Was reprimanded and told to resign. Advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

[nurse20011]

Hi there, I work on a general medical/surgical floor and had an incident come up the other day. I was given a large patient load without a nurse tech for help. Usually on our unit we have a tech assigned to a nurse if that nurse is looking after more than five patients. Anyways, several hours into the shift I was already drowning. I told my supervisor that I was having troubles and she told me to try and handle it and if I needed help to ask for it. I had a patient who soiled the bed and took some time to clean him up and the mess. As soon as I got him back in bed he soiled it again almost immediately. I stepped out of the room for a moment to ask my supervisor if she could check on my other patients and she said she would. I finished cleaning up my patient, went down the hall, and they were doing a rapid response on one of my patients. A rapid response is called when a patient is having chest pain. I went in and helped and afterwards I thanked my supervisor for the help. The patient was fine. He was having some indigestion.

Yesterday I was called to have a meeting with my director and chief nursing officer. The patient that had the rapid response told my supervisor and the rapid response team that he had been having the chest pain for almost an hour. I was then told that I was neglecting my patient and that I "knowingly put the patient in harm" because a rapid response was not called sooner. I responded by telling them about my day and how I was drowning but it had no effect. The chief nursing officer then said that the papers would be passed up the chain of command and that this is very very serious and she doesn't think the turnout will be good for me or my future. She then recommended that I resign. I was terrified and so I resigned.

What are your thoughts on these events? I feel like the whole situation was extremely unfair. Or am I just a terrible nurse? Will this effect me in the future in any way? I'm terribly worried and depressed about all of this. Any advice or thoughts would be really appreciated.

Thank you

[rockstar11]

Not sure what else to add... but that I'm so sorry that happened to you. It's such a tough decision to make, especially since it is usually so time sensitive. I hope that you can take some time off to clear your head after that happened and find a new job that will be a better fit (and better management!!!!)

It happened to me as well, the "forced" resignation vs. termination. I took the resignation because I wanted to leave on my own terms, didn't wan't that employer to have such power over me, and, in all honesty, I wanted to save my license. It was a horrible place to work, management similar to yours. Always throwing the nurse (especially the new ones) under the bus. Alas, I found a really great job 1 month later, and am now looking back at what never was a great start.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

Could be that once the patient stated that he had pain for an hour, the switch flipped as far as the corporation goes. Doesn't really matter if the patient never informed anyone of his "pain", or if things were serious. The corporation will throw the nurse in the toilet head first in hopes of avoiding a lawsuit. This is spectacularly stupid - it opens the door for "negotiation" of the guy's bill - no brainer. Lots of people do it. Even if the patient didn't think of this at first, all the scurrying around, and the fact that you were reprimanded out of your job admits guilt on the part of the corporation. Easy-peezy.

Agreed. SO dumb on the part of the corporation. Especially since it was just indigestion, no harm done.

[CherylRNBSN]

I think every nurse needs to put themselves into this scenario and have an idea about what they would do before it happens. I won't tell you you were wrong, because the "right" answer is going to vary for every person. However, I would have made them fire me, complete with thorough documentation of the events, including my rebuttal response.

Here is what I like about BlueDevil's response: making them fire you, complete with a rebuttal response.

It is SO EASY to "blame and shame" the nurse who is actually trying to do the work! I find that my charge nurses cannot staff for acuity; they staff by a formula...which is a formula for disaster sometimes!

If you are toileting six pts. and having to handle pts vomiting and incontinent, pushing narcotics like mad, something has to give! Who do you attend to first? The pt lying in feces, the pt is sickle cell crisis, or the pt with "indigestion"?

A rapid response called for indigestion was an incorrect rapid response. And leaving you hanging out to dry for indigestion is inexcusable! YOU CANNOT BE TWO PLACES AT ONCE! Period.

The simple fact is a rapid response should require more that "chest pain". Was the EKG abnormal? Vital signs? Was the pt diaphoretic? Did the report "chest pain"? or something more vague? How long of a period transpired before initial report and assessment? WHAT WAS THE ASSESSMENT? One does not call a rapid response for indigestion, or chest pain, for that matter. You obtain EKG, blood work, contact MD, give NTG, and gather data. In absence of the time to gather all of the above data, you would only call a rapid response if the pt was deteriorating, and you did not know why. Indigestion does not equal deteriorating.

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

For the record, my inclination to "make them fire me" had nothing to do with collecting unemployment benefits. It didn't even occur to me. Rather, I was thinking of my dignity and refusing to admit fault when I did not believe their accusations were fair or accurate. In a scenario such as this, I would feel a resignation under duress was something akin to tacit admission of culpability. Were I in a situation similar to what the OP described, I would never concede that much.

Again, I am not saying what you did was a wrong move. I can't sit here and say that, I don't know nearly enough about your specific situation to suggest that. I can only point out that all of us would to well to consider how we might behave under similar circumstances so we don't act rashly and make decisions in the heat of the moment that we might regret later.

In your case OP, what's past is past, and I'm sure better days lie ahead. Best of luck to you.

[danielle5454]

I am sorry too that you lost your job but I also agree with others that it's a good decision that you left your job, knowing that they are not on your side! You may not have grave mistakes in the past right? Why would they advise to terminate you right away? We may not be all perfect as we make mistakes but everybody must be given a chance...What happened may have a little effect on your future employment, but just stay positive=)

[Orion81RN]

Not true. If you appeal you have the opportunity to present your case at a hearing. They don't simply take the employers word for it if you challenge with an appeal.

I find this topic interesting. I had a friend who was fired. She collected unemployment. The company decided to challenge it, which was done only through phone conversations. No court rooms. My friend ended up having to repay the company for the unemployment she had received. This was in Illinois.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

I find this topic interesting. I had a friend who was fired. She collected unemployment. The company decided to challenge it, which was done only through phone conversations. No court rooms. My friend ended up having to repay the company for the unemployment she had received. This was in Illinois.

Not sure when this happened to your friend, but a quick Google search turns up this info on unemployment appeals in Illinois: IDES: Preparing for Your Appeals Hearing

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

Not sure when this happened to your friend, but a quick Google search turns up this info on unemployment appeals in Illinois: IDES: Preparing for Your Appeals Hearing

Don't get me started on Illinois and their terrible unemployment system!!! I had to fire an employee for gross negligence. She was terrible! Always late, always leaving her work unfinished, called in sick all the time, etc. One day, she faxed a client another client's record! Never even checked to make sure the name/number was correct. She had been given several, documented verbal warnings and 3 written warnings (per policy). The fax incident was the straw that broke the camel's back. I was told by senior management to fire her. Firing commenced and end of story...so I thought.

A year and half later, I get a phone call (never any communication prior to this) from HR that this person decided to appeal her firing and sue for back unemployment and "emotional damages". Not only was I never informed of this, but I was told that the judge in the case wanted to speak directly to the manager who had fired her and didn't want to speak to our company's HR rep.

With no preparation, no time to grab my documentation, I was sworn in OVER THE PHONE and made to testify. The whole time I was speaking, she (the person I fired) kept interrupting me. The judge kept telling her "if you interrupt one more time, I'll hold you in contempt". So, I said my version of events (as best as I could remember them without any notes in front of me to confirm dates). So then Ms. "X" gets her chance to speak and the lies coming out of her mouth were unbelievable! I tried to ask the judge several times if I could provide a rebuttal for her false statements and the judge said "I didn't ask you!"

So, she ended up not only winning her case...the company had to pay unemployment for the year and a half, plus lost wages, plus "emotional damages". What a load of crock!!! She was a horrible employee and she deserved to be fired. I don't know how anyone in their right mind could read those write-ups and rule in her favor. The judge's excuse was that "adequate training wasn't provided". Umm...********! She had to re-take new hire training THREE times because she failed it twice!!! The judge never let me refute her lies about training. It just irks me to no end that someone who was justly terminated ended up milking the system for a whole lot of money. And then there are people who are wrongfully terminated who get the shaft. In Illinois....the no good, shiftless, lazy person gets all the benefits and the person who works hard gets the shaft!!! :mad:

[OCNRN63, RN]

You do not always get unemployment with firing. All the company has to do when the unemployment office calls to verify the reason for firing is to say it wsd negligence of duty, which is what they are calling it by the sounds of it, and unemployment will ne denied.

It never hurts to try. The worst that can happen is your claim can be denied. Usually unemployment is denied for "willful misconduct," which includes showing up to work drunk/high, abandonment, etc.

I would still encourage the OP to try to claim benefits if she doesn't have a solid nest egg to use until she can find another job.

Can My Boss Do That? | Home

[cardiacrocks, BSN, RN]

Your floor calls an RRT for chest pain, what a waste of time, unless the patient is exhibiting symptoms. As an RN we assess our patients and hopefully are able to decide whether or not WE need to call an RRT. I work on a high acuity tele floor. When I have a patient with chest pain, I assess immediately, get vital signs and if appropriate give nitro, then call the doctor immediately. The irony here is that the patient ended up with indigestion, and you were told to resign, I would totally call an attorney today! Your charge nurse should also be reprimanded, this is all a crock of crap. I hope you find a much better job my dear, you sound like a good nurse. You can come work with me.

[adnrnstudent, ASN, RN]

I'm a new RN, but feel part of that story from when I was a tech. I had a patient mess the bed 3 times in a row. Cheap hospital briefs are useless and despite the blue chucks, still had to change the sheets.

The cost of that was my other pts not getting their morning baths. One of the nurses I was under screamed at me and the other told her to shut up, she didn't understand what I had been through so far.

What are you supposed to do, let them lay in poop?

[Toddysmama]

Hopefully you will now get your dream job in a better place.