Wrongful Termination?

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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'm missing the significance of the 2mg tabs. Easy to do either dose, right?

OP, I'd take down the name of your employer.

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.
It was ------------------------

Probably not a good idea to post the name.

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.
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?

If the OP doesn't do anything, they will have a bad reference from an employer. The OP said that is pretty much their whole resume and that they worked there 7 years. They have no choice but to pursue it unless they want to work in some hell hole as a next job. This could ruin their career and reputation. This is very bad advice. The person should see a lawyer.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Aren't coumadin tabs scored usually?

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Yes, scored and broken in half as needed to make the new dose.

There are some anti coag clinics who seem to like to order.. 7mg today then sequence of 2.5 mg, 2.5 mg, 4 mg, repeat, except 6 mg bolus every Wednesday. Patient has 5 mg tabs LOL.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Either way it sounds like the situation just totally sucks. Sorry OP. Sometimes we have to make these mistakes in our practice so we don't ever make them again.

I got a bad grade in clinical for forgetting to wipe a patient's IV hub with an alcohol swab before administering an IV med.

I misread an order and gave a patient a medicine IV instead of IM.

I re read all of my orders now before administering medications and I always wipe the IV hub with alcohol.

Sometimes we just have to learn from experience. Take the lesson and learn from it.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, OB, ICU, Public Health Nursing.

When you work in a union enviornment, you have contract language which deals with termination, rights to an investigation, discipline etc. Our contract provided for progressive discipline and therefore no it would not be appropriate at my previous worksite. Progressive discipline means verbal warning, written warning, suspension and eventually termination. You don't jump to termination except rare horrific cases. There is also an option for a Developmental Plan which is an improvement plan in lieu of discipline. You might benefit from looking up Just Cause.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Telemetry CCU ICU.

I'm sorry this happened to you. but it happens to a lot of us. I had a second job in an Assisted Living facility for about 6 years. The company had just been sold and the other company that ran it noticed the salaries of the nurses (there was only one in the building at a time unless it was day shift) and nursing assistants. They commented in a meeting that they thought the salaries of the long time nursing staff were too high. They were used to paying staff lower due to where their other facilities were located. One by one, over a period of 5-10 months each and every staff member was terminated. Each and every staff member was terminated for things like you described. I was ready. When it was my turn, I turned the tables on them. I went to the BON with a list of everything that was not right with the facility. Like you, the medication was "changed in the MAR." I took copies of things and hid them in a folder. I didn't take it with me. I hid it, taped under a drawer in the nursing desk. Things that I saw, records that were changed. When I went to the "meeting" as i was about to be terminated, I asked the director of nursing and the director of the facility if they were very sure they wanted to do this. I asked them straight out if they were directed to do it by the higher ups in the new company. They denied it at first, but you could see it. I told them and warned them that this will come down on them, not the higher ups. If they didn't want to sign their licenses away and wanted to avoid possible prosecution, they would stop this nonsense and tell their higher ups that they would have to do their own firing. You see, they were telling everyone (because this is what everyone believes), that they are fired for med errors, making mistakes etc. and that they could not get unemployment. Unemployment is ONLY denied due to WILLFUL MISCONDUCT of an employee. Not someone who made an error or is not good at doing their job or whatever. Pretty much things like stealing, fighting, yelling etc. The burden of proof is on the employer too. They played on the ignorance of people who had families to feed and homes to pay for. It didn't effect me because i already had a full time position elsewhere but it just makes me so angry. And the fact that these women that I worked with for those 6 years would do this to their staff to save themselves. When I got home, I called the BON, the state inspectors, the attorney generals office, the office of aging, the wage and hour board. i also called what was called The human Relations Commission (that it what it is called when I lived in Pennsylvania)... I told them my story and they told me that they could not help me unless "i could think of a time when i was discriminated against due to race, gender, age etc" You see, they WANTED to investigate but couldn't until there was even ONE instance. I remember my DON once stated to me (and me only) that "young single mothers should not be allowed to work here because they always have babysitting issues, ooh hah hah your one of those right?" That was all it took. After all these people showed up at the doorstep including the Human Relations Commission investigator...you should have heard my phone ringing offering me my job back. Nope...didn't want it.. We agreed to a $10,000 settlement and a glowing letter of recommendation. All this without a lawyer. By that time, I already had another part time position. OHH and the state investigators found the folder that had all of my evidence taped on the bottom of the nursing desk drawer (not on the inside, the outside) just where I said it would be. The DON and director of the facility had licenses suspended for 2 years. Sorry don't say i didn't warn you.

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Specializes in hospice.
I'm sorry this happened to you. but it happens to a lot of us. I had a second job in an Assisted Living facility for about 6 years. The company had just been sold and the other company that ran it noticed the salaries of the nurses (there was only one in the building at a time unless it was day shift) and nursing assistants. They commented in a meeting that they thought the salaries of the long time nursing staff were too high. They were used to paying staff lower due to where their other facilities were located. One by one, over a period of 5-10 months each and every staff member was terminated. Each and every staff member was terminated for things like you described. I was ready. When it was my turn, I turned the tables on them. I went to the BON with a list of everything that was not right with the facility. Like you, the medication was "changed in the MAR." I took copies of things and hid them in a folder. I didn't take it with me. I hid it, taped under a drawer in the nursing desk. Things that I saw, records that were changed. When I went to the "meeting" as i was about to be terminated, I asked the director of nursing and the director of the facility if they were very sure they wanted to do this. I asked them straight out if they were directed to do it by the higher ups in the new company. They denied it at first, but you could see it. I told them and warned them that this will come down on them, not the higher ups. If they didn't want to sign their licenses away and wanted to avoid possible prosecution, they would stop this nonsense and tell their higher ups that they would have to do their own firing. You see, they were telling everyone (because this is what everyone believes), that they are fired for med errors, making mistakes etc. and that they could not get unemployment. Unemployment is ONLY denied due to WILLFUL MISCONDUCT of an employee. Not someone who made an error or is not good at doing their job or whatever. Pretty much things like stealing, fighting, yelling etc. The burden of proof is on the employer too. They played on the ignorance of people who had families to feed and homes to pay for. It didn't effect me because i already had a full time position elsewhere but it just makes me so angry. And the fact that these women that I worked with for those 6 years would do this to their staff to save themselves. When I got home, I called the BON, the state inspectors, the attorney generals office, the office of aging, the wage and hour board. i also called what was called The human Relations Commission (that it what it is called when I lived in Pennsylvania)... I told them my story and they told me that they could not help me unless "i could think of a time when i was discriminated against due to race, gender, age etc" You see, they WANTED to investigate but couldn't until there was even ONE instance. I remember my DON once stated to me (and me only) that "young single mothers should not be allowed to work here because they always have babysitting issues, ooh hah hah your one of those right?" That was all it took. After all these people showed up at the doorstep including the Human Relations Commission investigator...you should have heard my phone ringing offering me my job back. Nope...didn't want it.. We agreed to a $10,000 settlement and a glowing letter of recommendation. All this without a lawyer. By that time, I already had another part time position. OHH and the state investigators found the folder that had all of my evidence taped on the bottom of the nursing desk drawer (not on the inside, the outside) just where I said it would be. The DON and director of the facility had licenses suspended for 2 years. Sorry don't say i didn't warn you.

Whoo boy, remind me not to piss you off! You are hard core! Love it.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, OB, ICU, Public Health Nursing.

Correction I mean JUST CULTURE. Here is the ANA link on just culture.

http://nursingworld.org/psjustculture

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Seems awfully harsh to fire you over a small med error that didn't even begin with you. I would file for unemployment and if they contest it be prepared to tell the judge the whole story and hopefully you will get unemployment. Doesn't make sense why they would terminate you over an med error that caused no harm and was initiated by the other nurse.

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Not sure what state you live in; however, most states are now "Right to Work" or "at will" states where employees or employers can end employment at any time for any reason.

Wrongful termination would come into play if you could prove you were fired and you were fired because of your race, gender, religion, etc.

Ask yourself... do you really want to work in a place where you are going to be looking over you proverbial shoulder with every move you make? Move on.. it's their loss

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