TGIF.... So this week I had to terminate a nurse for the first time at my current facility. I've held management positions in the past, so this was not my first rodeo. I did however, find this one to be tough. It wasn't because I felt that this nurse didn't deserve to be terminated or because I had any personal attachment to the individual. In fact, it is the total opposite. This person had a long list of infractions and some that were very serious. I also barely know the individual. I feel that the company as a whole is much better without this individual onboard.
What's the problem right? Well, people talk and from what I understand, this person is at a very low point in life outside of work. Single parent, several children, financial issues and this list goes on. The thing that bothers me is that I feel as though I'm kicking this person while they are down. The leader in me says that every opportunity was afforded to this nurse professionaly and one must be held responsible for their own actions. The nurse in me says I should feel compassion. Not just for the individual, but for the people in this persons life. Not to mention we are a week from Thanksgiving and a month from Christmas.
Isn't this how our minds as nurses are geared to work? To be compassionate?
