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?

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

Definitely sounds like a set up. A lot of states make it easy to fire someone for just about nothing or something ridiculous because someone in the higher ups is gunning for you.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I've never seen a termination for the first med error.You were setup. Some body wanted you gone.Obviously a paper trail is not required in your facility.

You must fight this with an attorney and your malpractice carrier.

Good luck, let us know how it's going.

[amzyRN]

I would talk to an attorney. It can be very hard to get another job if you are fired. In a way they are tarnishing your reputation. It sounds like wrongful termination to me. If it were me, I wouldn't want to work there anymore, but I would speak with a lawyer so that on your next application for work you don't have to say you were fired.

[CrunchBerries]

Getting a lawyer can be very expensive but many will offer free consults. What if you find one of the many nurses/doctors that went back to college to become a lawyer and call to ask if you have a case? That shouldn't cost anything and if you have a case, great! If not, you didn't lose a bundle of money?

[nurse4ever08]

If you questioned transcription, did you look at the chart or call the ordering provider to clarify?

[Caffeine_IV]

I think they just wanted you gone. I doubt I would pursue it.

I'm trying to understand what happened. Were they stocked as 2mg on your unit?

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Well, that explains a lot---the Coumadin error was probably the reason they were looking for. Sounds like you should secretly be thankful, a tiny bit? I'm sorry it all happened though

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

[MEANNRS]

Yes these particular ones were 2mg..

[bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN]

I used to work for Mayo Clinic and in those days (not sure about today) we couldn't be fired for a med error, no discipline at all. I think the point was so that if we caught it later nobody would cover it up for fear of their job.

I'm reminded of why I liked that policy.

My company has the same policy. They are trying to be magnet status by 2020 and that policy was implemented not long after the magnet announcement 2 years ago so I think the two may have a correlation. Our policy is if there is an error an incident report is created and the employee in question and their immediate supervisor have to have a "round table" discussion about the error. I want to say if you make 3 or more med errors in one year you are given a reprimand at that point.

OP if this truly was the only incident in your employee file then I think someone was gunning for you. However I don't think it's worth getting a lawyer for. If you've got 8 years of experience at one place that shows longevity. That'll look good to your future employer when you start job hunting. Just chalk this up to immature management and move on to something better.

[MEANNRS]

I've only been a nurse for 3 of those years.. I started as an STNA, then was the program coordinator in the Alz unit

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Yes these particular ones were 2mg..

So in other words, the nurse not only screwed up the MAR, but the orders as well?? Interestingly, the order may have been for 5mg, but the nurse chose 6mg due to the 2mg availability, and attempted to cover her own error by throwing you under the bus. Can you imagine THAT phone call "Yes, Dr I have an order for 5 mg of Coumadin. Unfortunetely, we only have 2 mg tabs, so can I give 6?!" OR some other act of incredible poor thinking skills.

I wonder what state agency would think about those kind of errors on MARS that led to an error? If there is a parent company, perhaps it should be brought to risk managment's attention?

They can get 2 or perhaps 3 special snowflakes for what they were paying you after 8 years. They were just looking to do it to their advantage.

With experience on a memory unit, that is gold. But I would have conversation anyways as you should not take the full fall for what should have been corrected long before you came on shift.

[MEANNRS]

It was --------------------------