Wrongful Termination?

[MEANNRS]

I was terminated from my job for a med error. I gave 5mg of Coumadin when the order was for 6mg. The nurse who transcribed the order originally wrote 5mg but then wrote 6 over the 5. No cross out, no initials. I asked my direct supervisor what the order was and she said 5mg. The next day I was called and suspended, 1week later; terminated. I'm considering contacting an attorney to see if there's any reason to pursue a case. Has anyone been through this? Or have any advice?

[Jules A, MSN]

Did you document that you sought clarification from your supervisor prior to administering the dose? Were there any other write ups or problems in your file? In most states it is an at will type employment so they can fire you or you can quit at any time for no reason.

[PA_RN87, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

You probably won't have anything to stand on to sue, because you should have called the doctor who made the order to clarify what dose he wanted given.

[Libby1987]

I'm thinking their reasons were more than just the single error, defendable or not.

What about the nurse who did the write over? Were you accused of altering the MR or was the other nurse disciplined as well?

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

I was terminated from my job for a med error. I gave 5mg of Coumadin when the order was for 6mg. The nurse who transcribed the order originally wrote 5mg but then wrote 6 over the 5. No cross out, no initials. I asked my direct supervisor what the order was and she said 5mg. The next day I was called and suspended, 1week later; terminated. I'm considering contacting an attorney to see if there's any reason to pursue a case. Has anyone been through this? Or have any advice?

I know Coumadin is a very important drug, but day'um. Your employer really threw you under the bus if that was their only issue with you. Did something happen and they're in CYA mode? Did the patient have a PE or DVT that night?

I wouldn't bother with a lawyer. Even though the process helped lead to the mistake; such as the nurse correcting the dose in the wrong manner and your supervisor telling you it was 5mg, you are ultimately responsible for your practice and you were the one to give the med and therefore you made the mistake. Only time I'd get a lawyer is if they are sending this to the BON, then I say if this the road I'm going down, they're going with me.

[MEANNRS]

It was the only thing on my file, no other person was disciplined.

[Libby1987]

Do you think they were already gunning to fire you?

[MEANNRS]

Yes, it was becoming a tense environment, constantly feeling like walking on eggshells

[Libby1987]

I'd want to get to the bottom of why you were on eggshells. Otherwise I'd worry about carrying whatever it was that made them want to get rid of me when it couldn't be an isolated med error.

[Jules A, MSN]

Yes, it was becoming a tense environment, constantly feeling like walking on eggshells

What a shame but you are probably better off being out of that type of environment.

[MEANNRS]

My boss was very lazy and passed off a lot of her responsibility to 1st shift. They were pretty much running the show, I didn't get along w one of the nurses and it was like she was mistake hunting! A few of us reported it to our boss and she didn't want to deal w/ it.

[MEANNRS]

Yup, you're definitely correct! I could kick myself in the ***!