Suspension

Nurses General Nursing

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Can a DON just suspend a Nurse if they came in 50 minutes before their shift, look at the assignment, the floor is very short staffed, with 2 nurses and 48 patients, 5 aides ,on call is called , no resolution to the situation , it's just basically, it is what it is, the nurse hadn't punch in and asked the oncall to consider this a call in and left back out of the building 10 minutes after entering.. but recieve a phone call later in the evening stating Suspension pending further investigation... what could possibly be being investigated?? Its not abandonment, it's 50 minutes before shift, he hadn't punched in...

Uh, yeah. I'm surprised this person wasn't fired on the spot. That is completely unprofessional and unacceptable.

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I agree with everyone else: what you did merited disciplinary action. It's not patient abandonment, but it was highly unprofessional.

Though if this is how the facility is usually staffed, you may want to start looking for another job ASAP. Because pulling another short-notice call out will probably result in you being fired, so you may as well jump ship for another job while you still have this one.

Specializes in Varied.

I'm just surprised that you don't perceive there was anything done wrong.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
Can a DON just suspend a Nurse if they came in 50 minutes before their shift, look at the assignment, the floor is very short staffed, with 2 nurses and 48 patients, 5 aides ,on call is called , no resolution to the situation , it's just basically, it is what it is, the nurse hadn't punch in and asked the oncall to consider this a call in and left back out of the building 10 minutes after entering.. but recieve a phone call later in the evening stating Suspension pending further investigation... what could possibly be being investigated?? Its not abandonment, it's 50 minutes before shift, he hadn't punched in...

Well, there is another point you also need to consider, not just the staffing issue; HIPAA is a concern here, as when one shows up very early and has not yet been assigned, and not punched in, but has access to details on patients that may not be his/hers. Not ok.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
I agree with everyone else: what you did merited disciplinary action. It's not patient abandonment, but it was highly unprofessional.

Though if this is how the facility is usually staffed, you may want to start looking for another job ASAP. Because pulling another short-notice call out will probably result in you being fired, so you may as well jump ship for another job while you still have this one.

I agree.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
I'm just surprised that you don't perceive there was anything done wrong.

Yes. I wondered about that too. Very unethical.

Specializes in Case manager, float pool, and more.
You think that is an appropriate thing to do? I am surprised you weren't fired on the spot.

I just want to make sure that I have this right. You came it early. You saw the assignment and said "yikes, we are really short staffed." Had the on call person called, saying that there was a call off. Then you left.

It's not really abandonment if you didn't take an assignment, but I cannot even imagine a nurse a worked with keeping his/her job after pulling a stunt like that. Be happy that you got away with just a suspension--for now anyway.

Consider yourself lucky to be suspened instead of fired. I am not sure about call in time policy at your facility but that was pretty cruddy to do to the patients and your co-workers. I am somewhat disturbed you do not seem to see a problem with what you did.

Specializes in Gerontology.

So this person came in, saw that the staffing situation was bad, do they left, making a bad situation even worse! Yep, suspension for sure

Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

Have I wanted to turn right back around when I've seen my assignment/how crappy the floor and staffing was? Absolutely! Have I or would I ever actually do so? Absolutely not. For so, so many reasons.

Here's the deal... this person can't get in trouble with the BON for abandonment as this person never got report. But this person CAN get fired for calling off and not giving enough notice, especially under these circumstances.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Urgent care, ER, BMT.

The person who did this should be terminated. This is immature and unprofessional.

Can a DON just suspend a Nurse if they came in 50 minutes before their shift, look at the assignment, the floor is very short staffed, with 2 nurses and 48 patients, 5 aides ,on call is called , no resolution to the situation , it's just basically, it is what it is, the nurse hadn't punch in and asked the oncall to consider this a call in and left back out of the building 10 minutes after entering.. but recieve a phone call later in the evening stating Suspension pending further investigation... what could possibly be being investigated?? Its not abandonment, it's 50 minutes before shift, he hadn't punched in...

In addition to the obvious lack of a work ethic, I question whether HIPAA was breached.

IMHO, any staff behaving in this manner should be terminated.

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