Ethics making you quit?

NurseEmmy · Jan 26, 2016

I did leave a job once because I felt like there was a lot of odd things happening. Shortly after it was annouced they were being investigated for medicare/medicaid fraud. From the nursing standpoint - days worth of documentation would just disappear . The MD's would never meet the required deadlines for rounding or seeing new patients . Sometimes you just have to leave. It's ok. I wouldn't leave until you had something else lined up though.

NanaPoo · Jan 26, 2016

Yes, and had no trouble doing it. You have to be able to sleep at night after you leave your job every day.

I taught in a MA program where students were being passed even when they cheated and didn't know the material. Administrators required that we passed the students so that we would continue to get their tuition money. It was a for-profit "college."

I couldn't put my name on a learning institution where I was sending students out who would be caring for the ill, vulnerable patients in my community. It frightened me to no end and I would NOT be part of it.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jan 27, 2016

Yes, I left my last job because I felt that they were beginning to engage in fraudulent activity.

dream'n, BSN, RN · Jan 27, 2016

Kinda. I had a previous job where one of the other employees was running a side business that put the patients and other staff members in a very awkward position. It definitely wasn't ethical and maybe even illegal. The magnitude of the situation was explained to a higher up in the company, and the problem was resolved with her resignation. BUT for some reason I became the scapegoat of her beloved coworkers, including our boss and the Drs on staff in this little tight-knit group. And I wasn't even the reporter. I was harassed and treated horribly for several months until I finally couldn't deal with them anymore and resigned. They were horrible and ridiculous. I only hope that they realize what they did and are ashamed. But I really doubt it. I rarely hate anyone, but these people I would have a very hard time lifting a hand if they were drowning.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Jan 27, 2016

I'm starting to think about it.

The culture where I work is that we keep the patient alive until family decides to withdraw care, no matter what. We have such good physicians and such good equipment that we are almost always able to accomplish this goal. We don't have that many codes. But... the state some of these people we are keeping "alive" are in is just awful. I just wish our physicians had the balls to argue with the families, point out that the patient is essentially dead already, and convince the families to let nature take its course. We hardly ever get palliative on board, and we should use them way more often than we do.

I mean, when we're talking the patient only postures to stimulation and we're running pressors so high the patient hasn't had any pulses in her arms/legs for three days... where the best case for survival is being near brain dead in a LTACH and vent-dependent on tube feeds with dialysis, with her arms and legs chopped off because they're dead... it's just getting ridiculous.

allnurses Guide · Jan 27, 2016

Yes, I would quit such a job, not just for the moral aspect but the protect yourself aspect. I know there are some companies that are corrupt from top to bottom, such that your report to management could be the thing that puts a target on your back.

Since an investigation is already underway, and the nurse planning the illegal activity didn't go through with it, I think I would start documenting the possibly unethical/illegal incidents when they happen.

Sorry you have to deal with this. I reported a nurse who was stealing and selling hemostats to stoners to use as roach clips, but I knew management wouldn't fail to deal with it. Job culture is a huge factor in all of this.