Fired from job & given lame excuse

[mustang54]

Posted recently here is the latest. My friend was fired today from an assisted living. She worked as an admin. assistant at night. She looked after all of the residents and they all had a special connection with her. Last week she noticed that one resident was given 2 pills - and the resident questioned the nurse and said 'I don't get 2 pills' - but the nurse said well tonight you are! My friend called me the next day and said that the other pill whatever is was made the resident unsteady on her feet. Turns out it was a sleeping pill they gave her, something she never gets. Anyway - she called the family and they were upset that they did not get a phone call since this medication is to be given with family authorization, it is as needed, or PRN. My friend was fired for calling the family. She said they told her she is fired for giving out inaccurate medical information. The truth - they got caught - and the person that gave the medication should have been fired. Does she have any rights?

 

[Peppermint]

The truth was she got fired for contacting the family when it was obviously not her responsibility to do so. If she was that concerned, she should have reported the situation to the Director of Nursing or the Administrator and let them handle it. This is not the job of an administrative assistsnt. From how you have described the situation, she overstepped her authority. Certainly there was time to do that; the medication had already been given.

 

[irish223]

I agree with Peppermint. I also want to point out that your friend may have violated the resident's right to privacy of her medical information. Did she know, for a fact, that the family had the right to that information? Also, just to clarify because I think your post implies the opposite, PRN does mean "as needed" but it does not mean that the family must authorize it.

 

[mightymoose]

Ditto. I would have canned her too. She created a HUGE liability for her employer and gave them no option to address it internally.

 

[mustang54]

thanks for the replies. and yes I totally agree she overstepped her boundaries. but I guess she thought she was being helpful by letting the family know. i told her in the future - just do your job. but now she is concerned if she uses this company as a reference what does she say to future employers on interviews when they ask why she left? She was dismissed - and I am sure once they hear what she has to say and why she was dismissed no one will hire her -
As far as PRN - I thought it was as needed if patient requested it - and since the patient is mentally incapcitated, and there is a health care proxy and a power of attorny involved that the family does have the right to know if and when this is being administered.

 

[cbg]

How long was she at this job?