Published Dec 13, 2012
lsvalliant
226 Posts
Hi all,
I have been working for the same agency as a full-time case manager for over a year now and recently things have gotten so bad, I feel like I'm being forced to quit. In October the agency went from an hourly rate of pay to per visit. All of the nurses were told we would have to sign a new contract on the spot or be forced to resign. The new contract stated the agency would no longer count drive time between patients towards overtime calculations, which is illegal in the state of CA. My first pay check after the change was short about $700. Mostly for case conferencing meetings, admin time, and promised additional $$ for taking patients out of my area. All of this was approved in writting, yet they told me flat out they were losing money and they weren't going to pay. I did file a complaint (still pending) with the labor board. Next, they started shorting me on visits and paying visits at $5.00 per visit on my next check. I luckily keep good records and when I questioned them they told me they investigated my claim and I was actually overpaid for 6 visits!! I laughed and said I had all of my patient signature sheets to prove my actual number of visits. Still they havent paid anything. Now, the icing on the cake. My boss ordered me to go give TPN (to declot a PICC line), that I have never done before or been trained on. I told her I didn't know how to do it and she told me "I told the patient you were an expert, so you better pretend you know what your doing". Then she told me to get my training on Youtube. WHAT! Of course I refused and sent an email to the owner of the agency who was angry because I told the patient I wasn't trained on giving that medication. Now my employer has locked me out of my email and I'm sure they are deleting all imcriminating emails regarding my pay and the Youtube comments. Little do they know, I created PDF of all my emails and have them on a flash drive. What a corrupt agency.
g8sushma, ASN, BSN, MSN
149 Posts
keep me updated on what happens with the labor board i am interested to find out what they say.
pgotm
51 Posts
Time to put in some applications for somewhere else. Do you really want to continue to work for this company? Best not to risk your license for their stupidity!
nurse2033, MSN, RN
3 Articles; 2,133 Posts
Please report them to somebody. How about 1-800-Medicare? (I'm guessing you're just one on the list of people they are cheating).
paradiseboundRN
358 Posts
Time to get a new job! No sense fighting it. Its not worth the aggravation.
rn_nxt_dr
85 Posts
I recently experienced a similar situation in Orange County.
The owner will change her contract every month, change per diem rate bec. of low census, etc.
I finally got fed up and quit.
I realized most newer companies 2-4 years in the business are having a hard time coping.
They all seemed to be the same. I feel so sick and this is my official RN experience since being licensed.
I am again in a newby company doing per diem work with owners without medical backgounds but only money focused.
Why are these people in business????
Aggie RN, ADN
49 Posts
I think with the coming changes in health care and continued cuts to Medicare these types of agencies will start closing up shop. At least I hope so.
kcmylorn
991 Posts
I have never heard of declotting a PICC with TPN- Is this something new? I was a bedside acute care nurse for 30 years up until 2 years ago- never declotted a PICC with TPN. Protocals differ in the hopsital, was always a streptokinase or a heparin solution. Never TPN. I would run that by(e-mail) the Infusion Nursing Society before doing any thing like that if it's emergent: call the parmacy where the patient' is obtaining their IV meds and ask for the infusion nurse, could call the patient's doctor but may not be much help or call your local hospital's oncology unit, infusion room, radiology dept nurse or even an ICU unit. I think there is a bunch of other steps to take before considering the need for declotting.
lindarn
1,982 Posts
I would go so far, as to calling the local DA, and filing a criminal complaint. I would also make a complaint to the State Attorney General's office. But that is just me.
Good job keeping the excellant records that you do. Records, paper ones, and now computer files, have a tendency to disappear when the you know what, hits the fan. And once again, MAKE COPIES OF EVERYTHING, ALL OF YOUR CHARTING INCLUDING INCIDENT REPORTS. THEY WILL DISAPPEAR WHEN THE COMPANY IS CALLED ON THE CARPET!!
Once again, JMHO and my NY $0.02.
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Somewhere in the PACNW
I have never heard of declotting a PICC with TPN- Is this something new? I was a bedside acute care nurse for 30 years up until 2 years ago- never declotted a PICC with TPN.
Oh, lol I meant TPA or cathflo. I get the concept but I have never actually given it. It involves using a stopcock. I filed a complaint with the state about the youtube incident and that we are hiring new grads that dont know what they are doing with no support. Isn't there a law in CA that you have to have a year of experience to do home health???
Anyways the labor board claim hearing is the end of January and penalties are accumulating at 300$ a day until paid.
gigidan
18 Posts
OMG get outta there real quick. They are not only the most corrupt but they will make you lose your license. I almost fainted about the TPN thank God it was a typo.
condor12
13 Posts
I would go so far, as to calling the local DA, and filing a criminal complaint. I would also make a complaint to the State Attorney General's office. But that is just me.Good job keeping the excellant records that you do. Records, paper ones, and now computer files, have a tendency to disappear when the you know what, hits the fan. And once again, MAKE COPIES OF EVERYTHING, ALL OF YOUR CHARTING INCLUDING INCIDENT REPORTS. THEY WILL DISAPPEAR WHEN THE COMPANY IS CALLED ON THE CARPET!!Once again, JMHO and my NY $0.02.Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRNSomewhere in the PACNW
Getting documentation that you filed complaint with law enforcement seems to me to be the move to make. But remember this, law enforcement on medical issues doesnt always follow what nurses think is the law. I would be prepared to find other employment first, and also be ready to move out of state quickly. Enforcing the law on health care issues frequently exposes a web of corruption. Its 2014 not 1980.