Need Some Answers Please!

[NursingRoomate]

Hi Everyone! I know I haven't introduced myself yet, but this was important enough to come directly to this forum.

My roommate is an IV Certified LVN/LPN and we're living in Southern California. Tonight she was supposed to have worked a 2p - 11p in a nursing home. It's now 1:00a and she's still there. Here's what's happened...

1) She works agency
2) Prior shift RN went off shift before giving a report to my roommate or to anyone else for that matter
3) My roommate was not permitted a lunch AT ALL
4) She had 31 patients and didn't finish her med pass until close to midnight

Isn't there some law in California that is supposed to help avoid all this?!? She won't be off work until close to 3a or 4a and she's still not being allowed to eat or even so much as take a break. She's having to chart on 12 different pts.

I've looked through California law on LVN - pt ratio, but all I can find is a floor, not a ceiling number.

Someone please help! How can this SNF get away with what they're doing?!?

A Concerned Roommate

[Ricu]

Originally Posted by NursingRoomate

Hi Everyone! I know I haven't introduced myself yet, but this was important enough to come directly to this forum.

My roommate is an IV Certified LVN/LPN and we're living in Southern California. Tonight she was supposed to have worked a 2p - 11p in a nursing home. It's now 1:00a and she's still there. Here's what's happened...

1) She works agency
2) Prior shift RN went off shift before giving a report to my roommate or to anyone else for that matter
3) My roommate was not permitted a lunch AT ALL
4) She had 31 patients and didn't finish her med pass until close to midnight

Isn't there some law in California that is supposed to help avoid all this?!? She won't be off work until close to 3a or 4a and she's still not being allowed to eat or even so much as take a break. She's having to chart on 12 different pts.

I've looked through California law on LVN - pt ratio, but all I can find is a floor, not a ceiling number.

Someone please help! How can this SNF get away with what they're doing?!?

A Concerned Roommate

It's one thing if an individual chooses to forgo a break to catch up when it's busier than usual but Federal Labor laws are being violated if breaks are being denied- agency or not.

Factoring in the moral and ethical considerations of custodial care of the elderly and infirmed, ie; accurate reporting, timely medication administration, proper nurse/patient ratio, etc., it sounds like this is not only an unpleasant, but a very unsafe environment in wich to work and your roommate should discuss her experiences with her agency.

In the meantime, maybe her agency is contracted with another nearby and hopefully better facility and she can request to be reassigned.

Good luck,

R

[Pennyk1979]

I would suggest that she contacts the labor board asap and if she is in a geriatric facility that the ombudsman be contacted immediately!!