Will I get fired?

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2008

Your post is very confusing.

Did you give the blood pressure medication as ordered? Did you care for the patient? You say you didn't understand the doctor - did you give the wrong medication?

As for falling asleep - was this the first time this has happened to you? If so, they may give you a warning. But first, you need to take responsibility for your actions and take steps to make sure that you aren't so tired again while on duty.

johnnyDoGood · Oct 30, 2008

Your post is very confusing.
Did you give the blood pressure medication as ordered? Did you care for the patient? You say you didn't understand the doctor - did you give the wrong medication?
As for falling asleep - was this the first time this has happened to you? If so, they may give you a warning. But first, you need to take responsibility for your actions and take steps to make sure that you aren't so tired again while on duty.

no i didnt give the medicaton or clean patient up. i was going to the break room first for a cup of coffee because i was so tired from many hours of work already. they expect me to work too many hours and im new. i have too many responsibiltys and no training. i need someone to help me out since im still on probation period at job but they just left me. i was in break room to get coffee but made a cell phone call and tried to close my eyes for a minute but it turned out worse. it was nights and not many were in there. its a little room the nurses use in the back. so i just dont care really. im kinda mad because of how i got no orientation or no help.

S.N. Visit, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2008

You are new and on a probation period, and didn't clarify or follow out orders? You went to the breakroom instead and used your cell phone and ended up falling alseep? These actions don't look good for wanting to keep a job. If you really don't care and are mad because of lack of support & orientation...then don't worry if you get fired. Maybe you should look for a non nursing day shift job.

I am curious, did you end up creating a med error for the unit, and how did the pt. respond to not getting their blood pressure med? I suspect if the pt was not cleaned up as ordered, the pt's blood pressure would probabaly more out of wack......mine would if I needed help and didn't get it.

:nono:

Dolce, RN · Oct 30, 2008

so i just dont care really. im kinda mad because of how i got no orientation or no help.

Well, you should care. If a patient suffers because you were sleeping and no one knew you were taking a break you are going to be in a big time trouble. :nono: I understand the lack of orientation. That is a huge problem with new grads--hospitals just do not want to pay for the real, extensive orientation that they need. However, at some point you need to be responsible for your own license. You cannot blame others for what you did or did not do--you went to nursing school, you passed the NCLEX, you are now a licensed nurse. Be sure to protect your license by practicing in a safe manner.

grandkids4 · Oct 30, 2008

If you got no orientation, you should have told your mamager right away that you were not comfortable working without some orientation. If you wver feel unsafe or not enough orientation it's your responsibility to let them know. If you don't they asume you know enough to work safely.

If you didn't understand the doctor's order, you should have told him to repeat it, or explain it to you. If it was a stat order for the me, you sshould have done that first.

Good luck to you.

justme1972 · Oct 30, 2008

no i didnt give the medicaton or clean patient up. i was going to the break room first for a cup of coffee because i was so tired from many hours of work already. they expect me to work too many hours and im new. i have too many responsibiltys and no training. i need someone to help me out since im still on probation period at job but they just left me. i was in break room to get coffee but made a cell phone call and tried to close my eyes for a minute but it turned out worse. it was nights and not many were in there. its a little room the nurses use in the back. so i just dont care really. im kinda mad because of how i got no orientation or no help.

I'll be honest...I find it very, very distrubing that a cup of coffee and a cell phone call and a semi-nap took priority over a patient needing blood pressure medication and getting cleaned up. Was the patient soiled? How high was the blood pressure?

Did you really need an orientation to know that checking these things was important or did you learn this in school?

You need to talk to the other nurses to find out what they do to get their sleep in. Night shift is tough, but 12 hours shifts are very common and you have to learn to work them.

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2008

Yes you may be fired for sleeping on the job. Making personal calls during work hours is not usually acceptable, you are working not socializing. What type of license do you have? Not giving medications because you were too tired isn't acceptable, if you are that tired tell your charge person or supervisor and sign yourself out of work. How many hours were you expected to work and did you know that you were going to be working that many hours 24 hours prior to that work time? Sounds like you need to get a different job, no orientation for what you are working is not fair to you.

uscstu4lfe · Oct 30, 2008

if i had a dime for every nurse i've seen sleeping on the job.... :) our nurses do it so often. granted, we don't all do it at the same time so the floor isn't unsafe. but man, when you're working nights you gotta do what you gotta do! i'm curious, who caught you? we have a pregnant nurse... she's always so tired, so whenenver she's done with her patients and they're sleeping... she'll go into an empty room and sleep in a patient's bed for a few hours. we'd never turn her in! we work as a team.

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2008

no i didnt give the medicaton or clean patient up. i was going to the break room first for a cup of coffee because i was so tired from many hours of work already. they expect me to work too many hours and im new. i have too many responsibiltys and no training. i need someone to help me out since im still on probation period at job but they just left me. i was in break room to get coffee but made a cell phone call and tried to close my eyes for a minute but it turned out worse. it was nights and not many were in there. its a little room the nurses use in the back. so i just dont care really. im kinda mad because of how i got no orientation or no help.

If this is your attitude then maybe you better find a new profession.

Sorry to be harsh, but you are making a lot of feeble excuses. You put your need for a cup of coffee over the needs of a patient. You did not ask for clarificaiton from the doctor or help from your charge nurse. did you rest before going in to work so you wouldn't be so tired?

What really bothers me is you say "you don't care". To me that says that you will not make the effort required to improve and learn. If I were your manager, I would let you go.

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2008

if i had a dime for every nurse i've seen sleeping on the job.... :) our nurses do it so often. granted, we don't all do it at the same time sothe floor isn't unsafe. but man, when you're working nights you gotta do what you gotta do! i'm curious, who caught you? we have a pregnant nurse... she's always so tired, so whenenver she's done with her patients and they're sleeping... she'll go into an empty room and sleep in a patient's bed for a few hours. we'd never turn her in! we work as a team

I think the difference here is that the OP did not care for his pt before going on break, did not inform anyone he was going on break and apparently did not even tell anyone where he was - (he had to be paged on the intercom). Working nights is tiring, but that doesn't mean you are entitled to just run off and have a nap. How would you feel if someone on Day shift just suddenly left the floor because they needed to run an errand? You are being paid to work, not sleep.

snuggles49 · Oct 30, 2008

Are you a LPN or RN ? Was this your patient ? as you state" doc gave me some orders because the other nurse was on break ". How did the doctor know the patient needed to be cleaned up ? Was the dr. rounding ? If you did'nt understand order you ask for a clarification if you were talking in person you should have have him write the order. If you did'nt understand the Dr. how do you know what he really wanted ? Were you quessing? Sounds like it. Did you go to the break room and leave the patients without staff ther as you said the other nurse was on break. Sorry, but I would terminate you. There are patient saftey issues in your story that can not be ignored. You left a patient soiled by the sounds of it compromising the patients skin intergrity. You failed to give B/P meds which could jeopardize the patient putting the pt. at risk for a stroke or heart problem. You say you were so tired but yet took the time to use your cell phone. You should have used that time to take care of the patient. sorry having no orientation or training does not excuse you from negelecting your duties to fall asleep in the break room. You need to talk with your manager immediately if you hope to save your job (although you mention you don't care) and express your concern over the amt. of hours you are working and lack of training you feel your getting. But I would suspect it may be to late.