Scared of losing my licence...

Laura00seven · Feb 20, 2012

You need to leave! Start looking for a new job. You want to work at a place where nursing staff watches each other's backs. Where instead of writing you up (which really any of us could be written up at any time for any trivial thing... missed signatures, not timing a T.O. or a forgetful patient who swears they didn't get their meds.) If people are trying to get you fired (for whatever reason, meaningful or not) they may start a paper trail on you i.e. every mistake you make, reporting it or writing it up.

I had a manager who was like this-- she would pick and choose who she liked and these preferences would change at the drop of a hat. I often got blamed for ridiculous things-- I got written up for something that happened on my unit, when I was working on a different unit, and she SCREAMED at me in front of some patients over something our social worker was supposed to do. The thing was--- everyone knew she was a little off and we would all stick together, and she eventually received a "lateral" transfer to a position that doesn't require supervising, or patient interaction.

While you may not be in a position to leave your job, you never know what might come along. And you're probably not in a position to be fired or unemployed either. Also, document, document, document. Since it sounds like you can't document on the patients at work, what is stopping you from documenting at home? Not on specific patients or procedures, but events, such as with the patient who had to be hospitalized. Just a quick blurb in a notebook or on your computer (remember HIPPA), this is what I observed and assessed, this is what the manager told me to do. This was the outcome. That way, if anything goes before the coard or if you are alleged of some wrongdoing, you will have documentation from that day to tell the events.

RNBearColumbus, BSN · Feb 29, 2012

Get. Out. Of. There. NOW. (Or as soon as you can, I know it's hard to look for and land a job these days.)

The things you describe are (if you are describing them accurately,) the kind of things that get facilities in trouble. And from the sound of things, if the poop hits the fan, these "managers" will have no trouble throwing you under the bus.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 29, 2012

absolutely concur, in the strongest possible way. a lot of "worried about my license" things are really overreactions, but it does sound as if this place is looking for ways to pin their own failures on someone, and you might be it.

give your notice, stat; if you have vacation time coming to you, take it. and if they are really that bad (falsifying records? really?) after you are out, make a report to the state. they should hear it from you, not about you, if you get my meaning.

allnurses Guide · Feb 29, 2012

I worked in one place that had a manager and a few "yes" people around who imo did nothing but try to destroy people. They caused a lovely nurse who'd been there for 30 years to be "retired". This was at a teaching hospital and the attendings LOVED this woman. Her face looked so depressed. She didn't know how to fight back and the docs don't have that kind of thing in their radar. Made me sick.

I finally quit a couple of months later. At my exit interview the dysfunctional person's boss asked me what I thought she could do to fix things in the future -- lol she was losing people at a very rapid clip. The Bad Seed was hired by one of the administrative MDs - I guess she felt her hands were tied. People like that rarely change.

Merlyn · Feb 29, 2012

Sorry this may be the 1000th post on this topic, but I am new to the site (lurk often) and am in a bit of a bind. I recently started a job at a SNF and I really love my residents and work with some great nurses and CNAs. I'm just worried it's not the right kind of experience.
The rumor mill is out of control, to the point where one employee has spread tons of rumors and, without investigating, management has written up and fired people based solely on this one woman's word. I was reported twice for totally false occurrences and it ruined my reputation, and now the managers and DON have to "keep an eye on" me which really hurts.
They also write people up constantly. If they try to hold one person accountable for something they just pass the buck and so on and so on until they find someone who will just take the blame. Because I'm new I don't want to keep claiming I didn't do anything wrong so I've gotten written up for things other nurses did on other shifts.
I also got put on probation for apparently speaking to a supervisor the wrong way and sharing my opinion (funny, you would think my opinion mattered considering I'm the one looking at the patient). My yearly review was based entirely on my "attitude". Nursing assessment skills, documentation, resident care or safety... none of that was even MENTIONED. I sat for a half hour and listened to alternative ways to word things to sound "nicer", the examples were kind of ridiculous to be honest. What happened was we had a very sick resident who was unresponsive, and I said I thought she needed to be sent out. My supervisor said she "gets like this sometimes, she's just playing possum" and said the next shift would deal with it. Well she wasn't, eventually I really pushed (respectfully) for her to be sent out and the doctor agreed. My supervisor was furious. I even got a call from the ED doctor asking me how I could let her get so sick without sending her out, I was so embarrassed. Even though I was right and the resident needed to be hospitalized, I was told I should have just listened to my supervisor and not questioned her, I lost my position and my pay went down and now I'm on probation. She has also told me not to write notes and sweeps a lot of things under the rug, had me write false vitals on resident notes etc.
I'm so worried I can't even sleep at night. I'm really in no position to leave my job but I also don't want to get fired or lose my license over some shady happenings at this place. I don't know who to talk to because my supervisor is the problem, and if I go above her to a manager or DON I will get written up for not following the "chain of command", plus she'll just deny it and I'll get written up for complaining about her. You can also get fired for talking to your coworkers about problems you're having. I just don't know who to go to and how to protect myself, or is it a lost cause and should I just leave? Sorry it ended up being so long, thanks to anyone who actually read it all.[/quote
Time to leave Wonderland, Alice. This is not normal. If you get yourself sick this early in the game what are you going to be like in six months? You can't talk to the supervisor this way. Dropping your pay, everybody is writing everybody up. Sounds crazier then a crap fight in monkey house. Go away. Keep your sanity. In re reading this post my comments have changed. If you are going to written up anyway just go through the chain of command talk to your supervisor the go over her head. Fight! and document every time you tell the supervisor about a patient. Put the blame for inaction on her. Such as Supervisor informed. That's it. If the ED doctor calls again you can always say well I notified the supervisor.And she wouldn't let me send the patient out. Never take the blame.

munch666nath · Apr 20, 2012

nurses are the real curse of nurses in all over the world.They even dont know to show self respect towards others.

Merlyn · Apr 20, 2012

Sorry this may be the 1000th post on this topic, but I am new to the site (lurk often) and am in a bit of a bind. I recently started a job at a SNF and I really love my residents and work with some great nurses and CNAs. I'm just worried it's not the right kind of experience.
The rumor mill is out of control, to the point where one employee has spread tons of rumors and, without investigating, management has written up and fired people based solely on this one woman's word. I was reported twice for totally false occurrences and it ruined my reputation, and now the managers and DON have to "keep an eye on" me which really hurts.
They also write people up constantly. If they try to hold one person accountable for something they just pass the buck and so on and so on until they find someone who will just take the blame. Because I'm new I don't want to keep claiming I didn't do anything wrong so I've gotten written up for things other nurses did on other shifts.
I also got put on probation for apparently speaking to a supervisor the wrong way and sharing my opinion (funny, you would think my opinion mattered considering I'm the one looking at the patient). My yearly review was based entirely on my "attitude". Nursing assessment skills, documentation, resident care or safety... none of that was even MENTIONED. I sat for a half hour and listened to alternative ways to word things to sound "nicer", the examples were kind of ridiculous to be honest. What happened was we had a very sick resident who was unresponsive, and I said I thought she needed to be sent out. My supervisor said she "gets like this sometimes, she's just playing possum" and said the next shift would deal with it. Well she wasn't, eventually I really pushed (respectfully) for her to be sent out and the doctor agreed. My supervisor was furious. I even got a call from the ED doctor asking me how I could let her get so sick without sending her out, I was so embarrassed. Even though I was right and the resident needed to be hospitalized, I was told I should have just listened to my supervisor and not questioned her, I lost my position and my pay went down and now I'm on probation. She has also told me not to write notes and sweeps a lot of things under the rug, had me write false vitals on resident notes etc.
I'm so worried I can't even sleep at night. I'm really in no position to leave my job but I also don't want to get fired or lose my license over some shady happenings at this place. I don't know who to talk to because my supervisor is the problem, and if I go above her to a manager or DON I will get written up for not following the "chain of command", plus she'll just deny it and I'll get written up for complaining about her. You can also get fired for talking to your coworkers about problems you're having. I just don't know who to go to and how to protect myself, or is it a lost cause and should I just leave? Sorry it ended up being so long, thanks to anyone who actually read it all.[/quote
Time to leave Wonderland, Alice. This is not normal. If you get yourself sick this early in the game what are you going to be like in six months? You can't talk to the supervisor this way. Dropping your pay, everybody is writing everybody up. Sounds crazier then a crap fight in monkey house. Go away. Keep your sanity. In re reading this post my comments have changed. If you are going to written up anyway just go through the chain of command talk to your supervisor the go over her head. Fight! and document every time you tell the supervisor about a patient. Put the blame for inaction on her. Such as Supervisor informed. That's it. If the ED doctor calls again you can always say well I notified the supervisor.And she wouldn't let me send the patient out. Never take the blame.
You need to talk to a lawyer. If what you say is true, just about the false vitals is kind of against the law. If you have proof of the one woman rumor mill. That is another offence if false that can be deformation . If it that bad as you describe you could also bring the state. But talk to a lawyer. see what your rights are. and calm down. Life is full of surprises. I was in a situation much as yourself. After I had Finished my work I was called into the DON's Office and firer.Just like that. Well I had that job for five years, I was pretty hurt, so in stead of going home to face my wife, I went to my favorite bar too forget my troubles. While I was drinking at the bar a friend of mine came in. He asked me what I was doing there getting drunk. I told him about the DON firing me for no reason. He said he had started a new job about a week ago. Maybe he could help. I told him I would appreciate any help . I gave him the name of the place and the DON. The next day I got a call from the DON stating she had made a terrible mistake and would I come back to my old job with a raise in pay. I took the job back . It turn out that my friend's job, He was an inspector for the State of New Jersey. I met him again in few weeks. I thank him for the job. He said it was his pleasure, that the DON's name was a joke around the office because when he introduce himself,the DON wet herself. So hang in there kid, we will be always here for you.

Maine · Apr 21, 2012

Wow! Thanks for all the input. I hadn't checked this in a while. This does give me hope that not every place is like this. It's seriously pretty shady there, but we got a new manager so I spoke with her about this supervisor and she is aware that I am recording all of these occurrences. I also no longer work the shift I had been on so I don't see this supervisor as much, not that the ones on my new shift are any better haha. I do have maternity leave coming up and I don't plan on going back there after. Another nurse who works there is hoping to leave ASAP and plans to write an anonymous letter about the goings on at our facility and I'm debating doing the same... wondering who I should send it to... the BON?

Merlyn · Apr 22, 2012

Wow! Thanks for all the input. I hadn't checked this in a while. This does give me hope that not every place is like this. It's seriously pretty shady there, but we got a new manager so I spoke with her about this supervisor and she is aware that I am recording all of these occurrences. I also no longer work the shift I had been on so I don't see this supervisor as much, not that the ones on my new shift are any better haha. I do have maternity leave coming up and I don't plan on going back there after. Another nurse who works there is hoping to leave ASAP and plans to write an anonymous letter about the goings on at our facility and I'm debating doing the same... wondering who I should send it to... the BON?

Hold fast to dreams, for it dreams die,

Life is like a broken winged bird that can not fly- Langston Hughes

kids · Apr 22, 2012

anonymous letter about the goings on at our facility and I'm debating doing the same... wondering who I should send it to... the BON?

You want to send your complaint to the entity that licenses nursing faclilites in your state.

HolyPeas · May 19, 2012

Is this even a serious question? Leave! Run for the hills!