I've been a nurse for 13 years, last 7.5 in the ER. I've never been written up in the 13 years I've been a nurse...until now. Unhappy patient receives different dx from another hospital - writes letter and finds fault with EVERYTHING we did for him. Pt. had 3 BM's, I documented each, Pt. stated that, after his 3rd BM "my nurse said she didn't look at the other two, why should she look at this one!" I did document all three in the PN. So, that part I'm o'kay on. He and family state that "the nurses made comments about the smell" R/T his BM's - I have absolutely no recollection of this occurring. Aparently, either do my co-workers. I was written up anyway for behaving "unprofessionally" with the patient. My nurse manager stated "How do you think it makes me look when someone writes a letter to the CEO of the hospital about my department?" Someone had to take a fall, and I was the "chosen one". This was a serious write up, a "class two", one more and I will be terminated. Now I find myself paranoid about my job. I see every patient as a potential complaint - and I no longer believe "the truth will set you free", now I know, the truth doesn't matter - my nurse manager and the hospital saving face, that is what matters. I feel betrayed. I second guess everything I say to the patients now. I was beginning to feel a bit burned out, and now I dread going to work each day. I love the ER, I think of my co-workers as extended family members - I'm really confused and don't know what to do. Yes, I'm also hurt. I live in a rural area, and I am the primary bread winner for my family - not many job options in this area. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Dicussing this with my boss is NOT an option, he is a little man with a BIG complex, and ALWAYS has to be right. He would be very pleased with himself if he knew the effect this has had on me. Thanks, P.S. my call name is NOT a reflection on my abilities as a nurse, but my initials!!
I couldn't tell you what to do in an immediate sense, but I think that if you were terminated eventually, you could appeal or protest the termination at least with the documentation that refutes the first patient's claims, and possible the second one, if there is a second time. Others may have more useful advice for you.
in your write up did you have a chance to write a response? if you didn't you should write something up right now for your personal file.
Sad to say that many places of employment are finding a "fall guy" to blame. It makes me very angry to see a nurse such as you get the blame for something that seems so insignificant in the scheme of life. Why would a patient even make such a silly complaint? You are a professional, you know you didnt say anything wrong and you know you are being "used" as an example to the other nurses. I have seen it too many times in my 10 years as a RN.
As KarenN said, hopefully you wrote your response to this ridiculous claim. I know its hard to move on and try to act as if nothing happened. I would be very angry.
I got written up (not discipline but talked to several times at least the unit manager stuck up for me) many years ago when I worked on ped and it was a big fiasco and I was ready quit after the subject wouldn't drop. It was because of the situataion and the parents wanted to blame someone so I got it. It was 11 a.m. and I was on my 16th hour trying to go home. The unit was packed with only 1 dirty crib empty. There was another nurse and the manager working and we had adult overflow which makes the manager nervous. She was working on admitting an older man. I was sitting at the desk finishing my charting to go and her walks a nursery nurse with parents holding a baby. She says here's your patient. I know NOTHING about a patient coming. I say what pt we didn't get a call about a pt. She says he had a circ. (born at another hospital now a month old came and had a circ by our new neonatologist). I show them the tx room and tell them I'll be back. Go find the manager and tell her she's busy with the older man and asks me to handle it and she'll be there in a while. I go back to the desk call admissions ask about pt and getting them in the system, call housekeeping to clean the dirty room. Then the nursery nurse comes back to me and reads me the order keep him 4 hours if he pees and doesn't bleed he can go home. I'm writing, nodding and say ok. So now a few minutes have passed the NM isn't coming to handle it so I can go home so I go to the TX room to ask those admission question...now the parents have to feed the baby. Get to the part where we have to weight the baby and he has to get undressed (1st time parents both working on the sleeper) Diaper is on I undo it carry him to the scale and take it off on the scale...he's bleeding (not much but bleeding)then the other nurse working shows up. We don't have vasaline gauze but do have 4x4 and vaseline and put that on, take him to his room and call the neonatologist. They then take him back downstairs and he gets a stich (cut too close) and he goes home from there. Well the dad writes a big letter that I was rough with the baby and made him bleed and I shouldn't be working with children. The DON wants me written up because of the letter, dad even called her a couple of times to make sure I'm fired. The nursery nurse says I didn't listen to her when she read me the orders only nodded and said ok...I can read orders and Idid tell her ok.. The thing was the MD was new and didn't follow procedure he just told the parents to bring the baby to the nursery for the circ...don't bring dirty baby into newborn nusery should have been outpatient. Admissions didn't know they were coming..parents frustrated, Nursery didn't know till they got there, parents frustrated again, I don't know they are coming and they have to wait then he's bleeding which makes it my fault..not the MD that cut too close.
Long story but they were looking to blame somebody but I stuck up for myself wrote my response and end of that story but enough to tick you off but for a while when we were short told the NM nope no extra work for me not going to help out if I'm treated like the bad guy when she knows what I can do the the DON was looking to satisify 1 nervous new dad.
Thanks for your replys. No, I didn't have a place to write a rebuttle, I had a 3 choices at the end of the write up. 1. Yes, I understand the complaint and agree with the action taken. OR 2. Yes, I understand the complaint and DO NOT agree with the action taken. OR 3. I do not understand the complaint, and I need more information. I chose #2. I certainly understood what was happening, but I didn't agree with the write up. I spoke with my co-workers, to include the unit secretary - all of whom state they were called in and questioned. All of whom state they stuck up for me and that they have no recollection of any inappropriate comments or converstaion pertaining to this pt. However, my NM said "at least one staff person recalled inappropriate statement". I do not believe him. Of coarse, he wouldn't tell me who corroborated the claim. I suppose I could write a rebuttle and ask that it be placed with the write up for my file. I didn't think of that at the time - I was too upset. Thanks for your input. If anyone in upstate NY needs a good ER nurse, I may be available!!!! Day shift please!! Thanks, glad I found this site. Nice to be able to talk with people who understand.
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