fired if they don't like the color of your nail polish...

Nurses General Nursing

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I read that a lot. But I've only seen a few people get outright fired in my career. Either for 100% objective reasons, like excessive absences, or for major errors (like giving the wrong chemo, to more than one person) and that was after multiple warnings for other errors.

Has anyone ever had a coworker or herself fired for purely personal reasons? And if so, what official reason did they give?

When I didn't wear make up, often my patients asked me how *I* was feeling. Seriously. I was that pale.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

If the family even perceives we have treated them poorly, our first offence is suspension and we write an appology letter, second perceived infraction is termination. We must have some nasty staff out there for management to be forced into this "zero tolerance" mindset. This does include our behavior to each other. Lateral violence is not tolerated either.

While our current manager listens to complaints and deals fairly with them, I'd imagine that not everyone can say this about their manager.:eek:

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.
People who get fired for no "good reason".....I am sure it's not the nail polish, the purple hair, the gothic makeup etc....there is more to it. These things might not be appropriate, but they are changeable.

:eek: I'm just picturing a nurse with Goth makeup and purple hair. :eek:

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.
I've never smoked in my life, but nazi rules like that make me want to take it up. And blow the smoke in my boss's face.

ROTFLMAO!:yeah:

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I always have make up on ( sometimes a lot and sometimes just eyeliner or mascara) I hate coverup.I am just used to make up that's all( it's a European thing maybe :p).Some people can't live without texting...and others don't feel like themselves without make up. Some people think people put makeup on to impress people, ( THAT IS NOT TRUE FOR EVERYBODY) I have a husband why would I want to impress anyone else. I like to take care of myself, I like to have clean clothes on and also ironed, and makeup on. Now, this doesn't mean people who wear makeup are better looking than someone who doesn't. I have seen some people with makeup...OMG---they look like porcelain dolls---Scary :) When I go to school or clinicals without makeup, people ask, Are you sick? What is wrong? ---When I am stressed I don't put makeup on--I feel lazy :)

Anyway, didn't mean to turn this thread into cosmetology topic. What matters the most is to take showers and have clean clothes on :)

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.
I am sure most people would give a warning and if people fail to change then it becomes their fault. I can't imagine a person would be that harsh. In my clinicals we are not allowed to have nail polish on. One day, I forgot to remove my nailpolish and I went to clinicals, my instructor said, " just a reminder, no nailpolish allowed." She didn't kick me out. People who get fired for no "good reason".....I am sure it's not the nail polish, the purple hair, the gothic makeup etc....there is more to it. These things might not be appropriate, but they are changeable. I know someone who had family emergency and she had to go out of state, it was a perfect excuse for her boss to fire her."

Well, I think if I were a pt and my nurse had purple hair or gothic makeup I'd request a new nurse.

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:eek: I'm just picturing a nurse with Goth makeup and purple hair. :eek:

I would never let anyone with 100 tattoos, 100....piercings, purple,pink hair color take care of me. Now I might be wrong, they could be the best nurses out there but it is just my brain judging and being scared--not me :p

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Specializes in ED, ICU, Education.

One of my co-workers interviewed with her tasteful nose ring IN. Almost one year later, she received a written warning and counseling for having a nose ring in at work.

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Specializes in med/surg, hospice.

I think most jobs (at least all the jobs I've ever had) are at-will employment, so either they can let-you-go or you can quit for any reason or no reason. This just recently happened to me, let go with no prior warning and no real reason. I was never told that I had been written up for anything and I never signed anything. I'm not sure if it was "politics", a budgetary issue or if one of the manager's "pets nurses" just didn't like me...I tend to think it was the latter.

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One of my co-workers interviewed with her tasteful nose ring IN. Almost one year later, she received a written warning and counseling for having a nose ring in at work.

You know what bothers me the most? People who wear an expensive suit and go for an interview with purple, fire red, pink hair... and heavy makeup. This lady showed up for an interview, with all those weired colors; and after she left, my boss handed me her application and said " throw it in the trash. So Sad.

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On the nail polish issue -- it's not just an appearance thing. Studies have shown (sorry, don't have the source) that people wearing nail polish don't wash under their nails as well, and have more bacteria under fingernails than those without polish. Long and fake nails are also a huge risk for skin tears in patients with fragile skin. Why risk it?

For the record, I have no problem with conservative amounts of makeup, and i do typically wear mascara and chapstick to work.

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Specializes in ICU, ER.
I've never smoked in my life, but nazi rules like that make me want to take it up. And blow the smoke in my boss's face.

As a severe asthmatic I really appreciate when businesses go smoke free. I don't give a crap if people want to pollute their own lungs, but why should I have to cough and gag my way into a building because SOME (not all smokers) people want to smoke right at the dang entrance???

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