Was this unsafe?

[Quinnbee]

Hello! I've recently started working at a LTC facility as a new grad LPN for about a month or so. We work 12 hour shifts, and most of the time, I work mornings, but I decided to try out night shifts a few days ago. A little background about the facility, it has a very high rate of turnover and I was made aware of that before I started working there. What I wasn't aware of was just how demanding and unorganized the facility is on a daily basis. There are two nurses on the floor, one on each station, with a census of about 45 residents. One station specializes in skilled residents, while the other is LTC residents. In a typical work week, I as a full-time employee will work 3 days a week, and get the other 4 days off. However, in those 4 days that I should be able to rest and decompress, I'll get calls and texts from the staffing coordinator, asking me to come in and work shifts that other nurses have called off. During my first few weeks, I was averaging 80 hours per week, and I was starting to feel extreme fatigue. As a new employee, I didn't feel like I had the right to say no, that is the way the facility makes me feel. Recently I've become more willing to say no and refuse extra shifts, and just a few days ago, I was asked to work a night shift, to which I agreed. About an hour into the shift, the nurse on the other station comes to me and tells me that he will be leaving after he finishes passing his 11 PM medications. This is the first that I'm hearing of this, so I called the staffing coordinator. I was met with an answer of "don't worry, he'll pass the night meds." During our entire 10 minute conversation, the staffing coordinator managed to avoid answering my question of "why wasn't I made aware that I would be the only nurse in the building, taking care of 45 patients." Not only was the nurse's early departure pre-planned, but the staffing coordinator was very much aware of it when she asked me to work the night shift. I had no warning of any kind, and I was basically forced to take report from the other nurse, who then proceeded to skip his way out the door. So there I am, a new grad and a new employee, pitch black nighttime with two aides and 45 patients. I was quite honestly scared, because some of the residents were high fall risks, and I had no one there to turn to if I needed help. The aides were helpful as much as they could be, but with several residents to themselves, they had their hands full. A few of the high fall risks were also dementia residents who tended to wander at night. Somehow, I managed to get through the night and I passed meds to all 45 patients, which was like it's own circle of Dante's Inferno. After all was said and done, I contacted the DON, because I was not comfortable with how the night had gone down. I ended up calling and texting the DON eight times, and every single attempt was ignored. It made me feel like she was basically condoning what had been done and I felt that I had no one who would stick up for me as a nurse. My question to you guys is this; am I being a crybaby about this situation and do I just need to suck it up and roll with the punches? Or was this an unsafe situation for both me and the residents that I took care of that night? From what I've come to understand about this facility, this same situation has happened to several nurses before me, and the administration and the DON have done nothing to fix the problem. I'm still working at this facility, but I am considering terminating my contract with them, because I find myself feeling a sense of dread every time I drive to work and every time I get a call or text, because the staffing coordinator continues to badger me about working extra shifts.

[JKL33]

Yes, get the heck out of there as responsibly/professionally (and quickly) as you can.

"All bets are off" with people/entities who behave this way.

[Daisy4RN]

This is ridiculous behavior from the staffing coordinator and the DON. I would find a new job STAT! I don't know what you mean by "terminating my contract" but I would find a way to get out of it ASAP. This was a very unfair and unsafe position to put you and the patients in. I may be wrong, but I don't think you have to 'accept' someone else's assignment if they want to leave early. I know you were just trying to help/get along but I wouldn't do it again, especially the way they treated you so unprofessionally (not notifying you prior, not addressing your concerns after). No wonder they have a high turnover!!

[Night__Owl, BSN, RN]

That is absolutely a not safe situation.

Take note of this: As a healthcare provider, if you assume care of a patient (in this case, take report on the other nurse's patients), THAT is when you become responsible for them. The best thing for you to do in that situation is refuse to take report for those patients. At that point, the other nurse must stay until a relief arrives and takes report or commit patient abandonment.

But the bottom line is you should never be put in the situation where you have to refuse report. You need to get out of that job ASAP.

[Quinnbee]

Thank you guys for the support, as this is my first nursing job, I wasn't sure if this was the norm for everyone in LTC. Something in me kept telling me that this wasn't a good place to work, but I wanted to at least get some sort of nursing experience on my resume. I feel like I should have known what kind of place this was, when as a new employee and a new grad, I received exactly 3 days of orientation before I had a station to myself. Today, I ended up quitting effective immediately. I was finally able to speak with the DON about the issue and I was basically told that in a LTC facility, it's normal to have one nurse taking care of anywhere from 40-45 residents, and that I should get over it. I was made to feel like an idiot for even questioning the situation and that's when I truly realized that this was not the type of place that I wanted to work in, let alone have as my first nursing job. The DON was rude and demeaning in her manner of speaking and I honestly couldn't take it any more.

[LibraNurse27, BSN, RN]

passing meds to 45 patients sounds like a nightmare! I am glad you made it out; it sounds like this facility treats its patients and staff very poorly.

[BoriLPN3]

I'm glad you quit. Your DON was horrible!! I think every nurse at some point in there career has a problem with the DON and staffing. You have to stick up for yourself regardless if you are a new nurse or have years of experience. I would have refused to take report from the other nurse. I could care less if he was mad at me and didn't speak to me all night.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Run like the devil is chasing you out of there, and don't look back!

[Quinnbee]

Oh I did! Waking up this morning, I felt such an immense relief at the thought that I would never have to go back to such an unpredictable place.

[TruvyNurse]

Lol!! I could have sworn I wrote this! Had a very similar experience. Unfortunately it's not unheard of in LTC but still absolutely unacceptable. Glad you left.

[BeaTLPN]

My first job as an LVN was pretty much like yours, except my fellow nurse was there but she fell asleep HARD. I had to pass all the meds and keep an eye on the CNAs and the lights! Worked there for only 3 months until I found a better job. Be safe out there, remember it's your license on the line.

[kp2016]

Thank you guys for the support, as this is my first nursing job, I wasn't sure if this was the norm for everyone in LTC. Something in me kept telling me that this wasn't a good place to work, but I wanted to at least get some sort of nursing experience on my resume. I feel like I should have known what kind of place this was, when as a new employee and a new grad, I received exactly 3 days of orientation before I had a station to myself. Today, I ended up quitting effective immediately. I was finally able to speak with the DON about the issue and I was basically told that in a LTC facility, it's normal to have one nurse taking care of anywhere from 40-45 residents, and that I should get over it. I was made to feel like an idiot for even questioning the situation and that's when I truly realized that this was not the type of place that I wanted to work in, let alone have as my first nursing job. The DON was rude and demeaning in her manner of speaking and I honestly couldn't take it any more.

There is normally a good reason why a facility has a high staff turn over. I think you just found out the reason here. Quitting a job is never an easy decision but I personally feel you made the right one.