Ethical to impose sales quota on nursing staff?

[Pedslife1234]

I currently work for a health / wellness facility. There, I administer IV drips and IM shots of micronutrients. 

Our current employer is playing with the idea of requiring the nursing staff to meet monthly sales goals on high ticketed items such as NAD ($400 + per drip). My question is, is this ethical?

If you impose this, won’t you be pushing sales on clients that don’t necessarily need it? Clients that put their TRUST in you and your profession? The current employer also wants to start a putting commission to get nursing staff to push harder on sales. 

Is this ethical / even legal?

I feel like this is muddying up the waters turning nurses into a used car salesman. 

[Emergent, RN]

There's a lot of these Wellness clinics popping up everywhere. I'm skeptical about some of the things they do, but firmly believe in buyer beware, Libertarianism. Your post confirms my suspicions that this is a newer version of the patent medicines of yesteryear...

What you describe sounds unethical for nurses. 

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

But it is a sales-based business model, right? The water was muddy before they set sales quotas.

[Pedslife1234]

22 minutes ago, Nurse Beth said:

But it is a sales-based business model, right? The water was muddy before they set sales quotas.

Yes, however I was hired to provide a service and to make sure that the service provided is safe for the client. Not to sell anything. That was for the health wellness reps to do. Now that we are under new management, they are wanting nurses to get into the sales part and start receiving commission. 
I just don’t think nurses should receive commission. I think that’s a slippery slope of offering things clients don’t need and puts a stigma on our profession. No?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

3 hours ago, Pedslife1234 said:

Yes, however I was hired to provide a service and to make sure that the service provided is safe for the client. Not to sell anything. That was for the health wellness reps to do. Now that we are under new management, they are wanting nurses to get into the sales part and start receiving commission. 
I just don’t think nurses should receive commission. I think that’s a slippery slope of offering things clients don’t need and puts a stigma on our profession. No?

I'm with you, I'd  be really uncomfortable as well, being asked to sell IV hydration drips. The whole business would give me pause.

[RNperdiem, RN]

New management changes everything.

In their view, they are running a business, not a medical facility, and more sales makes a better business. 

Your choice is like the question posed with relationships. "Is this working relationship acceptable to me?", not "is this ethical" is the question you need to answer. If this working relationship is not acceptable to you, you are free to look for another job and resign once you have found something better. 

[MaxAttack, BSN, RN]

On 11/1/2022 at 3:47 PM, Pedslife1234 said:

If you impose this, won’t you be pushing sales on clients that don’t necessarily need it? 

Isn't this basically the premise of entire IV nutrient industry?

I don't see a difference in ethics if the sale is from a rep vs a nurse except for the job title. 

[chare]

@Pedslife, are these similar to the treatments your facility offers?  If not, would you post a link so that we can see what treatments are being offered?

[londonflo]

On 11/1/2022 at 2:47 PM, Pedslife1234 said:

I currently work for a health / wellness facility. There, I administer IV drips and IM shots of micronutrients

You knew what their business was when you signed on. Who did you think convinced the clientele to make appointments?  Oh someone else.... Now you are objecting to being a salesperson....not being "someone else". Did you believe the supplements actually were beneficial? or because they were infront of you it was okay to maintain the charade?

I actually sympathize with you..I was desperate to get out of bedside nursing. I answered an advertisement for an RN position in a weight loss clinic. The administration wanted me to wear my cap, a white uniform etc. The whole design was for this to look like a "health care sanctioned " weight loss clinic. I declined.

[feelix, RN]

A lot of nursing positions involve sales, and are not necessarily unethical. For example, most hospital liaison positions involve selling ‘prescribed’ services over your competitors. This is not unethical.

What your employer requires of you, seems to be unethical because, firstly, you are being required to encroach on prescription authority, and, secondly, your sole motivation is profit, not patient welfare.