Quitting first LPN job in the first month?

Published

Hey everyone, so I am a new LPN and have been working for a nursing home / rehabilitation center for about a month and am considering quitting. My biggest concern is that they are showing me how they do certain things that I am sure if seen by the state would lose my license. One example is borrowing meds from other patients med cards when you run out or can't find what you need for a different patient. State has also been around a lot lately due to a pretty serious allegation made against a worker so I'm pretty worried that the way they are showing me to do things will get me in trouble, but they aren't offering any alternatives to how to do things in a timely manner and this just seems to be the way things are done at this facility. Secondly I was hired for three 12 hour shifts, and had a 6 hour "half day" tacked on before my three day work week which I know is silly to complain about but I hate it.

Anyways, I'm just looking for opinions if I should just stick it out for a few months and then make the change or if my concern of losing my license is justified. I applied and have a voice mail from another company that is less than a mile from my house (instead of 30 minutes away) which also sounds pretty appealing. Any opinions are appreciated.

Edit: The work itself isn't an issue, I had the med pass which is the heaviest in the facility down by my third shift on my own. My concern is just getting in trouble and the schedule. My training hasn't been as promised either. It was supposed to be with one person who's job is doing people's first couple weeks but I have received one full day with her, and random people keep being scheduled instead. One day no one showed up until 4 hours into the shift (my 3rd day).

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Unless you are able to find a different kind of employer, chances are high your next job will be similar. Most facilities suffer from the same behaviors one way or another. You should do your job the way you want to do it. Nobody says you have to borrow meds. Take some time one shift and start ordering low supply meds. Nobody would have the opportunity to borrow meds if someone would just take the initiative to keep on top of resupplying the meds.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Unless you are able to find a different kind of employer, chances are high your next job will be similar. Most facilities suffer from the same behaviors one way or another. You should do your job the way you want to do it. Nobody says you have to borrow meds. Take some time one shift and start ordering low supply meds. Nobody would have the opportunity to borrow meds if someone would just take the initiative to keep on top of resupplying the meds.

I'm not advocating borrowing meds, just stating a fact. With Nurse to patient ratios as ridiculously high as they are, the REASON the meds aren't being ordered in a timely manner is bc there is rarely time.

You may have in mind, "ok, at the start of my shift, Im going to pull and send med stickers to pharmacy." Easy peasy. Then your shift starts and your plan is tossed out the window when a fall occurs right away, or call lights are going off like crazy due to change of shift, ir your admission arrives, or yadadaya....

You can plan to do it at the end of your shift. Then end of shift comes, and after documentation and finishing your admit, and still answering call lights, dealing with dementia patients, passing out PRNs yadayadaya...before you know it, its well past your shift.

It simply sucks

#NursesTakeDC

For safe nurse to patient ratios.

You're in the real world now. That includes either risking your license by taking short cuts, or risking your license not getting your work done bc you are doing everything properly. Lose-Lose

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

Borrowing meds was ok in my facility. But I minimized the problem by getting a refill sheet at the beginning of my shift. Everytime I gave a med that looked low I would peel the sticker and put it on the sheet and fax it later. When the pharmacy delivered I would organize as best I could. If you work the same cart all the time it will come together. We kinda had neat freak nurses who loved to organize.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you all for your comments, it's given me some to think about.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.
I'm not advocating borrowing meds, just stating a fact. With Nurse to patient ratios as ridiculously high as they are, the REASON the meds aren't being ordered in a timely manner is bc there is rarely time.

You may have in mind, "ok, at the start of my shift, Im going to pull and send med stickers to pharmacy." Easy peasy. Then your shift starts and your plan is tossed out the window when a fall occurs right away, or call lights are going off like crazy due to change of shift, ir your admission arrives, or yadadaya....

You can plan to do it at the end of your shift. Then end of shift comes, and after documentation and finishing your admit, and still answering call lights, dealing with dementia patients, passing out PRNs yadayadaya...before you know it, its well past your shift.

It simply sucks

#NursesTakeDC

For safe nurse to patient ratios.

You're in the real world now. That includes either risking your license by taking short cuts, or risking your license not getting your work done bc you are doing everything properly. Lose-Lose

It's actually very easy to get meds ordered timely. Keep a pharmacy sheet on your med cart. as you are popping meds, pull the stickers of those that have a low supply. I worked at a SNF with 32 residents a nurse, and we rarely ran out and needed to borrow when nurses just did it right the first time. And when everybody is pulling stickers as they go, then their are much less to order each shift.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

And, you don't lose your license for not getting your work done. Just your job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
And, you don't lose your license for not getting your work done. Just your job.

Not getting your work done includes an array of nursing tasks and assessments. You bet your ass my license would be in jeapardy if I missed the s/s of a PE bc I was busy playing catch up with meds or any other thousand things we have to do.

It happened last year at my facility. Woman in her 30's died in post acute rehab when the s/s went unnoticed. Nurse and CNA hadn't seen the patient in hours. And I don't blame them. I blame administration.

Good for you for your cart being run by the same nurses, making things much more organized and manageable. But that's not always the case.

And it was "ok" at your facility? I wonder what the insurance companies who pay for those meds think of that. It may be OK with your current managers, but I am very willing to bet anything it is not ok with company policy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion