Being "written up"

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What Members Are Saying (AI-Generated Summary)

Members are discussing the implications and consequences of being written up in the workplace, with some expressing that it can lead to termination while others believe it is just a warning. Different experiences and perspectives are shared, with some members highlighting the importance of fair management and the potential for write-ups to be used as a way to address repeated mistakes.

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.

Hi all, I just need to vent, I'm rather upset -

I just found out that some months ago, I apparently got written up by a doctor. I work in an ICU unit and am a new grad (I graduated last year, ICU is my first job out). Here's what happened: a patient (whom I didnt get report from, all I knew is they were coming from the floor) came wheeling in and we had to do an emergent intubation. Many nurses rushed in to help me prepare, and in a small room there were at least 7 or 8 of us including 3 doctors. I was going in and out of the room attempting to help but many of the nurses were already helping prepare, so the charge nurse told me to take report, which I did.

Now, I just heard that apparently the doctor either wrote me up or wrote an email regarding my behavior, saying that when my patient came in crashing, I didn't respond. Apparently a bunch of nurses got hold of the email and were talking amongst themselves, and "they" (I don't know if that's the doctor or the nurses) are saying I need to go back on orientation for another 4 months (I just got off orientation in January).

Although shocked of this write up (that I never heard about, only through gossip), I'm most upset about how the nurses acted. I know the group of nurses, and they are the ones I look up to. I wish I found out about this through them out of concern instead of hearing that they were gossiping about me, but no one has ever said anything to me since that time.

I'm the type of person who, if I make one mistake, however small (or big) I beat myself up about it. And it's one thing for the doctor to email whoever regarding me "not responding" and that's ok, if I need performance improvements I'm very open and willing to talk about it, i WANT to know what I can do better so I can become the best nurse I can be. But it's another thing when the nurses whom I look up to gossip and talk about it, that's what upset me the most. ...Am I just being too dramatic about this? Thanks for listening, just needed to vent :(

In all fifty states a formal notation on your record (being written up), requires you to personally be served with the notice usually in front of a witness or witnesses. It will then be explained to you the nature of the notice and you are offered a chance to give your point of view. You are then asked to sign the document. If you refuse that is noted as well and the witness along with whomever is in charge of serving the notice (manager, supervisor, HR rep, etc). You cannot be discharged or have any other adverse employment action taken against you based upon something you haven't seen. Any place of business that tried to terminate you based upon "heresay" and so forth wouldn't have a leg to stand on not only in court, but when you rightfully tried to claim unemployment benefits.

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