Am I a bully?

nutella, MSN, RN · Jul 6, 2016

I will agree, not always.

But change is inevitable and constant. Nowadays, you need to learn to be comfortable with constant change and "journeying" is the new thing...

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 6, 2016

Just a gentle reminder to please discuss only the OP's topic.

Refrain from personal attacks and mud-slinging, which only derails the thread.

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Thank you, carry on.

NOADLS · Jul 6, 2016

To answer the question directly would be an insult to my own credibility. There is clearly much more information at large that resulted in the firing and declaration of the OP being a bully.

When I see these kinds of scenarios, I feel that if I am not getting the whole picture from the get go (barring a few minor details), chances are that I will not get the whole picture regardless. Anyone can warp a scenario so that the scenario will be favorable to them. But in a case like this where there would be no reason not to favor the OP, something is definitely missing.

downsouthlaff, LPN · Jul 6, 2016

As an LPN who functions as a charge nurse In LTC I would never tell a nurses aide, or a new nurse something as that's too bad. There are definently more appropriate ways as a Charge Nurse In a position of authority to get the point across. Such as what are you so busy with maybe X can help you with this at this time etc. I know that being an LPN Charge Nurse in an LTC facility and being an RN Charge Nurse in a hospital are different worlds, but imho it's just a poor response. Something to get fired over though ? Definently shouldn't be.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Jul 6, 2016

In 20 years this was my first write up about the discharges.I said it was stupid to think the charge nurse could do all the discharges. No verbal warnings . No private conversations.no follow up for the write up in Feb. I was told not to file a grievance in Feb by HR. The grievance process is a joke.I send my grievance to the same person who wrote me up. No there is nothing in policy regarding coming into the hospital . I am a RN.

Do you have a union? Is there a policy (via union or your handbook) regarding progressive discipline?

If you have malpractice insurance, call them for guidance.

Yes a 40 year employee rarely gets on the same bus as the new and improved variety of nursing. They can pay 2-3 RN's what they are paying you. And get all of the boxes checked for "meaningful use" and other check boxes for a discharge that is going to get them max profit. Unfortunetely, you get paid far too much to do discharges and multi-task. Someone else could do it for less.

The other angle to this is that you are multi-tasking, others not so much. So you perhaps "sent too many people to lunch" and made for an unsafe environment. Be very sure that you nip this in the bud, as (not legal advice per AN TOS) it COULD affect unemployment. But again, you need legal advice.

The other nurse was being very passive aggressive, but remember, the facility gets paid for kindness to patients, and not co-workers. And being "busy" makes patients wait. Which is a HUGE no-no in this time of patient satisfaction.

Regarding your trip to the facility when you were on suspension....did you sign anything that said you agreed with why they were suspending you? Or acknowledged it? Seems a bunch of stuff is happening, and little paperwork to back it up.

With that being said, you can call HR for sure, however, you can not "go pick stuff up" (what stuff?) as then you have access to HIPAA protected information. (The white board, the charts....) Yes, a stretch for sure, but seriously, it can be proven that you were on site when you were not supposed to be.

Sounds to me as if they were putting their ducks in a row to clean house. Now make sure your ducks are in a row by contacting your union, your malpractice insurance, or an attorney. You need to be sure that you are financially protected with unemployment, your pension if you have been in the same place for 40 years, and whatever PTO you have left.

Sorry that this happened to you. Especially 40 years into a career.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Jul 6, 2016

And more of the story appears! This new part sheds far more light on your termination situation over the first "woe is me" post. A suspension means just that. You are not to darken the doorstep of your place of employment until your suspension is over

This was the only bulling issue.I was having a issue with new nurse manager about discharge inFeb she came out with I was to do all discharges I basicly said it was stupid to expect me to do all discharges. She wrote me up.since this issue in Feb I have done every discharge written on my time at work.it takes about an hour for each discharge many computer issues as MD can't do med rec 40 percent of the time but I kept my mouth shut since and complied to her demand.i was fired because I had been on a 3 day suspension on day 3 I when into hospital.I had work ther 40 years never knew and was not told I could not be in the hospital during that time I had spoken to 3 manager none told me I could not be hospital.I had gone to set up appt with HR and went to floor I work to pick some of my stuff.

dishes, BSN, RN · Jul 6, 2016

And more of the story appears! This new part sheds far more light on your termination situation over the first "woe is me" post. A suspension means just that. You are not to darken the doorstep of your place of employment until your suspension is over

It's the employer's responsibility to provide the suspension conditions in writing. The employer should have given the OP a suspension letter that included instructions such as; hand in employee ID, gather belongings before leaving the building, be available for an interview with human resources, do not to enter the premises until HR arranges the interview. The employer failed to communicate clearly and used disposable employee tactics, which were cruel and hypocritical.

morte, LPN, LVN · Jul 6, 2016

perhaps you mistake correction/sharing of knowledge, with condescension ?

Agreed. I get sick of this condescending attitude which typically comes from a superiority complex.
I'm not lying when I say I've seen this again and again on this site from certain people.
This is a good website. This condescension towards other people sucks, though. I haven't encountered it on other sites as much as here. It sucks when people talk down to you, whether it's nurse to nurse, or nurse to nurse aide. It gets annoying because it's childish, and people should know better.

morte, LPN, LVN · Jul 6, 2016

i am thinking that the nurse who approached OP, knowing that there was not much OP could do, was part of the set up. and OP has been back to say he/she checked, and there is no statement that under suspension they could not be in the building.

CecileSF · Jul 6, 2016

Like others said, there may be more to this story. As a nurse on a unit which can be very busy, I've snapped before but only once. It was on a double 8hour shift which I was asked to stay as an extra, this means I had a 16hour shift that day. By the 17th hour right before my shift ended, I snapped and complained about a co worker who was just hostile because I asked for help based on the reason because i was "extra" and was really there to help everyone else. Charge nurse was swampped was equally dismissive of requests. Sometimes bad situations can cause bullying, its not acceptable but it happens and needs to change.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 6, 2016

There will always be three sides to every workplace story in which termination has occurred: the embattled former employee's side, the former manager's side, and somewhere in the middle lies the truth.

madricka, BSN, RN · Jul 6, 2016

I think when you're super busy at work, everyone tends to complain about it & maybe say the wrong thing -- or at least non-supportive things (which may be perceived as non-team-like attitudes). Someone announcing they are so busy MIGHT just be venting, or it's a polite way to say "help me!". Instead of saying, "Sucks to be you! haha!" (yes, paraphrasing for dramatic emphasis) it could have been more empathetic to say, "I'm really busy too, today is crazy, if there is anything I can do to help you I will". Maybe she just needed someone to make a call to the pharmacy for her (or some other small thing). Often little things can be a HUGE help. Or maybe she doesn't need you to help her with anything, she just needed someone to acknowledge that the day was indeed crazy busy -- it goes a long way for camaraderie.