Being "written up"

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I am a new nurse and this concept kind of worries me ...

What can you be written up for? What are the consequences? Who usually writes you up?

Thanks. I get knots in my stomach thinking about this.

Ugh... I would like to think that there is a higher percentage of us who make mistakes from time to time and DO actually get written up at least once or twice. I've been written up since becoming a nurse. Twice actually. One of the writeups I had torn up and thrown away, because after careful consideration and coversation between various parties, it turned out that I had done nothing wrong. The other writeup I probably did deserve, although if the person who was charge nurse that night had been a bit more helpful and knowledgeable, I might not have been written up.

But... that's all in the past, at a different job. =) I've learned since then.

I have to agree, it's hard to escape "disciplinary action" for one reason or another, especially for one's entire career. And it may be for something ridiculous - I was once written up for drinking coffee at the nurse's station (well, if that's all my manager could find, I guess I wasn't doing too bad ;))

DeLana

P.S. And no, that wasn't the only time either - the reason I would never return to a former employer is that I got unfairly written up for something a coworker had stabbed me in the back for (long story, not to be discussed on the Internet for sure); her word against mine, but my personnel file is now forever tainted (although I refused to sign and wrote my side of the story).

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Just for the record: you can be written up for anything they feel like writing up, any time, by any one. If they like you, the write-up will disappear. If they don't, it could get you fired, reported to the Board, blacklisted in your town or state, etc.

And you never HAVE to sign a write-up. Unless the boss' name is Vito Corleone and he's made you an offer you can't refuse. No offense to Sicilians. I just saw the GF trilogy again and am feeling immersed in it, wishing I had a GF myself.

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NICE! You're my hero.

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In my experience, being written up is the first step in getting fired..Management will write you up so it would be hard legally for you to take legal action about wrongful termination..Lets say you got written up..I think the best thing for you to do is look for another job because eventually, you will get fired..After you are written up, you are on thin ice and your days are numbered, meaning that, one more mistake can cost you your job..And that mistake can be very minor...

This is from my experience and I know the termination policy..The termination policy is:

1. Verbal Warning

2. Written Warning

3. Suspension

4. Termination

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In my experience, being written up is the first step in getting fired..Management will write you up so it would be hard legally for you to take legal action about wrongful termination..Lets say you got written up..I think the best thing for you to do is look for another job because eventually, you will get fired..After you are written up, you are on thin ice and your days are numbered, meaning that, one more mistake can cost you your job..And that mistake can be very minor...

This is from my experience and I know the termination policy..The termination policy is:

1. Verbal Warning

2. Written Warning

3. Suspension

4. Termination

I respectfully disagree with your assesment here. A write up is just a written warning about something that has happened in your work that someone decided they wanted to write down. I had once had 5 write ups as an NAC because, quite frankly, 2 of the LPN's didn't like me. But the DNS realized that and just talked to me everytime I would be written up. I ended up getting fired because I had 3 write ups the week he went on vacation (he apologized later for 'what happened'). Don't sweat the write up too much. If it's a fireable offense they'll fire you. If it's not, they'll probably just forget about it.

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I respectfully disagree with your assesment here. A write up is just a written warning about something that has happened in your work that someone decided they wanted to write down. I had once had 5 write ups as an NAC because, quite frankly, 2 of the LPN's didn't like me. But the DNS realized that and just talked to me everytime I would be written up. I ended up getting fired because I had 3 write ups the week he went on vacation (he apologized later for 'what happened'). Don't sweat the write up too much. If it's a fireable offense they'll fire you. If it's not, they'll probably just forget about it.

Well, being let go from two jobs, that is how I saw it..Once you get written up, you will not get written up again..The next step is suspension without pay..And in my opinion, a suspension is borderline termination..

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Well, being let go from two jobs, that is how I saw it..Once you got written up, you will not get written up again..It will be a suspension without pay..And in my opinion, a suspension is borderline termination..

I totally agree with the suspension part. And perhaps that's the way they do it where you previously worked. All I'm saying is JUST because you are written up doesn't mean you're "going to get fired". A lot of places allow anyone, anytime to write you up. Literally an NAC could write up an RN about leaving a pepsi can at the nurses station. Surely you don't expect the RN to be fired for that, do you?

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Literally an NAC could write up an RN about leaving a pepsi can at the nurses station. Surely you don't expect the RN to be fired for that, do you?

no.....

but in some places, it would be the beginnings of a paper trail.

leslie

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I totally agree with the suspension part. And perhaps that's the way they do it where you previously worked. All I'm saying is JUST because you are written up doesn't mean you're "going to get fired". A lot of places allow anyone, anytime to write you up. Literally an NAC could write up an RN about leaving a pepsi can at the nurses station. Surely you don't expect the RN to be fired for that, do you?

Yes, but a good employee would not get written up..I am just saying that being written up is a very bad thing..It means that the employee is not performing to the standards of what is acceptable..Once you are written up about something you did incorrectly or did not do, managment will find something else wrong about you..And that other thing will lead to suspension rather than another write up...

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Yes, but a good employee would not get written up..I am just saying that being written up is a very bad thing..It means that the employee is not performing to the standards of what is acceptable..Once you are written up about something you did incorrectly or did not do, managment will find something else wrong about you..And that other thing will lead to suspension...

With all due respect I think that is a very negative outlook on your workplace. It is coming across as "Do no wrong or you're a bad employee, and bad employees get fired!". Most places view write-ups as written warnings. Every place I've worked has had verbal warning, written warning, final warning, and ONLY then is termination. And that's on just one subject. Meaning you can't be verbally warned for taking a long break, then a written warning for forgeting to lock your med card (of course they could just go straight to the final warning if they wished). All I'm saying to her is if you've been written up it's not the end of the world. If you have a good and fair management team, most likely it will be put in your file, and just make sure not to repeat the same mistakes. Write-ups are just to let them know about incompetent employees who fail to correct mistakes over and over again.

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With all due respect I think that is a very negative outlook on your workplace. It is coming across as "Do no wrong or you're a bad employee, and bad employees get fired!". Most places view write-ups as written warnings. Every place I've worked has had verbal warning, written warning, final warning, and ONLY then is termination. And that's on just one subject. Meaning you can't be verbally warned for taking a long break, then a written warning for forgeting to lock your med card (of course they could just go straight to the final warning if they wished). All I'm saying to her is if you've been written up it's not the end of the world. If you have a good and fair management team, most likely it will be put in your file, and just make sure not to repeat the same mistakes. Write-ups are just to let them know about incompetent employees who fail to correct mistakes over and over again.

I think you are wrong..The way I was let go from the two places I worked was for a variety of different things...It was not for just one thing...I am going to let this go..I am just explaining things how I saw it since I was let go before..And the two faclities used the same policy..

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I think you are wrong..The way I was let go from the two places I worked was for a variety of different things...It was not for just one thing...I am going to let this go..I am just explaining things how I saw it since I was let go before..And the two faclities used the same policy..

Let me just ask you one last question then. You said that "a good employee will not get written up". Does that mean, by your logic, that in both of the last two facilities you worked at you were not a good employee?

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