Disciplinary hearing

[Goateedude]

Its that feeling we all dread. You try so hard as a nurse to do the right thing, and then something bad happens. I would look on the list of the disciplinary hearings in the Nursing Council website and feel repulsed at some of the errors that people have committed, or not even errors, but general abuse of patients.

My own story is some what different. I was the nurse in charge one particular shift, and unfortunately one of my fellow nurses had forgotten about a patient she had left on a bedpan, and he was removed several hours later. He was not harmed, but he had been left with a nasty mark around his sacrum which had faded by the morning. The nurse in question was understandably hysterical, and I did my best to comfort her. I told her to document everything, but said it was okay to leave the incident form till the morning since she was in no fit state to write it.

There after, 45 minutes later, the night team of nurses came on duty, and I explained to them what had happened, so they could follow the care through. The next morning I came on duty, got the nurse and other nurses to do forms, and I told my manager what had happened. Well there was a hearing and the nurse who did it got a 18 month mark against her name. I got a year. I couldn't believe it. I had done nothing wrong, except not phone the nurse on call, which I had never had to do, and the guidelines had been just introduced about, and also there was no documentation on the patients notes that evening, which I had told other nurses to do.

Anyway I appealed it, got it down to 6 months, and had to do a lot of extra reflection about. Unfortunately I was involved in a car accident, and was off work for 3 months due to some drunk driver hitting me, and breaking my leg by the impact. When I came back, I then had to do all this extra work.

Fast forward to the present, well sort of. In November I was social networking, and I wrote a message to all my fellow friends that morning, just that I was tired, and had a busy day, but that is what nursing was about, but to enjoy life, and do the things that make us happy such as driving to the beach, or having retail therapy. Unfortunately I had pointed out one or two of the less pleasant aspects of the job in my text. Someone had seen it, copied it, reported me, and now I am up for disciplinary hearing number two, and this time I could lose my job.

To say that I am depressed is putting it mildly. I love Cardiac Care, and I love my hospital. I cry all the time. I have a daughter who just turned 9, and I am the only income provider in my house. I want to give her and her Mother a future. I cant sleep, I have lost weight, I am dreading this hearing, and just feel so upset that I had only wanted to inspire people to have a better day. I wasn't rude when I wrote the message, but it just came out all wrong when I wrote it and sent it.

Thank you for listening to this young Scottish nurse. I am just so sad, and needed to write something.

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

It's a big fear I have. I want to leave nursing, but I don't want to leave nursing in disgrace.

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

Are you talking about the Board of Nursing or your local hospital board? The first account seems harsh, the second you kind of did it to yourself

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I think that the punishment was way overboard with the first issue. The second issue again not that big of a deal, but a lesson to not talk poorly of your employer on social media. (Also don't have your employer listed on social media in association with you. And lastly be slective of your friends - not everyone needs to know your every thought and feeling. Obviously you have a "friend" who isn't).

If you lose your job it is not the end of days. Start looking now for a new job just in case that shoe should drop. Plenty of us have lost a job for one reason or another, and we have been just fine. Take care.

[AceOfHearts<3]

I made a comment on social media while in school about a specific lecture class. I wasn't rude, didn't say anything hateful, but just voiced being unhappy. Apparently a classmate didn't like it and I was told might might report it. I was hurt, especially since others had said and acted much much worse than me. I don't know if anything ever came of it- that was ages ago and I'm done with school now. I asked friends what they thought and nobody could see anything wrong with what I said. I learned my lesson. I never post anything about work or anything substantial. I share funny and uplifting posts, maybe share when I've read a good book or seen a good movie, etc. and that's it. I don't post or share anything political. I keep neutral on social media. It's just not worth it. I'm sorry you are going through this.

[Goateedude]

I know.. Sighs....