Warning: Stay away from...

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I just recently got hired on with a company and couldn't run away fast enough. I won't name the company. But they are hiring nurses or anyone with a 4 year science degree of any kind. No patient or medical experience needed. (found that out later) They are placing them in "clinics" they open in Dr offices to do allergy testing.

I was sent for training for a week. I was taught a "modified aseptic" technique. (I thought it was either aseptic, clean, or dirty) They encouraged us to re-use needles for up to a week (or month with some things) with the extract vials. They taught how to push sales, even to pts who really didn't need treatment. Their "training" was horrible. I got a 96 on one of my tests with them and was told I did really bad (other trainees had worse scores and were told the same thing). A passing grade was 80, so I thought it wasn't bad at all. I also had homework and essays to write after being in training for 8-10 hours/day. The training was paid for, but not the homework/essays.

The next week I arrived at the office I would be working at and another person was there to set up the clinic. She was also there to check me off again on what I was checked off on the first week. It turns out that she was never college educated and was a licensed massage therapist at one time and was no longer even licensed with that. She said the cont. ed. was too much hassle. So this is my boss? Shes checking me off? There is an RN and Dr. available to oversee me. But this is who they want me to report to? Really? Well she has no clue how to train and it doesn't seem she knows the material herself. I was told during training that they would focus on the clinical end of things and the person who sets up the office would train on the administrative end.

Well the Dr's in the clinic were told one thing by the Dr from corporate that trains the Dr's and we were told something else. We understood the state law. But the corporate office never bothered to find out what the local laws were. So then the Dr's were upset because they weren't exactly told what their part would be. I was caught in the middle. I was being told by corporate to do one thing, the Dr's wanted another, and then theres the law. I'm went with what the law said. Basically the company put the cart before the horse on this one.

Back to the lady setting up the office and training me. She acted as if she had never trained anyone, ever. She couldn't explain complex procedures or give a step by step. (not surprised considering her background) But when she brought me a sticky note to call someone she made sure I knew the difference between the name and the number on the sticky note. (I know, difficult to figure out.) So that tells me she knew how to be detailed in explaining something. But that she didn't understand what she was supposed to be training me on. When I would ask her a question, she would always reply "what do you think?" When I would explain that I thought about something and couldn't figure it out. I'd also explain that it was the reason I asked. She would respond with "I'm trying to teach you. What do you think?"

I asked for another week of training (which I was told I could do). They had her stay to train for another week. I was thinking to myself that all that was going to happen was a repeat of the week before. I was hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. I spoke with her boss about the situation and he explained that he had a talk with her and that this was a continuous problem with her. I found that unprofessional. I don't think its appropriate for supervisors to talk about employees to other employees. She came in for the 2nd week and whined about how she missed out on spending time with her boyfriend and missed a game she had tickets to. Not my fault. I missed a milestone birthday for being out of town with this company for training. I never complained once about it. She knew that could/would happen when she took her job.

I was told by this company that I was to get a certain number of patients on immunotherapy per month. That was told to me on the first week of training. This week I was told that I just needed to get the patients to sign for immunotherapy because we could make the vials for the patient and bill for it. I was told to tell the patient to sign for us to make it, even if they didn't want it, so that it would be there if they changed their mind. Because as soon as the med is made they company can charge for it whether the patient uses it or not. At that point I was done with that company.

I had to keep track of inventory. No big deal I thought. I've done that with jobs in the past and its never been a big deal. I figured that its not big deal to know to order gloves when I'm down to a box left. Boy was I wrong! They required me to keep track of every glove used and every piece of gauze used. They needed a reason for the use of each item I used when I would adjust inventory. Gloves and gauze weren't tracked by the box/package. They were tracked by each one used!

I tried to give them a chance as a new company. I just figured they were working some things out. But they were doing some scary things! I didn't even name all the things I went through. This was really the short and sweet version. I thought I'd write this so that I could keep others from making the mistake with this place. But also for things to watch out for with crooked companies. I just hope they don't harm anyone. Thanks for reading!

OP, your post would probably make more sense if you listed the company name or at least the state in which this is happening/happened. This place could be any clinic or group hiring nurses/allied health personnel.

There are several posts on this site about companies, hospitals and nursing agencies to stay away from. These entities are named and naming them helps other nurses to make informed decisions.

On the other hand, from your post, I believe the most crucial bit of infomation needed to RUN, not walk from this company is the fact that they REUSE needles.

Again I say RUN, not walk.

Specializes in Family Practice, Urgent Care, Cardiac Ca.

I *STRONGLY* Encourage you to report this organization ASAP!

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Thank you for the warning.

With the info you gave I think people could identify the company if they were exposed to it. I agree you are right not to name hte company here. Whatever anyone else says you need to protect yourself.

The re-use of needles and other issues do need reporting. I would start with the insurance commissioner for watever state this was in.

Thank you very much for alerting us to this.

Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

They are nationwide. So there is no specific location. They do training in one state. But they fly you there and back for that training. They are trying to set up clinics in Dr offices around the US. They are not in all states, but in most.

Its a strange set up to me...but maybe this happens more often than I know of. The company says you work for them. But they have an agency that hires, gives benefits, and pays the employees. I remember something being said about them changing it up slightly because of laws. I don't remember the reason for that. But it was before I was there. The company has only been running for a year. Did I mention that the founder drives a Maserati? It seems that most companies are just starting to make a profit after a year. Anyway, the way its set up means working for the company (including interview by company, not the agency that pays and gives benefits) and being paid by this agency. Meanwhile, working in a Dr office and not working for the Dr. but still under the Dr's license. It just seemed really odd.

This is also insurance fraud and could be reported under a whistle blower action. If you don't know where to start, try calling your state medical board or local state represenetative or senator .... DEFINATELY report them! Re-using needles? Procedures that are not needed? If they have committed insurance fraud you may also receive a percentage of the money they have swindled from the insurance companies (it's why our rates are so high, people aren't honest....).

I would think if you DO hold a nursing license and have knowledge of these unsafe and unethical practices you are required to report this to your state department of health. This number should be easy to find.I don't know how you could sleep at night without doing this the day you found out about it. The public they are serving is at huge risk and if something serious happens --like they cause a patient to get HIV or HEP B there is a huge lawsuit and if you are a part of the practices and didn't do anything about it you may be legally liable. I would call the DOH STAT........if not you are just as guilty as they are.

Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

Like I said previously. I wasn't sure where to start reporting them. But from the replies I now have a start. They WILL be reported. Thats why I got out as soon as I realized what they were doing. I was in for 1 week of training out of town. Came back and was in the clinic for a week and left. That week in the clinic was when I found out about everything.

I practice nursing as if the patients were my friends or family. If I wouldn't want my friends or family to be treated in that way, my patients won't be treated that way either.

Specializes in Developmental Disabilites,.

Have you reported them yet? If not you are just as guilty as they are. You know what they are doing. You need to protect the public.

I really wish you would name names. I am not looking for a job now but I do have allergies. I would like to avoid this company.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
Have you reported them yet? If not you are just as guilty as they are. You know what they are doing. You need to protect the public.

I really wish you would name names. I am not looking for a job now but I do have allergies. I would like to avoid this company.

That is totally unfair. She is going to report it. It is not right to demand they she risk retaliation from this company by naming them here.

She is doing this the right way and she is reporting it. I found your comment to be SUPER unreasonable.

Specializes in NICU,ICU,ER,MS,CHG.SUP,PSYCH,GERI.

I think you are a nut leading a discussion about a fantasy that somehow fulfills some neeed you have.

I think you are a nut leading a discussion about a fantasy that somehow fulfills some neeed you have.

This may be a little harsh - but any nurse that would not walk out the first time he/she was told to reuse a needle does raise suspicions. Seems like most of the responders would have been gone long before orientation was complete. Why come here, post essentially annonymously about an unnamed company. Also no one else seems to be adding their experience - if this is a nationwide company hiring everywhere. Has no one else encountered anything suspicious? If they are setting up in existing medical practices, wouldn't those physicians want to know what was going on?

So the more I think of it, the less credible the whole story seems.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

I think y'all should not jump to conclusions like a pack of hyenas. How about politely asking for clarification and then if the answer is not adequate you can go ahead and rip her head off?

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