What do you think of this....

Hello Everyone,

I was not planning to start a topic about this, however, I am feeling so annoyed about this situation that I would like to know your opinions about it.

Here is the situation:

- An invalid prescription was detected on the ward that I work for. The prescription was not signed for, and the first two nurses that checked the medication ( Sytron), did give it and it carried on for a few days until someone realized that the prescription was not signed, even though, it was checked and signed by a pharmacist, it was not signed by the doctor who prescribed it.

Me and my colleagues involved in this situation, were asked to persue an article in the literature about medications errors. I was informed about this by e-mail, and I was not given a deadline or whatsoever, therefore, I did not send the article straight away. However, before going on annual leave, I sent an e-mail apologising for the situation, and i was given a final date to send the article which did clash with my annual leave. Even though, I did send the article. I did check my e-mails again, and I received another one, saying that i failed to comply with the deadline, and they are now asking for a reflection about it, according to the NMC code. I realized that the e-mail was not delivered, but again, after I have explained that I am on anual leave, the final date was clashing with my annual leave!!!!!

What do you think of this situation? Are they acting correctly?? Am I expected to check my work e-mail during my annual leave??!!!!!

Thanks

Just clarifying here. How did you get these e-mails? Were they sent to your work or home e-mail? In bold, you mention no deadline and later in italics there is now a deadline.

Where I am, no we are not expected to account for checking our e-mails during our annual leave, however, if there was a heads up that I needed to do something, I could be held accountable for that because, prior knowledge of it. So if I knew I needed to hand in a report and I just dismissed it while on AL, then I might be having a meeting with the head nurse on my return.

Can you clarify the timeline a little to get a better answer?

That's a very "soft" approach to discipline for a medication error. It's really refreshing and unusual in an age of Management By Bludgeoning©. You made a medication error. Just because everyone else failed a performing the appropriate checks on the script doesn't absolve your own failure to do so. To remedy this error on your part you knew you had to find and send the article. You failed to do so by the first deadline, regardless of the intervening conflict with your holiday. I would take my lumps on this one and write the reflection. I would perhaps make the focus of the reflection on the piece of the puzzle you seem to be missing in this whole interlude-responsibility for one's own actions.

When we are on leave we are unable to sign in to access our work email or anything work relates. The hold on our account is lifted when we return from leave per human resources.

That's a very "soft" approach to discipline for a medication error. It's really refreshing and unusual in an age of Management By Bludgeoning©. You made a medication error. Just because everyone else failed a performing the appropriate checks on the script doesn't absolve your own failure to do so. To remedy this error on your part you knew you had to find and send the article. You failed to do so by the first deadline, regardless of the intervening conflict with your holiday. I would take my lumps on this one and write the reflection. I would perhaps make the focus of the reflection on the piece of the puzzle you seem to be missing in this whole interlude-responsibility for one's own actions.

I understand that and I am going to do the reflection. However, I did not like the way that this situation was handled. When I specificly said that I was on leave, and still, they were insisting and asking about the article and the reflection.

Just clarifying here. How did you get these e-mails? Were they sent to your work or home e-mail? In bold, you mention no deadline and later in italics there is now a deadline.

Where I am, no we are not expected to account for checking our e-mails during our annual leave, however, if there was a heads up that I needed to do something, I could be held accountable for that because, prior knowledge of it. So if I knew I needed to hand in a report and I just dismissed it while on AL, then I might be having a meeting with the head nurse on my return.

Can you clarify the timeline a little to get a better answer?

They were sent to my work e-mail. At first I was not given a deadline, and then, on the second e-mail, I was given a deadline, but I was on leave at that time.

I did check my e-mails, because I did try to make an effort to comply with the deadline that was given, even though, I was on leave and they knew about it. Does it make sense??