Ms.UndastoodRn

Personal issues vs. Burn out? Has to be something right? Was she competent before and now she can't stay awake long enough to think or were you so green that it seemed like she knew her stuff? Has there been a change?

She didn't. She identified that it was a guy in a black or blue scrub top. We, the nurses wear blue and lab wears black.

Basically! They can't send me anywhere until the process is complete. First it was the investigation that held up sending me elsewhere, then I was deemed un-rehireable. My recruiter informed me that that was the last process but I knew it had to be another step. So I requested to speak to someone above her and that's how I found out about the grievance process. Just waiting to hear the findings or ruling from that to be able to move on.

Well guys I changed my screen name to MISUNDERSTOOD because I am! I had to file a grievance with my travel company because of the investigation into the "Thrown away heparin bag", they deemed me UN-REHIREABLE!! Not sure how, why, who but I can't let this go. I've now been unemployed since September 27th, lost my insurance because COBRA is ridiculous if you don't have income coming in. I'm awaiting to hear back from them after the grievance process completes. I'll let you guys know how that goes. Thanks for all the comments thus far.

Travel nurses are the first to float on any unit which has been a con for me since starting. I don't mind it unless it's mid shift. Like coming on, getting an assignment at the beginning of your shift (5:1), then at 11 pm being floated to receive a new team. I worked at a hospital where it was legal and normal practice to float nurses every 4 hours. I've received report from someone who had 12 patients throughout her dayshift, that couldn't tell me one thing about her last 4 patients. She was totally discombobulated, disoriented and flustered!! Who wouldn't be, I feel this puts our license on the line! Fatal jeopardy! Talk about preventable sentinel events. Needless to say I didn't extend my contract at that facility! It never makes sense to me that a fresh nurse coming in gets the patients you've had for 4 hours and you then have to float an receive another team. Continuity of care is lost and patient satisfaction scores plummet. It's all about the numbers know a days........

I worked in a very busy Neuro unit in Indiana with NO PCAs!! It was purgatory! The PCAs were unlicensed so they didn't do vitals, accuchecks, pass food trays or retrieve them, empty foleys, no I & O.....nothing. They could sit if you had a confused patient and maybe give a bath but mostly tell you everything YOU the nurse needed to do or hadn't done. It would've made a huge difference for that nursing unit who lost 6 nurses during my 6 week assignment. All were travel nurses and ratio was 5-7:1. Very dangerous conditions, license in jeopardy every shift. PCA, PCT, nurse tech, whichever your facility uses are GOLDEN!!! I respect anyone in their money making profession, but for nurses this part of the team is invaluable!! You need a village to take care of patients! Case managers, social workers, secretary's, phlebs, etc are all necessary to provide exceptional patient care.

Awesome advice! No one is exempt. It can happen to anyone and will actually make you a better person and NURSE after you complete your steps and re-enter the nursing world! Good luck to ALL! No judgement ever this way. LIFE has a way of kicking you to wake you up. We LEARN and do better!! God Bless

After 25 years at the same hospital, I decided to cut, run and travel. Even though I've only traveled within a 2 hour radius from my home, it's been a much needed JOLT. I like walking in anonymous, catching on quickly (my opinion) and Nursing my heart away. Nursing has helped my people pleaser anomaly and traveling has taken me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow. In a 13 week assignment, it takes me atleast 3-4 weeks to get the new system down, 5-6 weeks to get all the numbers and Drs down and at 13 weeks I feel like core staff and then it's time to move on. Unless of course, the core staff doesn't like you, then it's 13 weeks of H@LL and you wished you stayed where you were. Lol I have appreciated change!

I'm actually in the grievance process due to my agency deeming me un-rehirable after the investigation. Not sure how that worked out. I honestly feel like that's somehow faulting me, so I guess it's not done. So if you can think of anything let me know. Thanks

I didn't work for a HCA but took a contract in Indiana with a similar outcome. Apparently at this facility, CNA's aren't licensed so they can't perform basically anything. No accuchecks, can't deliver trays, unable to do vitals and were unwilling to chart I & O's etc.....On dayshift, working on a neuro floor this is disastrous (unsafe). Ratio was 5-6:1 without any relief from ancillary help, mostly 6 some nurses had taken 7 but travel didn't. The majority of the travelers didn't stay on contract including me past 6 weeks. All this wasn't divulged at the time of the interview, I was actually told the opposite. I had CNA's coming to me telling me what I hadn't done. Big NO in my book. In the fine print of my contract it said I would owe them $1000 if I breached the contract, which also wasn't divulged but that was my fault for not reading the contract in it's entirety. I gladly paid the money but 10,000 is totally different and should be PRORATED since you did complete 6 months of the contract. I'm not sure this helps at all but just know that this is the new NORMAL. I've met nurses that quit due to these conditions and became truck drivers. I love nursing and keep trudging along but anything that puts my license at jeopardy I will not be apart of.

I'm with you on an incident report. Have done it as a traveler before (different situation/hospital) but it doesn't necessarily mean that you won't be blamed. The whole floor vs. YOU. Somehow/someway it can easily be made to "go their way." Those can be ignored, seen it happen. The only official documentation that can't be deleted is in the patient's chart.

One of the nurses on the floor during the discussion about the heparin being off said, "Well she didn't die did she." That comment just sparked the fire more, like it was a blast of oxygen to a flame. I'm just baffled at people's thought patterns......

I second that!!!!

Everyone is so literal nowadays. Everything is social media driven. No one takes the time to ask questions, get to know you as a person. It's neither here nor there but you can't say anything without it being taken out of context. Charge nurses are thrown into their jobs without proper training, like using your listening ears and asking questions. My Mom died of lung cancer and whenever I had to take care of someone dealing with the same illness it was very hard for me. To say I hate cancer is an understatement. I hope you find something quick and just learn to censor your emotions and not share too much. Get a journal and start writing things down, that way you have an avenue to release your feelings/emotions.

When you write about a topic it says make the title attention grabbing. So I did. It's definitely not a joke or prank when patient safety is at question and somehow if I never noticed this drip was shut off and the patient reinfarcted, the discussion would have put my professionalism at question. Only the facts were reported. I'm well aware of legalities. I don't need a lecture just wanted some insight or opinions on how to handle this.