can a nurse be fired for not saying "no"

[livewell78]

My coworker was administering conscious sedation and informed the doctor that the patients blood pressure was 200/100. The doctor said ok and continued with the procedure. My fellow coworker was just terminated because she didn't stop the procedure. Is this legal?

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

My coworker was administering conscious sedation and informed the doctor that the patients blood pressure was 200/100. The doctor said ok and continued with the procedure. My fellow coworker was just terminated because she didn't stop the procedure. Is this legal?

If she lives in a right to work state she can be fired for any reason.

I think the situation would have depended on what the BP was at the beginning of the procedure, how fast it was elevating, was the patient in pain (distress), what meds were used for the sedation. There's alot to be considered other than the nurse not saying "no".

BTW: Welcome to allnurses

[RN1980]

as far as being legal, if your friend works in a "right to work" state she /he can be fired without any reasoning or advance notice and at the descetion of the hospital. it really does'nt matter what medical situation it is, yes she may have very well saved the patients life and prevented her/himself from getting screwed over by the bon, but the bon really does'nt care about wheather you get fired or not, they are strictly here for the patients well being and the monitoring of nurses and not so much for the wellbieng or advocacy of nurses as it was put to me by a mississippi bon lecture while in school. unfortunately if your friend does'nt belong to a union she can get the old hospital enema for anything and at anytime. some trade off huh.. might have saved the patients life but get canned as repayment.

[ebear, BSN, RN]

I've never understood why they are called "right to work" states. What they are is "right to be fired" states....

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

Any consequences for the doc? I bet not.

[Simplepleasures]

If a nurse refuses to do something that is unsafe/illegal/ unethical and if she then gets fired or disciplined in retaliation, she may have protection under a state law for healthcare worker whistleblowers. Here are some links :

http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAPoliticalPower/State/StateLegislativeAgenda/Whistleblower_1.aspx

http://medi-smart.com/whistleblower-protection.htm

People can be fired for anything in an "AT WILL" state, but if they are fired ILLEGALLY they do a recourse.

[Jolie, BSN]

If a nurse refuses to do something that is unsafe/illegal/ unethical and if she then gets fired or disciplined in retaliation, she may have protection under a state law for healthcare worker whistleblowers. Here are some links :

http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAPoliticalPower/State/StateLegislativeAgenda/Whistleblower_1.aspx

http://medi-smart.com/whistleblower-protection.htm

People can be fired for anything in an "AT WILL" state, but if they are fired ILLEGALLY they do a recourse.

The problem in this case is that the nurse did do something unsafe. She wasn't fired for refusing to engage in unsafe practice, she was fired for participating in unsafe practice.

[psychnurse1998]

I have never been in a situation, where a procedure has already started and there was a need to question the doctor doing it. If this nurse had refused and the patient had died, may have been a reason this nurse did not say no. In this situation, with the doctor present, he should be totally responsible for the actions of the nurse, and should be backing her. In emergency situations, lets say a code, the doctor takes over on decisions, and the nurses follow his judgments. I wonder how experienced the nurse was, and also how assertive. I find at work, some nurses still seem intimidated by doctors. Interesting post, I hope in the end this nurse, ends up with a success story.