10yrs @ bedside, rookie mistake!

Published

terminated by one of the largest hospital companies in the country...company files complaint with my B.O.N. I hire an attorney who specializes in Nursing/B.O.N. litigation.

Attorney assures me that my license will remain intact & active, however, I may get a disciplinary ding on my license. Question? How hard will it be to continue my career as a nurse in an acute care environment with a probable ding forthcoming on my license?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What is the "rookie" mistake that actually happened?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Ah...the juicy details! The infraction leading up to the termination is irrelovent to the question at hand...lets just say there was no malicious intent and/or harm ever brought to the patient.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Ah...the juicy details! The infraction leading up to the termination is irrelovent to the question at hand...lets just say there was no malicious intent and/or harm ever brought to the patient.

It's absolutely relevant, although I understand you not wanting to share. Along with the details of the "ding", your employment market might make a difference, too. If it's a saturated market, things may be very tough ...even impossible. On the other hand, if they are a lot of desperate employers around, you'll probably find a few willing to give you a chance.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Being a traveler, I've had a chance to work in acute care in the North, East, South, and West. One thing I have observed in my travels, MOST hospitals are short staffed and are "desperate" for staff. You are correct in that a market with nursing schools on every street corner, pumping out new grads every few months, will contribute to an "employers" advantage in said market. It stands to reason that if there's 3 of us applying for the same position, and one of us has any disciplinary ding on his/her license, than we pretty much know who's resume will find itself in the circular file. Thanks for your input though...hopefully I'll find someone on here who has found themselves in my shoes and will be able to share words of encouragement or unfortunately, words of doom!

Peace....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
terminated by one of the largest hospital companies in the country...company files complaint with my B.O.N. I hire an attorney who specializes in Nursing/B.O.N. litigation.

Attorney assures me that my license will remain intact & active, however, I may get a disciplinary ding on my license. Question? How hard will it be to continue my career as a nurse in an acute care environment with a probable ding forthcoming on my license?

Why don't you ask your lawyer about that? Presumably you've told him/her the juicy details.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Without the details this is impossible to answer unfortunately. The nature of the infraction will determine the severity of the response from the workplace. There are tons of nurses working in acute care with "dings" on their license, but the type of ding determines whether they are considered a reasonable risk.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

Unfortunately, everything depends on those "juicy details" and more of them. Which state, which hospital, what was the problem, etc. There are facilities where management, out of their small wits, reports to BON every single little thing like "not following customer service guidelines". That gets known pretty soon and so Boards of the state pay accordingly little attention to such "offends". Then, there are very different approaches between states to offences associated with controlled substances; to complicate picture even further, in some facilities "reportable event" can be a missing empty bottle, and in some nobody moves till there several discrepancies in drug counts in a row.

It is completely understandable if you do not want share details with some 1+ million of anonimous online strangers; you, probably, shouldn't do it anyway. It is also understandable that you made mistake with no intent. Luckily, according to you, nothing happened with the patient. So do what your lawyer says to you, or get second opinion. Hoping for the best for you!

P.S. I could never figure out why some facilities would beg for travelers while intentionally keeping their own staff down to bones and are incredibly picky at hiring while accepting pretty much every body that still breathe as a travel coverage. I saw it so many times that it just coildn't be a coincidence. Do they really save that much on those benefits?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion