Sabotaged at work

[soon2begrad2010]

I am a new graduate nurse who graduated in august for a year and a few months I have been working for a staffing agency where I am a sitter, since I have been working there I never ,ever got into any trouble nor did any nurses have any problems with me. But the last time I worked I had a patient who got sun-downers and wanted to leave out the rooom,so to make a long story short. The nurse decided to call security and put the patient back to bed with restraints. Next thing I know 15 minutes to the end of shift the patient's family member walks in and is LIVID that their loved one is in restraints. Fast-forward a few days later I get a call from my boss that the patient wrote a letter that she wasn't personally mad at the hospital but that I should not be able to work for them anymore and I had to write a letter and waiting for a response to see if I will be able to work there any longer, I do want to mention the patient did get a restraint loose and I had gotten up to get help and thats when the family member walked in. I am distrought, I was planning to try and apply with this hospital when I got my licensce and now I'm screwed,the patient also made some other allegations that I swear I never did nor said,the last thing I ever do is disrespect any patient,staff or family members,just venting

[hcox1975, BSN, RN]

What is the policy at this facility on restraints? Did you have a doctor's orders?

[TakeOne]

You were the sitter. You were not the nurse. The nurse made the decision to call security and place the patient in restraints. The family is going after you because you were the caregiver they saw first when they arrived, not because of the facts of the event. The patient is naming you because she remembers you, not because you were directly involved in the security call or placing her in restraints. The hospital will turn to the nurse's statement of the event, the nurse's documentation of the event and the notes from the security call to make a decision. However, I don't know what your agency will make of it.

[soon2begrad2010]

I don't know I am agency and I only sit with patients,I do know in times past that a confused or sundowners patient wouldn't be put in restraints unless they hit someone,usually I walk around with them on the floor till I can get them in their room again

[soon2begrad2010]

Yeah, I thought that's what it was too, my supervisor said she's not going to fire me and if when I move on to get a career as a nurse she will give me a good reference,but I may not be able to work again for that particular hospital and being how new grads already are having a hard time getting employed this is a door closed for now with this hospital.

[caliotter3]

I would see an attorney if the hospital states you can not work for them in the future. After all, you were the sitter, not the nurse. The family's complaint was about the nurse, not you. Is there any way that you can contact the family to try to rectify this? Perhaps they did not know that you were not the nurse. As a minimum write a letter in your own behalf and send it both to your agency and to the hospital.

[soon2begrad2010]

Oh I wish that were the case the patient's family member knew darn well I was the sitter,this person insisted I call the nurse,and also was curious as to why I was there because when there the other day, there was another sitter who I ended up relieving,and that was a weird thing also to happen,seeing how I had been to work a few hours already, any how the patient told me in so many words it was my fault that their loved one was put in restraints b/c I was not caring ,loving etc,etc, I was speechless

[caliotter3]

Sounds like you were dealing with one of those semi-psycho family members. The employer will do anything to appease the nutcase and throw you out like garbage.

[kayern]

Why in the world would someone who had a sitter assigned to them be put in restraints because they wanted to leave the room. Restraints should be reserved for when the patient is a danger to him/herself or someone else. Patients that sun down get restless and walking around, provided she is steady, would probably done her a world of good.

Was there a MD order and did the MD come and assess the patient. Do you really want to work for an institution that treats their patients this way? And the way you are being treated I suggest you look for some other place to work.

[rn4ever?]

What letter are they asking for? I'd be very careful in doing that. Will they use it as an evidence against you? Tread carefully. Also, did the patient have an order for restraint? The nurse should be the one to answer for this and not you!

[soon2begrad2010]

with me being an agency sitter I really would have to go out of my way to speak to the nurse and who know's the nurse could have threw me under the bus to in order to not be in trouble themself or either the patient's family was just plain old wicked. anyhow I agree with kayern maybe I should just walk away but I'm hanging by a thread financially. I was already advised by another agency nurse who has 5 or more years experience that this was not a good organization to deal with but I know that probably of been her opinion. I just feel like I got screwed without vaseline seeing how I can't even begin to make a decision of who or who doesn't get put in restraints.

[scoochy]

Consult an employment law attorney before doing anything. You have had an attack made on your character. Furthermore, you were the sitter, and did not make the decision to apply restraints. Sounds like you are taking the fall for someone else. To reiterate, I would get on the phone PDQ and make an appt. with an attorney who specializes in employment law!

Question: if this patient wanted to leave the room, did you attempt to escort him and walk him around the unit?? Were there other measures that could have been taken instead of resorting to restraints? It is a serious matter when restraints have to be used; was the supervisor called? Obviously the family was not notified; BIG mistake in this instance.....