Ethical Issues

[RN2020scm]

Hey everyone. I have a question. There is a nurse that I know of who takes exotic photos, has an OnlyFans account, "models" in music videos & doesn't mind posing near naked in sexually suggestive positions on social media sites. (She doesn't hide ANYTHING!) That's her life BUT my question is: Can a healthcare employer fire someone for what they do outside of their career as a nurse??? I know we are pillars in the community & are held to a high standard but I want to know, technically, is this woman in the wrong & would or could her job or license be on the line........Thanks in advance for the feedback given! ?

[caliotter3]

Didn't you read the story about the woman in the NY park with her dog who became the center of a media doo doo storm and was fired from her vice president job at an investment firm because she lost control and called a black man "African American"? One of those Yahoo stories had about 15,000 plus comments the last time I looked. Any employer is able to can an employee for just about any reason (excluding a very few reasons forbidden under law) and for no reason at all and that is that. The concept is called "employment at will", found in most states. Haven't looked lately but I think the Nurse Practice Act in my state talks about "crimes against the person, crimes against property, moral turpitude", blah, blah, blah. Should this "nurse" be surprised if she ever loses employment over her extracurriculars? Well, what can I say? Do a search on this site for similar threads from the past. Every once in awhile a SDN member gets bored and comes over to stir the pot.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

5 minutes ago, caliotter3 said:

Didn't you read the story about the woman in the NY park with her dog who became the center of a media doo doo storm and was fired from her vice president job at an investment firm because she lost control and called a black man "African American"? One of those Yahoo stories had about 15,000 plus comments the last time I looked. Any employer is able to can an employee for just about any reason (excluding a very few reasons forbidden under law) and that is that. The concept is called "employment at will", found in most states. Haven't looked lately but I think the Nurse Practice Act in my state talks about "crimes against the person, crimes against property, moral turpitude", blah, blah, blah. Should this "nurse" be surprised if she ever loses employment over her extracurriculars? Well, what can I say? Do a search on this site for similar threads from the past. Every once in awhile a SDN member gets bored and comes over to stir the pot.

To clarify, she didn't get fired because she called him African American. She got fired because she clearly used his race to weaponize and demonize him, whether she used the term black or African American doesn't change the intent of what she was purposely doing.

In regards to OP - this is one of my biggest pet peeves with society and the judgement that is placed. To answer your question, yes an employer CAN fire her even though she isn't doing anything wrong and, assuming, those accounts don't have her employer listed. As Caliotter3 mentioned, there are usually clauses regarding moral turpitude. To answer your other question, no she isn't in the wrong, but that's the world we live in.

[RN2020scm]

3 minutes ago, caliotter3 said:

Didn't you read the story about the woman in the NY park with her dog who became the center of a media doo doo storm and was fired from her vice president job at an investment firm because she lost control and called a black man "African American"? One of those Yahoo stories had about 15,000 plus comments the last time I looked. Any employer is able to can an employee for just about any reason (excluding a very few reasons forbidden under law) and for no reason at all and that is that. The concept is called "employment at will", found in most states. Haven't looked lately but I think the Nurse Practice Act in my state talks about "crimes against the person, crimes against property, moral turpitude", blah, blah, blah. Should this "nurse" be surprised if she ever loses employment over her extracurriculars? Well, what can I say? Do a search on this site for similar threads from the past. Every once in awhile a SDN member gets bored and comes over to stir the pot.

@caliotter3

As a matter of fact I DID read the story. & it wasn't just because she called a black man "African American" ......She called 911 & lied, saying the man was threatening her & her dog's life. She added the African American part to get police there even faster. She was holding up the line preventing a REAL emergency from being reported. She ISN'T above park rules! All she had to do was apologize & put the dog on the leash. Now she's jobless & dogless & it serves her RIGHT! In all honesty she should be charged with attempted murder because that situation, LIKE SOOOOOOO MANY PRIOR TO, could have easily gone left & that gentleman could have lost his life to a LIE stemming from inherited false privilege. While she was lying, she didn't realize she was choking her own dog! I was more so asking the question from a moral standpoint. Like a moral clause & things along those lines & could it hold up in court. That was a terrible example but I see where you were attempting to go with that.

[RN2020scm]

7 minutes ago, JadedCPN said:

To clarify, she didn't get fired because she called him African American. She got fired because she clearly used his race to weaponize and demonize him, whether she used the term black or African American doesn't change the intent of what she was purposely doing.

In regards to OP - this is one of my biggest pet peeves with society and the judgement that is placed. To answer your question, yes an employer CAN fire her even though she isn't doing anything wrong and, assuming, those accounts don't have her employer listed. As Caliotter3 mentioned, there are usually clauses regarding moral turpitude. To answer your other question, no she isn't in the wrong, but that's the world we live in.

Well said!! Thank you!!! That's the answer I was searching for. I've seen it numerous times here recently & being that I'm a nursing student, I wasn't sure.

[caliotter3]

My rendition of the situation was the short version to mention the topic, it was not meant to be a comprehensive treatise of every conceivable way of interpreting what did or did not happen, what people's perceptions or knee jerk reactions, etc., etc., etc. There are more than 15,000 people who have already expressed themselves. I keep my view to myself. I may, or may not have made a Yahoo comment on one of those media blasts. Everyone is entitled to speak their mind. I am not her, I am not him, I am not his sister, I am not any other actual witness, nor am I the poor dog so I will state that this is used as an example, not an excuse to change the subject to a debate about her or the dog.

[MarkMyWords]

Does she use her own name? Or an alias? People get fired for all sorts of peculiar reasons, especially those that work with the public. FYI--on Google are images supposedly of nurses in stages of undress, but are nameless, anonymous. I wonder if they are all real nurses.

[caliotter3]

Pertinent part: "Any employer is able to can an employee for just about any reason (except for a very few reasons forbidden under law) or no reason at all and that is that. The concept is called "employment at will", found in most states."

[RN2020scm]

Just now, Mywords1 said:

Does she use her own name? Or an alias? People get fired for all sorts of peculiar reasons, especially those that work with the public. FYI--on Google are images supposedly of nurses in stages of undress, showing all, but are nameless, anonymous. I wonder if they are all real nurses.

She uses her entire government name. (First, middle & last) Her boldness amazes me! Hey, it's her life but my curiosity peaked wondering could she lose her job.

[MarkMyWords]

Whether it is considered ethical will depend on management and the code of conduct written and implied for nurses or medical staff. HR would know. If they think it shows an unflattering unsavory image of her hospital to the public, then maybe yes, it's grounds for dismissal, my guess. Also may depend whether management likes her as a person and nurse. In the broader society sense, it is not unethical, but employers are not interested in the broad issue so much.

Yeah, women can be very bold and show off ,around the world.

and I

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

2 hours ago, RN2020scm said:

She uses her entire government name. (First, middle & last) Her boldness amazes me! Hey, it's her life but my curiosity peaked wondering could she lose her job.

Well, at least you know what her back-up job probably is...

[toomuchbaloney]

2 hours ago, caliotter3 said:

My rendition of the situation was the short version to mention the topic, it was not meant to be a comprehensive treatise of every conceivable way of interpreting what did or did not happen, what people's perceptions or knee jerk reactions, etc., etc., etc. There are more than 15,000 people who have already expressed themselves. I keep my view to myself. I may, or may not have made a Yahoo comment on one of those media blasts. Everyone is entitled to speak their mind. I am not her, I am not him, I am not his sister, I am not any other actual witness, nor am I the poor dog so I will state that this is used as an example, not an excuse to change the subject to a debate about her or the dog.

I believe the reason your example was critiqued negatively is because you provided an inaccurate short version which conveyed a false impression that she was fired for identifying the fellow as African American. No one expects people to comprehensively dissect her privileged, racist and dangerous behavior but most do expect an accurate representation.

We are not responsible for those people or their actions...we are only responsible for what we communicate here.