mariposa3991
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey
I am a nurse. I have been at my current job for 6 months. Drugs and alcohol Detox and rehab place. When they offered me the position (after pass 5 interviews) they told me the salary was paid by hour, but at the moment they actually hired me, they told me they'd be paying me 2 dollars less "because you do not have experience in this field" (While they gave me no training and are required to, I trained myself.) I accepted because is a field I really enjoy and wanted to learn The first month and a ½ more and less I was working for them 7 days a week because they could not get another experienced LPN to work. My first performance review at the end of 3 months from my director was great, she showed me it. When she sent the review to the administration to look over, it was changed, still great but including in the "concerns section" it said "needs more knowledge about how to refer clients to the right level of care" (this is not in my line of work, instead this is Clinician work (Clinicians and Nurses are two completely separate fields of practice) but I signed it anyway because we do not receive any compensation or something similar for performance (I never received a copy). All this time I have never been late to work or absent from work, etc.; I cover for other employees who are absent to work or late. Basically, whenever they ask me to come to work, I do, even on my days off. I am an LPN and I cover for RN's in giving medications, etc., when they're absent or late, I cover for them. I do Clinical assessments when there are no available clinicians. I do EXTRA work that they don't do when they ask me to. I am assigned to a specific floor, but I'm also asked to do work for different people and positions. I am doing it because I like to help people and gain the experience in different fields, but it is still not my job because I am only an LPN. I am not supposed to take care of Detox patients, only patients in rehab., but sometimes when there is not any RNs available I have to give medications and attend Detox patients needs, I have to do nursing assessments for Detox- which is an RN job, when they do not have time to finish them because they have a lot of work. I was told to do Clinician assessment admissions basically when I first started; without any training. I had to figure out by myself how to do it. My training consisted of watching a Clinician do an assessment ONCE. I had some experience because I worked for a Psychiatric Unit before. As soon as I started to work for my current job I took a course for substance abuse and addiction process. Not administrated by my job; I went out, bought it myself; I taught myself, I am now waiting for my certification. In February I was told by my Director that there was a meeting and the Director of Clinicians was asking what I do from 3 to 6 p.m., assuming I don't do enough so she would give me another task. (At that time I was doing extra work for my Director at the RN's floor because there is always something they did not finish such as filling paperwork, writing MD orders in Med. administration book, etc.) I went to ask the Director of Clinicians what specifically is going to be my work because I can not finish everybody's work and my own work. I told her I had a case 2 weeks ago concerning a High Blood Pressure patient on My floor that I discovered after three days, I reported it to my Director in order for the patient to see a Doctor immediately because he was at risk for stroke or something similar. During the three days that I did not notice was because I was all over the building doing work for others. Yet it was my responsibility. (The Clinician told my Director of Nursing to write me up but my Director told her, “well then we have to write up your Populations managers because they were taking care of patients and my LPN doing work for you and RN jobs, so no write up was done.)These three days, medications and Vital Signs were taken by counselors who give medications in my unit without a license (management explains the law in NJ for Detox and Rehab, it is not necessary to have a license to give medications for rehab patients. For that reason they do not hire a nurse for morning and overnight. I am the only professional on the 3 to 11 shift. The Director of Clinicians said to me "I can ask whatever I want (referring to when she asked what I do from 3-6) because I am the boss. Besides your Director says she does not know what you are doing 3 to 6 p.m., I answered her by saying "I do not believe that because me and my Director of Nursing do other’s incomplete work together and everybody in this place is aware of that. But I am sorry if I came to the wrong person. “ I turned around and started to walk out of her office. As I was walking out she says "I do not want to hear about this bull**** again. It’s **** everywhere in this place and I’m tired of it! " I did not answer and left. She followed me through the hallway. When I was almost at the exit door, she stopped at one of the Clinician’s office doors and screamed "Do what you have to do and forget about the rest!" I did not answer her, closed the door and left. I told my Director of Nursing about this but I did not report this because I thought “maybe she’s having a bad day. We all have our bad days.” After 4 days, a Human Resource lady came to me and told me to sign a report for "disrespect" to the Clinician Director. I refused to sign telling her my side of the story and that it was not true. I asked her to write down everything the Clinician Director said to me. She did not give me a copy of this report which I was expecting. That same day I presented my resignation letter with 2 weeks notice, without mentioning the incident. Then my Director of Nursing and additional staff asked me to stay numerous times. On Thursday the 18th a supervisor from the main office asked me what can I do for you to stay, because we do not want to lose you; acknowledging my good work. Friday the 19th she called me at home and told me "Okay I spoke with administration and they were so glad to take your resignation back. I will be there Monday to talk with you.” I told her “Look, I am off Monday but I will be there because I want to hear what you have to tell me. “ (I was expecting something bad.) That day I had an doctor’s appointment with my son so I had to manage my time, my kids were waiting for me outside in the car. She was late but I waited for her. When I spoke to her she gave me a Performance Improvement Plan. The way she explained it to me was that I really did not have any training. I am overwhelmed by all the different things I’m told to do, but this is going to change. She said she is going to help me. She personally was going to give me a schedule, provide me time to attend my patients in my floor, and provide me with Clinician training that I Never had. I signed the performance plan in a rush because I was already late to the appointment. When I came home and thouroghly reviewed the document, I saw that there was a statement at the end "Employee will be reviewed in 1 month. Failure to complete plan will result in further disciplinary action including up to termination of employment". The next day I told the supervisor and my Director of Nursing that I didn’t expect that. It’s like they did not asked me to stay, more like I was begging to stay and they were giving me a probation for 1 month. So I want my resignation to take place. The supervisor said “You are unprofessional because we spoke of this, you signed it and I thought everything was okay and I’m not going to beg you” She gave me a completely different explanation to the Performance Plan than what it actually was. The next day this supervisor sent me an e-mail asking me for a new resignation because I signed the Performance Plan Review.
What can I do? Do I have to present another resignation? Can I present an explanatory letter about the first incident and about this review? The areas of improvement include 1. "Professional approach with clients (less familiar)" because I treat my patients with love and compassion but respect. I never cross the boundaries of respect and I am well appreciated by patients who always comment that I am a real nurse for them because the other ones are always mad or rude or inconsiderate to them. 2. Increase Proficiency @ Intake Assessments, they say I am using too much time. I always do a "complete" assessment while other employees do incomplete assessments to save time and call the insurance for approval. Besides I am not a clinician, I am a nurse and that is not my scope of practice. 3. "Receive additional training (need in-service re: substance abuse) I already did my substance abuse and the addiction process course by myself. 4. "Boundaries and Chain of Command".- This should work in both ways because clinicians, RN's, Administrator, Counselor and Population Managers always ask me to do work for them. This violates the Chain of Command.
What are my rights? Can I leave immediately or do I have to wait for the 2 weeks notice. I’m afraid they will simply fire me because they do it regulary and unfairly. In the past two months, they have fired 7 people with no notice on the spot.
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey
I am a nurse. I have been at my current job for 6 months. Drugs and alcohol Detox and rehab place. When they offered me the position (after pass 5 interviews) they told me the salary was paid by hour, but at the moment they actually hired me, they told me they'd be paying me 2 dollars less "because you do not have experience in this field" (While they gave me no training and are required to, I trained myself.) I accepted because is a field I really enjoy and wanted to learn The first month and a ½ more and less I was working for them 7 days a week because they could not get another experienced LPN to work. My first performance review at the end of 3 months from my director was great, she showed me it. When she sent the review to the administration to look over, it was changed, still great but including in the "concerns section" it said "needs more knowledge about how to refer clients to the right level of care" (this is not in my line of work, instead this is Clinician work (Clinicians and Nurses are two completely separate fields of practice) but I signed it anyway because we do not receive any compensation or something similar for performance (I never received a copy). All this time I have never been late to work or absent from work, etc.; I cover for other employees who are absent to work or late. Basically, whenever they ask me to come to work, I do, even on my days off. I am an LPN and I cover for RN's in giving medications, etc., when they're absent or late, I cover for them. I do Clinical assessments when there are no available clinicians. I do EXTRA work that they don't do when they ask me to. I am assigned to a specific floor, but I'm also asked to do work for different people and positions. I am doing it because I like to help people and gain the experience in different fields, but it is still not my job because I am only an LPN. I am not supposed to take care of Detox patients, only patients in rehab., but sometimes when there is not any RNs available I have to give medications and attend Detox patients needs, I have to do nursing assessments for Detox- which is an RN job, when they do not have time to finish them because they have a lot of work. I was told to do Clinician assessment admissions basically when I first started; without any training. I had to figure out by myself how to do it. My training consisted of watching a Clinician do an assessment ONCE. I had some experience because I worked for a Psychiatric Unit before. As soon as I started to work for my current job I took a course for substance abuse and addiction process. Not administrated by my job; I went out, bought it myself; I taught myself, I am now waiting for my certification. In February I was told by my Director that there was a meeting and the Director of Clinicians was asking what I do from 3 to 6 p.m., assuming I don't do enough so she would give me another task. (At that time I was doing extra work for my Director at the RN's floor because there is always something they did not finish such as filling paperwork, writing MD orders in Med. administration book, etc.) I went to ask the Director of Clinicians what specifically is going to be my work because I can not finish everybody's work and my own work. I told her I had a case 2 weeks ago concerning a High Blood Pressure patient on My floor that I discovered after three days, I reported it to my Director in order for the patient to see a Doctor immediately because he was at risk for stroke or something similar. During the three days that I did not notice was because I was all over the building doing work for others. Yet it was my responsibility. (The Clinician told my Director of Nursing to write me up but my Director told her, “well then we have to write up your Populations managers because they were taking care of patients and my LPN doing work for you and RN jobs, so no write up was done.)These three days, medications and Vital Signs were taken by counselors who give medications in my unit without a license (management explains the law in NJ for Detox and Rehab, it is not necessary to have a license to give medications for rehab patients. For that reason they do not hire a nurse for morning and overnight. I am the only professional on the 3 to 11 shift. The Director of Clinicians said to me "I can ask whatever I want (referring to when she asked what I do from 3-6) because I am the boss. Besides your Director says she does not know what you are doing 3 to 6 p.m., I answered her by saying "I do not believe that because me and my Director of Nursing do other’s incomplete work together and everybody in this place is aware of that. But I am sorry if I came to the wrong person. “ I turned around and started to walk out of her office. As I was walking out she says "I do not want to hear about this bull**** again. It’s **** everywhere in this place and I’m tired of it! " I did not answer and left. She followed me through the hallway. When I was almost at the exit door, she stopped at one of the Clinician’s office doors and screamed "Do what you have to do and forget about the rest!" I did not answer her, closed the door and left. I told my Director of Nursing about this but I did not report this because I thought “maybe she’s having a bad day. We all have our bad days.” After 4 days, a Human Resource lady came to me and told me to sign a report for "disrespect" to the Clinician Director. I refused to sign telling her my side of the story and that it was not true. I asked her to write down everything the Clinician Director said to me. She did not give me a copy of this report which I was expecting. That same day I presented my resignation letter with 2 weeks notice, without mentioning the incident. Then my Director of Nursing and additional staff asked me to stay numerous times. On Thursday the 18th a supervisor from the main office asked me what can I do for you to stay, because we do not want to lose you; acknowledging my good work. Friday the 19th she called me at home and told me "Okay I spoke with administration and they were so glad to take your resignation back. I will be there Monday to talk with you.” I told her “Look, I am off Monday but I will be there because I want to hear what you have to tell me. “ (I was expecting something bad.) That day I had an doctor’s appointment with my son so I had to manage my time, my kids were waiting for me outside in the car. She was late but I waited for her. When I spoke to her she gave me a Performance Improvement Plan. The way she explained it to me was that I really did not have any training. I am overwhelmed by all the different things I’m told to do, but this is going to change. She said she is going to help me. She personally was going to give me a schedule, provide me time to attend my patients in my floor, and provide me with Clinician training that I Never had. I signed the performance plan in a rush because I was already late to the appointment. When I came home and thouroghly reviewed the document, I saw that there was a statement at the end "Employee will be reviewed in 1 month. Failure to complete plan will result in further disciplinary action including up to termination of employment". The next day I told the supervisor and my Director of Nursing that I didn’t expect that. It’s like they did not asked me to stay, more like I was begging to stay and they were giving me a probation for 1 month. So I want my resignation to take place. The supervisor said “You are unprofessional because we spoke of this, you signed it and I thought everything was okay and I’m not going to beg you” She gave me a completely different explanation to the Performance Plan than what it actually was. The next day this supervisor sent me an e-mail asking me for a new resignation because I signed the Performance Plan Review.
What can I do? Do I have to present another resignation? Can I present an explanatory letter about the first incident and about this review? The areas of improvement include 1. "Professional approach with clients (less familiar)" because I treat my patients with love and compassion but respect. I never cross the boundaries of respect and I am well appreciated by patients who always comment that I am a real nurse for them because the other ones are always mad or rude or inconsiderate to them. 2. Increase Proficiency @ Intake Assessments, they say I am using too much time. I always do a "complete" assessment while other employees do incomplete assessments to save time and call the insurance for approval. Besides I am not a clinician, I am a nurse and that is not my scope of practice. 3. "Receive additional training (need in-service re: substance abuse) I already did my substance abuse and the addiction process course by myself. 4. "Boundaries and Chain of Command".- This should work in both ways because clinicians, RN's, Administrator, Counselor and Population Managers always ask me to do work for them. This violates the Chain of Command.
What are my rights? Can I leave immediately or do I have to wait for the 2 weeks notice. I’m afraid they will simply fire me because they do it regulary and unfairly. In the past two months, they have fired 7 people with no notice on the spot.