I have been working at this nursing home for 2 years.  I have put up with bullying, discrimination, rumors, nurses calling me "Stupid" in front of other employees. Worst part, ADON said I was "Paranoid" and not hearing things the way they were said.  I have seen one nurse in particular verbally abusing patients and has been in anger management 3 times in the past year, and she is still there.  She is the FAVORITE there if you will call it that, so nothing ever was done.  Her very good friend, an Aide, took a bottle of Morphine that I had just given to a patient from the room and took it home with her. When counting narcs, the bottle was missing.  I told the Supervisor I would go and take a drug test. They did nothing according to  protocol. The next day upon coming to work, my Supervisor told me they found the Morphine.  The Aide had brought it back in the morning and this was her statement.  "I found it in the resident's room and picked it up.  I put it in my pocket thinking it was eye drops. I went home took a shower, went to a party, came home, and started to wash my work clothes @ 12Midnight and realized I had a bottle of Morphine in my pocket.  I did'nt realize there was anything in my pocket."  I was told I am LUCKY she brought it back because I would have lost my license.  I did not know what protocol was because I had only been a Nurse for a couple of months.  This certain Nurse also caused the death of a resident by not suctioning him.  The Aide came in the Dining Room during Lunch and said "Mr. ??" needs to be suctioned, he says he can't breathe."  This Nurse repied back in front of everyone including family members of residents 'You go back there and tell him I AM NOT GOING TO SUCTION HIM!!  HE NEEDS TO LEARN TO COUGH THAT STUFF UP!"  There was a Nurse's meeting shortly afterward and one of the other "Evil" Nurses came downstairs and told that Nurse that the resident was dead (This was in a 30 min time frame).  The resident had copious amounts of frothy fluid coming out of his mouth and a Terrified look on his face.  I told my Supervisor about that incident as well and nothing was ever done about that either.  The latest tragedy, a resident was arguing with another resident stating "I am going to break your f---ing neck!!!" saying this man had money of his, which that was not true.  These verbal threats went on all day into the evening.  That evening,  the Aide put the resident that was being threatened on the bed pan, came back 10 minutes later, found the res on the floor face down with a plastic bag under his face blue from the chest up.  They shipped his body out ASAP and him cremated stating they could not get a hold of his family.  When they told the other resident that was doing the threatening that other res died, he laughed while stating "Well,  I guess a better person could not have gone to hell.  He also called him a f---ing faggot. I even asked a friend of mine, a resident, do you know what happened to --?  He stated "No, all I know is that he had an altercation with --- and then he was dead.  Everyone there knows what happened but, everyone is afraid to say anything. Corporate was called about this too, nothing was done.  Worst part of this, the resident that was threatening the other is my Mom's Brother who has a record for violent crimes.  I told the DON when he came there that this man is my family, he is a registered sexual predator and I could not work around him.   The DON then started telling me that I had to work on the same floor with him just  because two other nurses went to him and said that I need to "float" which I was hired to work on one particular floor and never floated before.  When I said "I can't do my job around this man" and was crying, he stated "Well, I wouldn't want my daughters around him and I didn't have to grow up with him like you did."   Corporate was told about this too, nothing was done.   I am no longer working here but,  I have nightmares about the deaths of these two individuals and I don't know what to do.  I have an appointment to talk with Police tomorrow.  I am no longer working there as of today,  they wanted me out and fired me for something untrue.  I have never in my life seen such evil, miserable, unhappy, unhealthy woman in my life.  And the DON is all about "Favoritism" for the Nurses that he likes or who suck up to him.  My health has gone downhill due to all of this at work, I can't sleep, I am depressed all the time.  I don't even feel like the same person that I was before starting to work at this place.  Even the night Supervisor on several occasions asked me "Are you alright, you don't seem the same, you seem very depressed."  I feel afraid even typing this in this forum.  I have always tried to do the right thing but, I don't feel like I have done any good for these residents which I have grown to care for.  I feel bad for these residents and for their families.  Anyone have any advice?  I feel like I have been in a bad movie for the past two years!!!!

 Hey Shonna,

I would like to talk this friend of yours.  Thank you fir the advice.  I feel like I havelost so much of myself D/T this facility.

Diamondlil

Diamondlil,

Please read all of the postings for "Termination Happy".   I believe that you may get some good ideas there.  We just went through talking to another nurse, similar situation.  That nurse may message you or join the forum (I asked her to).

Tom

Hi Diamondlil,

Please google: LaTonia Denise Wright, RN, BSN, JD. She is an attorney for nurses and licensed to practice in Ohio, Ky and Indiana. If you do not live in any of those three states, call her office and ask for a referral to another attorney. She also has a fantastic blog regarding various situations that have occured in nursing and to nurses.

I am very, very sorry this happened to you, the patients and other "honest, ethical" staff memebers. It saddens me that this crap occurs!!

Please, please do NOt speak with the police, or your Board of Nursing without legal representation. Remember: The BON, regardless of what state you live in, are NOT and do NOT advocates for nurses, they are there for the patient(s). Thus you need legal counsel for many, many reasons that you wrote of.

I will pray for you; your piece of mind, health and well being. Hang in there, take one day or one hour at a time.

Maria

" Just reading these few,recounted statements of incompetent staff members,the emotionally / physically abused residents

  and the tyranical,team leaders,"faulty,decision-making",emits more fuel to the fire than a raging,Southern Barbecue.

  To maintain your sense," be a law-abiding citizen",and report these people to the State Inspectors.That is why we promote

   and secure,"patient's rights advocacy".As easily as facilities are constructed,refined and opened,they can be,"shut-down,"too.

   Anyone who commits abuse against another can be brought to justice,including allied counterparts,( CNAs, etc.).

    Nursing Law Seminars exist.They are held,all over the country,several times per year,( minimal fees required).

   Know your rights,as a nurse,protect your patients and **keep yourself,"out of jail".