And The Reason Nurses Don't Get Fired

Nurses General Nursing

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I've enjoyed the "Reasons Nurses Get Fired" thread. A member suggested another thread on why nurses don't get fired. So I'll bite . . .

Nurse did not get fired for having sex with patient's husband while patient was on hospice, dying. Nurse is now openly dating patient's widower.

Nurse did not get fired for dating frequent flyer patient, even after being on "Ice Road Truckers" or "Deadliest Catch" or one of those shows (I'll confess to not knowing the difference) with him.

Nurse manager did not get fired for having a drawer full of boxes of Morphine 10 mg. tubexes. Hundreds of boxes of 10 tubexes each. Instead, staff was investigated by FBI and DEA (which really riled up the neighbors as I lived on a military base at the time, and everyone was worried that it was their security clearance under investigation.) Instead, nurse manager was "demoted" to nursing supervisor on days, and was forbidden from carrying the narcotics keys.

Next?

Specializes in Telemetry.

Nurse not fired for disconnecting dobutamine drip and allowed patient to shower by himself. He passed out in the shower and suffered a SDH. He was 26.

Nurse not fired for repeatedly answering desk phone and just hanging up.

Nurse not fired for transporting a patient via ambulance to a hospital 4 hours away, on the clock, without permission from a supervisor or doctors order (or indication) for patient to be transported with an RN.

Nurse not fired for not responding to patient tachycardic, pulse 206. She stated “The doctor is aware so it’s fine”.

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Leaving your relief at shift change with a bleeding pt with bad IVs and systolic in the 70s because you can’t be late for NP clinicals.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

Lordy, if the public sees this thread, our "most-trusted profession" status will be out the window.

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Nurse did not get fired for leaving the facility multiple times during her shift and had no accountability for where she was and blew up at management for even questioning her about it. I think "How dare you accuse me" was the only explanation she ever gave.

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2 hours ago, Swellz said:

I'm not saying I wouldn't also feel like walking off in that situation, but I've never, ever, let the impulse get the best of me lol.

Right! I mean I understand too, cause I work in healthcare too but you shouldn’t just dip haha. Maybe she had a bad day.

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Specializes in Practice educator.

Guy took a CVC out with the patient in a chair, air embolism and death followed.

In fairness he was a fantastic nurse who showed true remorse and learning, but he was back to work a month later. I'm glad he has a career still but he recklessly acted and killed someone.

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

Nurse not fired for restraining a pt to a bed with a bed sheet. Subsequent 4 nurses not fired for same thing.

Nurse manager not fired despite napping in meetings, no understanding of flow, no understanding of dealing with pts with brain injuries or addictions (pt was sent to my dept over their Christmas closure and went from being 1:1 sitter, screaming all night and sleeping all day to sleeping at night, no sitter, awake and engaging in activities during the day and no anti psychotic meds), by failing to discharge a pt 3 MONTHS earlier pt fell, fractured her femur and died.

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Specializes in Medsurg.

Theres this dude that apparently signed other nurses signatures on the narcotic sheet. Still here and kicking

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Specializes in LTC.

Nurse changed a PEG tube, charted "Unable to verify placement x 2 nurses...", bolused meds and resumed feeding anyway. This was around MN. Pt was dead before noon.

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Specializes in Educator.
40 minutes ago, bluegeegoo2 said:

Nurse changed a PEG tube, charted "Unable to verify placement x 2 nurses...", bolused meds and resumed feeding anyway. This was around MN. Pt was dead before noon.

How in the world do they not get fired/license revoked for this? It's criminal!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Nurse not fired despite more than 15 separate naroctic discrepancies on her shifts. Only action was (temporary) removal of narcotic privileges.

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Specializes in LTC.
7 hours ago, KCMnurse said:

How in the world do they not get fired/license revoked for this? It's criminal!

I wondered the same thing, frequently and aloud. She continued to work at that facility like nothing happened. I'm still appalled by it and it's been over 10 years ago.

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