A few months ago, the facility I was working at had a patient who’s family member was in a very authoritative position. While in our facility, the family member abused my patient on numerous occasions (hitting, choking, screaming, numerous bruises of unknown origin). Several events were witnessed by myself and by a few other nurses and reported accordingly. Numerous events were swept under the rug by my director and we were informed that they were not considered abuse and that “a family member has the right to force the patient to do something.”
Finally, after a particularly heinous event, administration took control and reported the events. We were all counseled on what to say to authorities and essentially still being told by our director to lie and recant our statements. Even took it as far as ripping up witness statements from previously reported events. Thankfully I maintain copies of all witness statements I complete and have them co-signed by my charge nurse on completion. The facility ended up in a lot of hot water as well as the family member.
Fast forward to now. I am by no means a superstar nurse. Of course I am flawed. But I also know that I am good at what I do. My patients love me, my coworkers love me. I have never had a single complaint from a family member, patient, or coworker up until after the abuse was reported. I’m the 4 years I had worked at this facility, I have never received a write up beyond a written warning for showing up late. But yesterday I was terminated.
To make a long story short, a patient was prescribed a new medication we did not have in house. I needed to pull from emergency supply and did. I pulled said medication and filled out necessary documentation (was not a narcotic). Later, my director followed me and claimed the medication was not given due to issues with documentation and proceeded to write me up for a single medication error. I fought back, claiming my innocence. But yesterday they terminated me for “negligence.” They stated they didn’t think I would intentionally harm my patient and that I was a good nurse so they wouldn’t pursue it criminally or with the BON but decided to part ways.
I am hurt and angry. I have given my all to this facility since I became a nurse. I am good at what I do. But most importantly, I KNOW that I gave that medication. (Patient was A&O x 1-2 at best and stated he thought he received the medication). I can’t help but believe this is retaliatory for the abuse situation given that I’ve never once received a write up previously for anything. Ordinarily I would cut my losses as I was preparing to leave in the very near future for another job. But this is a very large corporation in not just my city but my whole state and such, being ineligible for rehire makes me ineligible for employment at all facilities in the company.
So my question is this; do I have any recourse for this since I feel it was in retaliation? Or should I cut my losses and take it as a lesson learned? Thank you in advanced for any and all opinions and comments.
Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.
I don't have any advice, just wanted to say that I'm terribly sorry this happened to you. But honestly if that's the type integrity management at that facility has, they're probably doing you a favor best to let that sinking ship go down without you.
Hang in there, be kind to yourself, and I hope your next job values you as a nurse and employee.
If we all “just resign” every time we are confronted with tyranny, evil or rude behavior who will stand up for us when we are the victims? I’m not saying we should always be heroes, but thank God for the Rosa Parks of the world who will take a stand even at great great personal risk. This illustrates one situation why unions are so vital.
You should have resigned when you read the handwriting on the wall. You could have prevented some of the damage to your professional reputation. Now you have learned. When the handwriting on the wall warns you to get the …. out of Dodge, take the next stage out.
I actually was in the process of switching jobs when this happened. As soon as the crap hit the fan I was job searching and had another job lined up. My notice was going in the day I was terminated actually. The job I had accepted took longer than I thought to get onboard with. I didn’t intentionally stay at a bad job. I just was unable to up and quit without another job lined up.
If we all “just resign” every time we are confronted with tyranny, evil or rude behavior who will stand up for us when we are the victims? I’m not saying we should always be heroes, but thank God for the Rosa Parks of the world who will take a stand even at great great personal risk. This illustrates one situation why unions are so vital.
I genuinely wish we had a union. Unfortunately the few times we have tried to unionize have failed. I suspected from the time I reported it that it wouldn’t fair well for me but I owed it to my patient. I have no regrets about that.
I don't have any advice, just wanted to say that I'm terribly sorry this happened to you. But honestly if that's the type integrity management at that facility has, they're probably doing you a favor best to let that sinking ship go down without you.
Hang in there, be kind to yourself, and I hope your next job values you as a nurse and employee.
Thank you. I certainly hope so too. I was definitely loyal to a facility who didn’t give a care in the world about me. It’s been a lesson learned. I’m just hoping they don’t damage my reputation any worse than they already have.
I actually was in the process of switching jobs when this happened. As soon as the crap hit the fan I was job searching and had another job lined up. My notice was going in the day I was terminated actually. The job I had accepted took longer than I thought to get onboard with. I didn’t intentionally stay at a bad job. I just was unable to up and quit without another job lined up.
I know it's all water under the bridge now, but it is a lesson. I think these people set out to harm you just by having any knowledge of your job search given the fact that you also knew of their major ethical failures. After the fiasco, they were out to get you as soon as they had an inkling that you wouldn't be staying around, in order to try to hobble you from any further conceivable damage your knowledge of their activities might render.
If really bad things have gone on (or are going on) somewhere, you have to get out. It's either that or give others the opportunity to damage both your finances and your professional reputation.
Of course, the other lesson would be that if a patient is being abused, there is no excusing it, from day 1. It's likely that every staff member in that facility is a mandated reporter of vulnerable adult abuse = police and APS report on the very first occasion.
I am sorry that you are going through this. I think it royally sucks. And I do think your supervisor/DON or whomever is a particularly evil person (not that my opinion matters)!
I know it's all water under the bridge now, but it is a lesson. I think these people set out to harm you just by having any knowledge of your job search given the fact that you also knew of their major ethical failures. After the fiasco, they were out to get you as soon as they had an inkling that you wouldn't be staying around, in order to try to hobble you from any further conceivable damage your knowledge of their activities might render.
If really bad things have gone on (or are going on) somewhere, you have to get out. It's either that or give others the opportunity to damage both your finances and your professional reputation.
Of course, the other lesson would be that if a patient is being abused, there is no excusing it, from day 1. It's likely that every staff member in that facility is a mandated reporter of vulnerable adult abuse = police and APS report on the very first occasion.
I am sorry that you are going through this. I think it royally sucks. And I do think your supervisor/DON or whomever is a particularly evil person (not that my opinion matters)!
Best of luck to you ~
This post applied to me. No one, no, no one, in decades of employment where I have been abused many times over, has ever come to my assistance. If I don't take care of my self by looking after my means to a paycheck, I suffer because of my failure to act on my own behalf. People who talk about their Don Quixote desires to fight the system are living in a fantasy world if they think everything will be rainbows and unicorns when the dust settles. Employment attorneys will tell you a version of this, as they have told me in the past. Money paid to that attorney was money well spent.
File for unemployment and get a lawyer to sue them. Hopefully you will have whistle blower rights as this is a direct retaliation for speaking up against abuse. Considering the facility got into trouble for effectively witness tampering you should have a good case and should be able to get a good settlement for this. I wouldn't take this lying down! Fight back!
Good luck and let us know the results with the litigation!
I had been looking for another job since that incident. But my director always found a way of talking me out of putting my two weeks in. I was foolish and fell for it, believing that they genuinely cared to keep me onboard.
Its just embarrassing and and heartbreaking to me. It makes me feel so ashamed even though I know I didn’t do anything wrong. I know I probably should just cut my losses but it’s hard when I feel that it was so unfair.
Number one .They are not your friend,they are your employer and you should never ever trust them .In reality they dont care and you are not "special" in their eyes.
Two: If you just "feel" they were unfair and not have solid concrete proof to fight- then cut your losses.If you feel blacklisted now imagine after you lose your case.
I am sorry they did this to you,but sometimes it is a blessing to be forced to look for work elsewhere.
File for unemployment and get a lawyer to sue them. Hopefully you will have whistle blower rights as this is a direct retaliation for speaking up against abuse. Considering the facility got into trouble for effectively witness tampering you should have a good case and should be able to get a good settlement for this. I wouldn't take this lying down! Fight back!
Good luck and let us know the results with the litigation!
If you are fired with cause (even bull-crap, like this case) you are not eligible for unemployment. But filing for it would force them to go on the record with the state that the nurse in question was fired for some shady crap.
If you are fired with cause (even bull-crap, like this case) you are not eligible for unemployment. But filing for it would force them to go on the record with the state that the nurse in question was fired for some shady crap.
I’m not interested in unemployment. Thankfully I already have another job lined up (I did prior to being terminated) so I’m not out much financially. My biggest concern is in the long term and my reputation. As I stated in my original post, it’s one of the biggest corporations in my state. In just a 2 hour radius of me, they own approximately 30 different facilities. It’s just frustrating. It’s not even about the money, it’s my reputation and job prospects moving forward that angers and scares me.
TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN
923 Posts
I don't have any advice, just wanted to say that I'm terribly sorry this happened to you. But honestly if that's the type integrity management at that facility has, they're probably doing you a favor best to let that sinking ship go down without you.
Hang in there, be kind to yourself, and I hope your next job values you as a nurse and employee.