Q: Facing potential disciplinary action due to staffing issues as RN.
I am a charge RN facing potential disciplinary action, possibly including firing or impacting my license, due to a recent incident of failure to rescue, where a patient went into cardiac arrest. The situation was exacerbated by chronic short staffing, lack of senior staff, and equipment malfunctions. Despite ongoing complaints filed about unsafe staffing conditions, our management claims they are hiring, yet the shifts are often filled with novice staff. We do not have a union to represent us. How can I protect myself and what steps should I take in this situation?
A:
I'm sorry you are in this predicament. You post under "Employment" and "Health Care," and it would be best for the experienced employment law attorneys here to advise you. But your post remains open for a week, and time could be of the essence in proactively bracing for such a situation - particularly if the findings of one matter (employment related) might be used in the other (license-related).
Reach out to employment attorneys to try to arrange a free consult - that could be up to the individual law firm. There are many experienced employment attorneys here on this site. (See the "Find a Lawyer" tab above), as well as leads from local or state bar associations. Those resources fall outside this Q & A forum, so arrangements are between you and the firms you speak with. If you have information in terms of co-worker testimony that corroborates your position regarding staffing, maintenance records of equipment issues, your otherwise good performance, and related information, those things would be useful to an attorney. Good luck
Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask A Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask A Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
