Unfair discipline - Really long!! Sorry!

[erinp88]

Hi! I am an LPN in a nursing home system. For the last 3 of the 4 years I have been a resource pool nurse. That means I float to 3 different facilities and work on skilled nursing and assisted living units.

I have another job through out the school year months - August-June and do this very part time. However, I used to do it full time and was very "on top" of my game. This summer I asked my boss for some "reorientation" dates on a couple of the units. I wanted to make sure I was up to date with new paperwork requirements and daily routines on some of the units. Due to staffing needs, I haven't been able to receive them and have been scheduled to work.

Yesterday I had what I thought was a good day at work until the unit manager came up and said she needed to see me. I knew then that I was in trouble for screwing up my break time. This facility/unit is known for having multiple disciplinary action and termination of employees, so you have to be extra careful when you work there.

I was working alongside with 2 nurses. One of which I had never met before and was obviously stressed the minute I walked in the door. She took know interest in introducing herself or making conversation with me. She was upset and stressed about her upcoming day basically. She was to receive 2 admissions (another nurse came in special to do them) and was obviously unhappy working there. I overheard make several comments such as "I can't wait until I don't have to work here anymore, this place is terrible etc.." I also overheard her reporting other nurses to the managers through out the day on things that hadn't been done properly - or to her standards. I knew I needed to be careful with her.

I had spent the day administering medications and helping CENA's when I had the moment. However, during meal time, I had some residents that required extra attention (crawling out of bed....pain...etc). I probably didn't help out in the dining room as much as they would've liked me to. Either way, I ended up in there at the end and helped clean up. After breakfast, one of the "stressed out nurses" patients had a vasal vagal response. I then spent almost a half hour toileting and laying her resident down. I was afraid to even tell this nurse because she was so on edge and unapproachable.

After that, I took 5 minutes to eat a snack and return to my duties. Prior to lunch, one of my CENA's was having difficulty getting her resident up. I went ahead and did that for her. That put me behind on administering 11-12pm meds. I had to take time to do them because it included insulin administration and Lactaid. (state was there too!) Of course it decreased the amount of time I was available in the dining room.

Shortly after this, the stressed out nurse informed me of my breaktime. Somehow, I misinterpeted it into being 12pm.

I didn't even leave the floor until 12:10 pm. As I was warming up my food, no one from the other floors were coming down and I started wondering if I left too early. I pretty much ate a few bites and returned at 12:25. I referred to the break sheet and realized that I wasn't supposed to leave until 12:30. Those break times are written in by the nurses themselves. I felt terrible! I immediately apologized to the nurse I could get along with and she said, "Oh it's fine, I'm going to go now."

At the end of the day, I was written up for "Neglect of residents and not fulfilling job requirements." They said I didn't help enough of the dining room and that I should have been more aware of the break schedule. I refused to sign it and informed the managers of the nurse and the conditions I had been dealing with all day from her. I was over apologetic again about screwing up my break time and took complete blame for that. Now, I'm wondering if this nurse told me the wrong time because I remember now that she did not tell me 12:30. I also found out that the normal staff nurse there takes her break at 12:15-1pm. The managers wondered why I hadn't told them about the "stressed out" nurse earlier in the day. I felt that I only had to work with her one day, 8 hrs of my life, and then I could go home. Compared on the global problems going on, this was completely minor. Not everyone is going to like me when I work (although most do) and I'm okay that.

I'm sorry this is lengthy, but I am feeling completely helpless and not sure where I am going to get a support system from. The managers kind of indicated to me that it's not a big deal since it was technically a "verbal". I don't want to be under the microscope every time I work there and then receive my 1st, 2nd and then termination.

I'm hoping I can fight this under the premises that I didn't receive the "reorientation" that I wanted. Is anyone aware of any rights regarding "unfair discipline" in the work place? I can't seem to find anything. It doesn't help there's no union either.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!