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Turned into the oklahoma board of nursing

Ok I will try to keep it short and simple. I graduated nursing school may 2009, took my NCLEX in august and passed. I looked everywhere and no one was hiring "new grads" so I looked into alternatives and found a nursing home close to where I live. I went and talked to the DON on a wednesday and started there the next monday. I had found out I was expecting about a month prior but I didnt say anything to her as it is well within my rights. I was there about a week when it came out and boy she got mad because I didnt tell her. About the same time I started to notice things that were not quite right. For example, there were safty hazards everywhere, from soiled clothing to wet spills that werent cleaned up. Supplies that she locked in her closet that no one else had access, because she swore people were "stealing them" diapers, wipes, gloves, sharps containers etc. The state inspection team came and did their yearly rounds and found a TON of things they wrote the home up for. After state left I witnessed the assistant director fill in blanks on treatment sheets as well as random FSBS values, with OTHER peoples initials. She instructed we do the same because of state laws and if we didnt we would be fired.

I was written up once without being asked what happened first. I ended up proving the DON wrong and made her rip it up, and she did. She knew I was not at fault from the get go yet she wrote me up anyway. I also caught her in a lie and called her on it in which she refused to answer me. One week later I had contractions and had to go to the ER. I called her up and she got irritated because she had to fill for me. She had me sit there an HOUR after she arrived and forced me to finish some paperwork before I could leave. I returned 3 days later and she strongly suggested I go to part time or quit because she didnt want to be held liable if something happened to be or the baby. She said I had to bring her a docs note and a signed and notarized letter stating I was releasing the facility of any liability if something were to happen. I told her I would bring a note but wouldnt on the letter. There were several occasions of comments and things about me going part time.

A few weeks later she calls me in her office and terminates me because of an incident that happened 4 days earlier. She says she has statements from others that all coincide and that I was negligent in my duties. I asked to see them and the documentation I put in the chart and she stated she didnt have to do that and I didnt have a defense because I shouldve written it in the chart. During the incident I did everything I was taught in CPR class as well as nursing classes. The individual is in good health because of what we all did for them. No harm was done whatsoever.

She did not let me read the termination statement but forced me to sign it by threatening that she would turn me into the board of nursing and personally have my license taken from me if I did not sign and leave immediately. I was terminated in november, it is now January and just yesterday I recieved a letter from the board of nursing stating I need to come in to conference because they have recieved some information about my nursing practice.

I dont know what to do. I did no harm to anyone. I certainly dont want my license taken over this. I called and turned her into the state anonomously a couple weeks after I left there and I think she did this in retaliation. She got rid of me because of my pregnancy im sure. what should I do?

Becky


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16 Responses to “Turned into the oklahoma board of nursing”

  1. Kim Says:

    I would consult with a lawyer who is versed in the nursing board and laws of your state immediately! Don’t try to fight this all by yourself. It may seem expensive now but I am sure it will be worth it to protect your license!

  2. OLD NURSE Says:

    BY ALL MEANS, GO TO AN ATTORNEY, YOU MAY ALSO BE ABLE TO COUNTERSUE FOR A VARIETY OF VIOLATIONS. BUT DON’T WAIT MUCH LONGER. SHE ALREADY HAS THE UPPER HAND BY REPORTING YOU TO THE NURSING BOARD, AND NOW YOU HAVE TO GO AND ATTEMPT TO DEFEND YOURSELF. YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY BEFORE MEETING WITH THEM. ASK FOR A POSTPONEMENT SO YOUR ATTORNEY CAN PREPARE YOU SUFFICIENTLY TO PROTECT YOUR LICENSE, AND PROFESSIONAL REPUTATION WHICH IS YOUR LIVELIHOOD!!!!

  3. Arthur Says:

    DO NOT GO WITHOUT AN ATTORNEY – they will eat you alive and you will regret it forever.

  4. jesse Says:

    Wow which nursing home was that? I’m from oklahoma also. Grace living center nw 10 has a similar reputation. I too was turned in after I began to question my DON and refused to keep my mouth shut about all of the wrong doings in the facility.The DON told completely fabricated lies about me that could not even be proven.I even had multiple eye witnesses concurring with my testimony. The OBN considers you guilty. Period. Get an attorney NOW. Or they will eat you alive in there. I am now jobless with a revocation of my license for two years over something I didn’t even do.And I am an excellant nurse. I have every intention of fighting OBN and GLC legally as soon as I have a job and am able to hire an attorney. Good luck!!

  5. bryn Says:

    You should be a member of a nursing union, (in NZ and the UK most people are) and if so they can provide free legal help. Another piece of advice is don’t write anymore here or anywhere else. Don’t even talk about it with your family or friends.
    I was at a ethics conference and one of the speakers was a nurse/lawyer. She explained that in a court if you’re asked ‘have you talked to anyone about this’ then this can open a whole lot of trouble. Your friends/family can be called upon to testify. This can cause problems.

  6. cardiacRN Says:

    I’m so sorry your first job had to end up like this. I know how it is to come out of school wanting a great job and also being nervous on how nursing really is in the real world. You sound like a good nurse who cares about her job and I hope everything works out for you. Take the advice that’s being offered by others here. I hope this doesn’t steer you away from a career in nursing nor does it harm other future jobs. Good luck and I wish you the best.

  7. tiffany Says:

    get legal help. immediately!!!
    She was falsifying medical records , and manipulated her employees into doing so. If you are found to lie on your documentation.. your entire credibility and your career is over.
    She manipulated you into signing a statement you didnt get to read? NEVER sign any statement you dont get to read. EVER!!!!
    She completely ran all over you. Sounds like you are a very nice, maybe too nice person. This experience will help you to stand up for yourself . She sounds completely crazy!!!

  8. Jenny Says:

    I absolutely 100% agree that you need to seek legal advice. Don’t go to the BON by yourself – seek legal counsel!

  9. Jh Says:

    The OBN is NOT a nurses advocate like we are informed of.in nursing school. If anyone is under the misconception that they will help get to the bottom of things and seek the truth, well….its not gonna happen. ALL are GUILTY, no matter black and white proof. Just watch out, cuz nursing isnt the same anymore. And they wonder why there is a “shortage”!

  10. SJ Says:

    This board is out of control. There is NO oversight and they do what they please. They imPise unfair, unjust punishment. They are able to impose monetary fines, force you to go to classes, they can take you license at will. In a court of law the prosecution is required to present all evidence to the defense. This board refuses, therefore there is NO “due process”. All constitutional rights are “thrown out the window” when dealing with this board. It is time we as nurses ban together and force a legislative restructuring of this board with strict oversight and consequences to their actions. One board member has been arrested and convicted of DUI. How was she able to serve on the board. I am in the process of checking every board member. They MUST!! Be stopped. If I had the financial resources to do it myself, I would. I am contacting every representative, senator and the Goverors office, but I can not stand alone. I need everyone’s help. We need to bombard the state capital with complaints about this board. Please please get involved

  11. Mj Says:

    I know the board is out of control. Who monitors them. I find it amazing that the all mighty OBN has someone on it that has been arrested for DUI. I know one of them doesn’t practice, but that is all I know. I would like to know more tell me how I can Help!!!

  12. Iknow Says:

    We need to take a stand against all of the State Boards! I hate when they put private information about nurses on their website. I sit and read different states and I’m appalled at the medical history allowed to be published

  13. CA Registered Nurse Says:

    I’m going through the same thing right now. The only thing I am guilty of is not getting out of the nursing homes sooner. They don’t have to worry about me talking to family and friends really cause I am embarrassed to even tell husband more less my other family and friends because everybody told me to get out of those nursing homes before you lose your license. I really thought I could make a difference. Which I guess I did with the patients they have always respected me and ask for me when things aren’t getting done because they know I would do them. I have came in on 3rd shift 3 times in the 4 years of being a nurse and literally rescue the patient from 2nd shift either accidently ODing them on insulin or letting someone lay there for over an hour with chest pain and in afib. because she thought she was having a panic attack and just hadn’t had time to get down there with a ativan. As any nurse that has worked in a nursing home knows this stuff goes on everyday. No I didn’t turn any of them in because do onto others as you want done to you. I’m here to judge them I’m hear to step in as a team player and help. Everyone makes mistakes there is no human on this earth that doesn’t make a mistake. There is no nurse at in the field that doesn’t make a mistake. Some worse then others. With the demands, short staffing, lack of experience as a nurse and just getting thrown into everything with little or no training what do they expect. That’s why I believe us nurses meaning RN and LPN need to stick together. Yes I am a registered nurse but I don’t believe, when it comes to nursing homes especially that I am above a LPN. Yes I go to school longer but that isn’t everything. Honestly there are LPNs out there I would trust with my life and RNs out there I would not let 10ft near me so, with that being said we all need to band together and take a stand for what is right. Where I run into my problem is I try to please everyone. I try to establish a good working relationship with the CNAs. All CNAs say I’m different compared to any other nurse with all that I do which yes that does mean a lot to me that they think I’m a fair and good nurse. My problem is I like to help everybody and sometimes you can run across CNAs that take advantage of you. My 1st job I was taken for right about 500 dollars from a aide because she lied about her problems and I believed them and felt sorry for her. My 2nd job I’m told to write cnas up they were leaving for hours at a time sleeping in break room etc. I write them up like I’m told by my boss and the next thing I know the aides are saying I allowed them to do my tx. Ugh NEVER!!! 4 almost 5 years later here it is again. Another aide accusing me of crazy stuff because I found out that she had lied to me about her situation just to get money off me she never had a sick little boy that needed meds. I confronted her and quit giving money to her and now I’m again having to prove I am innocent. The only thing about this on is her accusations were bad enough to get me turned into state. Total lies of course never have or never would do anything knowingly to risk my license.

  14. Blondie Says:

    I hear some of this story’s and realized that the nursing home I work at is nothing like where I guys do. I know things happen. Maybe it does where I work I just don’t see it. I know if I left spills unclean and residents wet. I would be in a lot of trouble. I love my job and I get frustrated. That still is no reason for things like this to happen.

  15. Rnmomof5 Says:

    I will sign anything to reform this OBN!! They are no advocate & are all so well rehearsed in making you feel welcome but then they are wolves when in a pack! I’m still fighting to regain my RN & my case is similiar & i got the library thrown at me

  16. Elizabeth Says:

    I need some help. My name is Elizabeth and I am an LPN. I just found out this morning I am being reported to the Oklahoma Board of Nursing from a nursing home I worked a shift at a couple weekends ago. I was a travel nurse and was the only nurse assigned to the entire hall of a facility I had never been to before because they had several nurses that didn’t show up and my medication aide for the hall didn’t show up either. Anyway after I had already passed all the meds for one hall, I got passed to another hall because they didn’t have a nurse. I started passing meds for all these patients. These patients are all senile and have no idea who or where they are, they have no wrist bands or any kind of patient identifiers on whatsoever. They have pictures in their MARs, but all of these pictures were 15 years old or greater so they looked nothing like the patients. Anyway, I was called down to a room by the tech and when I walked in, she was standing over the patient with a fentanyl patch and she said it came off while she was in the shower. I took it, wasted it, and walked back down there with another patch that I put back on her. The tech didn’t say a word and we both walked away. Well I found out the other day, they had to send her to the hospital because I apparently put the patch on the room mate. She was a DNR which the daughter rescinded. She didn’t pass away and is fine. I understand that I put it on the wrong patient in the room, but the tech was standing right there and didn’t say a word!!! And how are you supposed to know who is who when these patients don’t wear ANY KIND OF PATIENT IDENTIFIERS???? They don’t know who they are!!! I was at the mercy of my techs to tell me who was who and I got completely screwed! I need help!

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