I am a reg nurse. I had been at my previous job for 23 yrs- I recently applied for Home Health job- wanted new experience. I was interviewed and hired as "part time". I subsequently resigned my job of 23 yrs. Was promised that since Home Health was "new" for me I would be given time to understand and aquire the skills ness. for this new position. I was given little training for the Home Health position- and with in less than week- I was handed 26 patients to case manage. I had been assured that until I became familiar and comfortable with my new job I would not be asked to take "new admission patients". After approx 1 1/2 wks of employment- in which time I still had not met all my current patients- another nurse approached me and stated that she had "admitted a patient for me"- I informed her, she did not admit a patient for me, as I was not taking "new" patients at this time. After approx 2 weeks of employment the nursing director inquired about my admitted a "new" patient- which I did, and at 3 weeks again the director inquired of my admitting another "new" patient- which I did. I began to question as to why certain Patients were on Home Health- discovered some had been on services for 3-4 yrs and felt the Home Health situation for these stable patients had accomplished it's task and was considering discharge for several. I was also successful in moving a Home Health resident to hospital- then to nursing home, and did discharge one patient--- It became clear discharge from services was frowned upon- seems the company did not want to loose Medicare monies being paid- altho Home Health really was not providing needed services for these patients. After 4 weeks of employment with this company I was called in for conference with the director of nursing and informed that my "refusal to accept new patients" could not be tolerated and that another nurse had been hired and I was being "replaced". I know in all truthfulness, the company did not like my questioning of continued "recertification" of patients for Home Health services that really did not "need" this service- if I were to discharge services patient census would decline therefore monies from medicare would reduce-- I began to question the validity of their buisness practices and Medicare fraud issues. Anyways, that was it- I was replaced. The company did not follow their own policy and procedures in regards to termination, nor did they follow their own disciplinary policy. Any recourse for me? These people jacked with my life, by hiring me and my leaving a secure job of 23 yrs! I interviewed the administrator and human resources person to great length before I accepted this position- was totally dooped by these people. Anything I can do?? I certainly feel Medicare fraud is occuring as do some of the other nurses. I feel some sort of compensation is due in the fact I resigned from my previous long term job. ??????

If you want to report them for Medicare fraud, you may do so. However, just because you complained internally about what you felt were poor business practices, and even may have been discharged because of it, does not in and of itself make this a wrongful termination. Did you tell upper management you were going to make such a report?

You know, sometimes you take your chances. That the job was not what was promised, expected, or just not to your liking does not automatically mean you get compensation for that. Any new job is a risk.

Oh, and on further posts, please use some paragraphs and white space. I almost gave up reading this huge block o' text. ;)