Would You do the same thing I did?

[vnsam]

would you do the same thing i did? was it really a crime and ground for termination? or i am missing something?

i am a lvn here in san diego working in a small hospital which am employed for more than five years now.

i've been lvn for more than a decade now and was never in trouble but only now. this really hurts me.

i work 12 hrs a day and mainly taking graveyard shift. i just got terminated today for job abandonment when i left work early due to family emergency which i think was the right thing for me to do as a father.

my wife on the other hand (also working that night) called me on my cellphone at 0400, telling me that our son called her and telling her that his sister has a temperature of 104.2f:nono: orally with severe headache and with occational nausea and vomitting. my wife also told me that she took the liberty of calling our supervisor that night at 0330 and was told that i can not leave until 0600 and was surprised to know that for 30 min past, the supervisor did'nt even bother telling me about it. my wife don't know how to drive and gets to work only by carpooling with co workers and she has no means of getting home without a car. my kids 3 kids (17, 15 and 14 years old) are hopeless at this time and so, i told my charge nurse in icu about this and hearing without reply i took that as a "no problem" with them. i did my 0400 duties and when i was done at 0445 (with no word yet from the supervisor) i went straight to her office and told her that i am done helping my charge nurses and i have to leave.

to my surprise instead of relieving my post she replied "well sam, you can not leave until six o'clock and i am busy with staffing". :trout: i was begging and told her that i really have to go since my wife is at work and don't drive but to no avail. by then, it was already 0449 when i clocked out and that was all. i left my work in a hurry knowing they would understand. but i guess i was wrong.. maybe, if it was someone else with the same problem; they could be sent home right away without problem.. it just so happened that it was me...

[Agnus]

: There have been several posts recently about employers who report ex-employees to the board even for bogus matters in retaliation. Still hope that this employer does not do this. Even while a "bogus" report to the board is playing itself out, the info is there for potential employers to see. CA posts when allegations have been made, not just at the final outcome.

Actually in my case nothing was ever posted. But then it was NV not CA.

Yet Nevada sends out every quarter by snail mail to every RN and post on the web a list of people who have been disaplined by the board.

In defense of the LTC (yes I do like to play fair) I do not see this as a bogus report. The did not have anyway nor did I of knowing how the BON would rule.

[caliotter3]

Agnus you are lucky and I am glad that you had the guts to fight it out and that everything turned out in your favor.

[RN4NICU, LPN, LVN]

Come Hell or high water, my family comes FIRST....

There is NO job in the world that would ever come before my family.

If my children are sick and need me, I'll be there. No matter what.

Each situation is different.

If you felt the situation warranted you leaving to be with your children, you did the right thing.

I admire your dedication to your family.

I completely understand your sentiment, but you also have to think about the potential consequences. If your decision causes you to lose your license, how are you going to provide for your children? (I am guessing that you work because you need to, not because you just can't get enough of nursing.) Your and your children's quality of life would suffer because of that decision. Is it still worth it? Wouldn't it be better to make arrangements ahead of time for your family to be taken care of until you can get there without endangering your livelihood? I'm not judging you at all, just asking.

[caliotter3]

I completely understand your sentiment, but you also have to think about the potential consequences. If your decision causes you to lose your license, how are you going to provide for your children? (I am guessing that you work because you need to, not because you just can't get enough of nursing.) Your and your children's quality of life would suffer because of that decision. Is it still worth it? Wouldn't it be better to make arrangements ahead of time for your family to be taken care of until you can get there without endangering your livelihood? I'm not judging you at all, just asking.

Perfectly stated.

[ROSYJO11]

Is meningococcal not a problem in the US? Death can come in hours!

Those symptoms and a call from my children (yours must have grown up well educated in matters of health and first aid considering the careers of the parents), would be enough to make me want to hightail it home or taxi the child to me.

My actions would have resembled your own, it seems you did a lot to enable the hospital to cope in your abscense, you only left one hour early after all. Perhaps it was your supervisor that failed to provide patient care? You didnt just walk out the back door unannounced. You notified her of a potential staffing issue and she chose not to act.

I couldnt stand working in an establishment that treats me like a packhorse and nothing else. Perhaps you could find somewhere that values you as a person not just a worker bee.

Jo

thank the lord I dont work in the US

[ROSYJO11]

i also gotta say though, leaving three teenagers home alone unsupervised at night?

I supervised my babies for safety, I supervise my primary school aged children for safety, when they are teenagers I will continue to supervise them - for safety.

Yep, it means my work hours and my pay packet are heavily sacrificed but it's still a small price to pay for four healthy safe children reaching adulthood.

Definitely wouldnt want teenagers unsupervised in the hours of darkness! My teenage years are just too clear in my mind still

cheers,

Jo

[lamazeteacher]

No, I wouldn't do what you did. It's a matter of priorities, as your ICU patients needed you more than your sick daughter did. Fever itself in someone over 12 years of age isn't as scary as it would be in a younger child.

Try to get out from being the only person in the family who can help the others. No one else seems to take responsibility for their own transportation there, and that means you're not helping them become independant, responsible adults.

Remember that when such a lesson is learned, opportunity is just around the corner.

[CyndieRN2007]

i also gotta say though, leaving three teenagers home alone unsupervised at night?

I supervised my babies for safety, I supervise my primary school aged children for safety, when they are teenagers I will continue to supervise them - for safety.

Yep, it means my work hours and my pay packet are heavily sacrificed but it's still a small price to pay for four healthy safe children reaching adulthood.

Definitely wouldnt want teenagers unsupervised in the hours of darkness! My teenage years are just too clear in my mind still

cheers,

Jo

I can see where you're coming from. Many teenagers do not posses the level of responsibility to watch themselves, much less their siblings. Unfortunately, many parents have no other choice. My parents trusted us to stay alone while they worked nights. We did very well. It just depends on the teenager.

Come on, No one has paid a 16 or 17 year old to babysit while you and spouse had a much needed night out? I think the teenager in this case did very well. Im guessing, but the teen assessed that the child was sick, took her temp, and called her parent when she felt uncomfortable with the situation. That does not sound irresponsible to me, IMHO.

[justmanda]

Just the other night at my facility a nurse was sick and wanted to go home. The supervisor could not find a replacement and we each GLADLY took one of her patients on. We ended up with one more patient than our max load a peice, but the poor girl was sick. Was there nobody on your unit that could pick up the slack considering your family emergency? Did you not hand your patients off to someone on your unit, the charge nurse maybe? If so, that isn't abandonment. It sounds like your Supervisor is a heartless sweat shop matron. Nice choice you were given there...your job or your kid. You made the right one dude. I know our job is supposed to be this thankless contribution to society, but if my child needed emergency assistance and my Supervisor refused to let me leave, I would report HER to her boss. Find a hospital that doesn't treat its staff like cattle.

[newtelenurse]

One of the small hospitals here fired the ER nurse for patient abandonment when he had a heart attack and had to be sent by helocopter to a larger hospital! No respect at all for nurses or their families. :angryfire

WHAT?!?!??!?!?! Are you KIDDING?!?!?!?!

[doe9181]

I think you did the right thing and I don't even have kids. A fever that high can bring on a seizure which yes is a medical emergency. Someone else mentioned meningitis which can cause death in hours like they said. I would have left two because I am sorry but my family comes first. I would of followed protocol and made sure my patients were taken care of before I left. I think you also mentioned that you were working under an Rn? Then why couldn't she take over the rest of your duties while you tended to your emergencies?

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

A fever that high in a teen would to me, as a parent, be an emergency. It's easy for any of us to say what you could have done or should have done but at the time you did what you felt you needed to do. Unfortunately you're stuck with the consequences. '

I cannot imagine an employer who couldn't make some arrangements to let you leave. They seem awfully cold hearted, yes we have a very responsible job but hey what wouldn't every one of us do for our family if we felt we had to? We've had the charge nurse have to leave for a family emergency and they pull from wherever they have to to work things out. I've had sick grandchildren and they offered to let me leave. I didn't but I could have. They make it work one way or another.

I hope things turn out well for you. Perhaps you and your wife should work on different days so that one of you is home at night. I couldn't leave 3 teens home alone. Things happen...Life happens...