Worry over past employment

[sharkbacon]

So I work somewhere new now, and it's wonderful. It's ER patient access, while I'm in school. I register ER patients as they walk in and help the ER nurses as needed, and also learn some really cool stuff while I'm here.

But my past employment at a really shady LTC facility still worries me for a variety of reasons.

So let's start with HUGE REASON number one.

I reported an abuse once, directly to our "Abuse Coordinator," as I was supposed to do. It was a CNA abuse to a resident. I won't say much for future potential legal reasons, but let's just say it was a legitimate report. I reported it, I did the paperwork, I called the doctor, family, etc. because that's what I was instructed to do by my "Abuse Coordinator," who was also our Administrator. The big, in-charge lady of the building. She specifically told me to not put anything in the nurse's notes (paper charting) because if state saw it on a future survey, they would zero in on it. Okay, sure. The CNA was "suspended pending investigation." This was a Friday evening. Monday afternoon, there that CNA is, working on my unit again, like it was no big thing. And a little voice in my head says I bet all that paperwork I filled out reporting everything mysteriously disappeared.

I quit within the next two weeks for a variety of reasons, that being a huge one. I was afraid for my license, with an administrator that wouldn't hesitate to throw me under the bus when I'd done nothing wrong.

On top of that, I worry about my old residents there. It was such a terrible place. When there were problems, they magically disappeared, whether it was with literally disappearing papers, or newer botched papers to look good. There was no staff to take care of problems, and I can actually think of cases where residents were harmed by staff negligence.

There's a lot I could say, and a lot I shouldn't say.

But I want to know if people have worked in a nightmarish place like that before?

Got any horror stories you can tell?

Any advice for this new nurse?

[Nibbles1]

From what I have been told, over the course of this decade, that a former employer can only say what dates you worked there and if you can be rehired. If I am wrong, someone will correct me quickly.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Legally, a former employer can say anything as long as it's factual. However, many have developed internal policies that they will only state dates of employment and eligibility for rehire.