fell ill and was hospitalized for almost 2 weeks at which time she passed away, also I had jus came back from a vacation of a week which I put in for almost a year earlier. The problem is now I can't find a job because I am a no rehire from that hospital. Idk wat to do I am getting so frustrated and now thinking maybe I am not supposed to be a nurse and I dont want that bc I love it and I am good at it. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

you did the right thing. I worked at a LTC facility at one time. I worked on a vent unit which consisted of 24 vent dependent patients most of which had GTs and it was myself two CNA's and a Resp therapist. I understand what you are talking about most DONs at those facilities are worried about thier bills getting paid and not really patient care or quality of life. You are a RN and you must take the MDs orders as they are given. The only problem I see is that they should have questioned the RN that actually took the order from the MD. Most MDs get very upset if a nurse questions the order they have given unless its and error that could cause the patient death etc... With my experience I was expecting a patient to return from the hospital and that was ok what I wasn't expecting was the patient that showed up in an ambulance bagged on her trach with three CVC lines running and no vent, room or pump available for her. I called the owner of the facility and she said oh yeah I ok'd her go ahead and admit her. She failed to inform me that this patient was coming. Needless to say I gave my two week notice and moved on. My license was on the line not the owners. Owners forget about patient care and quality of care and see $ signs before anything else. I know its a sad situation, but as the others above me said go with your gut you know what you are doing don't let them make you feel any different. ALWAYS CYA don't depend on them to do it for you.