Surgery Center with short staff-unsafe patient care

[luvhospics]

Hello-

I am needing advice. I worked at a children's hospital for the last seven years (round trip to work was over 100 miles, but it was worth the drive.) My decision was based on I needed to come back to town to work due to my mom's health is declining very fast and being that far away any more was not ideal.

I applied to a Urology Surgery Center here in town and after accepting it, all they needed was a warm body. I have experience being a surgical nurse and they assumed I could just "hit the ground running." I had no orientation, well two days to show how to chart and that's it. There were only 2 other nurses handling 8-9 surgical cases a day with daily add-on the doctors demanded.

I worked there for 2 months and had never ever experienced in my 11 yrs of nursing what I did there. They did procedures under general and brought to PACU still very sleepy and the turnover time to get them back to their room was 30 mins to monitor them. I kept them longer because they weren't ready to go back to their room.

The one surgeon operated like he was slaughtering an animal only caring about the money that was being brought in and not at all the high risk patients that he was doing. The anesthesiologist would evaluate and disagree, but he would override her decision. After one surgery a man had a catheter in which was draining bright red blood with significant clots and wouldn't stop. After irrigating, if stayed the same. The other nurse and I stayed late with this patient and the surgeon knew what was going on. He told us to tell the wife to keep irrigating every 30 minutes at home or go to the ER later (only because he'd be off call). This patient went to the ER. One patient I found out, actually bled out and died.

He's a monster but well known in the community, and very rich. The office manager is the gate keeper and is the meanest person I've encountered not caring about staff and thinks the nurses just sit around. I gave a 4 week notice and they acted like it's no big deal leaving again 2 nurses. They hired a nurse very quickly as the nurse manager basically lied through the interview as she did me that it's a great place to work. After many days/nights crying and I felt putting my license at risk, plus my family if an incidence would occur.

My husband wanted me out and quickly. So, I did. With this I want to try to collect unemployment, but the one question needs answered is "What was the final incident that caused you to quit this employment?" I am not sure what to type to fill this out. I also many times voiced "I need help and I do not understand what the procedures are due to not policies in place nor orientation." It was always just a shrug.

Any help to lead me what and how to fill the question out is appreciated. Trying to get this filed today, even if it is denied.

Thanks

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

You could say that the lack of training was a professional liability... I don’t know you can get unemployment if you quit though? In my state (at least this was the case 10 years ago), you couldn’t get it if you quit or even if you were terminated.... it was only if you were laid off.

Nothing to lose by applying though

[luvhospics]

Thank you!

I applied 2 weeks ago and waiting to see if they appeal. If so, I will file one as well.