Being "written up"

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a new nurse and this concept kind of worries me ...

What can you be written up for? What are the consequences? Who usually writes you up?

Thanks. I get knots in my stomach thinking about this.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Nurses can be written up for:

1. Not following through with a physician's order

2. Making a medication error

3. Taking too long of a break

4. Breaking the dress code

5. Using the internet during work hours

6. Sleeping on the job

7. Missing a dressing change

8. Giving antihypertensive meds without obtaining a BP

9. Excessive tardiness/absenteeism

10. No call/no show for a shift

11. Leaving in the middle of a shift without permission

12. Doing anything out of your scope of practice

13. Not notifying the physician of a change in condition

14. Stealing supplies/drugs

15. Insubordination

OF COURSE, there are many more actions that could be treated with a write-up.

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also for making inappropriate comments. (I was written up for telling a doctor he could "kiss my ass.") :)

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

A nurse manager or DON will usually write you up. In some cases, other fellow nurses are permitted to write you up for issues such as med errors or missed treatments. At my workplace, certain violations are grounds for immediate termination of employment. Other violations are treated with written warnings that remain in your file. If you accumulate too many write-ups in a specified period, management may decide to suspend you, place you on probation, or terminate your employment.

In addition, any vindictive nurse manager can miraculously "find" something you supposedly did wrong, and write you up for it.

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I know that there are two incidences where I might have been written up ... it still stresses me out to think about it. Gaahh ... the incidences have happened a while ago - the latest one was probably 3 weeks ago.

Can you be written up and not called to the manager's office but have the reports in your file? Will they bring up these incidences at your annual review?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I know that there are two incidences where I might have been written up ... it still stresses me out to think about it. Gaahh ... the incidences have happened a while ago - the latest one was probably 3 weeks ago.

Can you be written up and not called to the manager's office but have the reports in your file? Will they bring up these incidences at your annual review?

If you are written up, you will definitely know about it, since your nurse manager always wants you to sign it. If you sign a write-up, you are basically acknowledging that you committed the wrongdoing of which they are currently accusing you. If you disagree with the write-up, you have the right to refuse to sign it. You can sometimes write a statement on the write-up that explains your side of the story.
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I know that there are two incidences where I might have been written up ... it still stresses me out to think about it. Gaahh ... the incidences have happened a while ago - the latest one was probably 3 weeks ago.

Can you be written up and not called to the manager's office but have the reports in your file? Will they bring up these incidences at your annual review?

I think you have to sign anything that goes into your file. l have a "coachable moment" in my file. I was talked to by the charge nurse and then I had to sign the paper. I didn't agree with the write up but I still had to sign.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

For further reference, browse through my old thread about being written up. I was feeling offended and "down in the dumps" at the time I had started the thread.

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/write-ups-disciplinary-action-192209.html

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I am a new nurse and this concept kind of worries me ...

What can you be written up for? What are the consequences? Who usually writes you up?

Thanks. I get knots in my stomach thinking about this.

every place is different.

some will write you up at a seemingly benign incident, e.g., perceived insubordination.

some will write you up with more obvious infringements, e.g., stealing, being impaired.

and then there are places/units, that will ignore/cover up the most blatant of erros for some, while writing up others who are victims of their environment.

you need to read your p&p manual re: your facility's disciplinary policy.

anything that violates your bon's codes of professional misconduct and pt negligence/abandonment/abuse issues, are examples of what are truly notable.

do your job.

stay away from the trashy gossip.

meticulous documentation.

being a team player.

be receptive to constructive criticism and learn from it.

but don't ever be anyone's doormat.

value your role as a nurse, and love yourself as a person.

you'll do just fine.

best of everything.

leslie

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Specializes in ICU of all kinds, CVICU, Cath Lab, ER..

Earle 58

your advice was the best bestest bester -- fantastic!!

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You can be written up for several things including medication errors, not following hospital policy, failure to carry out orders, not signing off your orders, not doing your shift end chart checks, not meeting the basic needs of your patients, and attitude. Any person you work with can write you up, your manager will be the one to discuss the issue with you and decide if further action should be taken. Just remember to always follow hospital policy and if you're not sure about something, ask. There are no dumb questions and it's better to be safe than sorry.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Where I work only the nurse managers and charge nurses are qualified to write people up. As a charge nurse I can usually counsel a person and get them to shape up before writing them up. I've recently given a verbal warning for insuborination to one of my problem tech's. Next time she will get written up.

Fortunately at my place of employment write ups are rare, as things can be nipped in the bud verbally before it gets to the point of being written up.

People often mistake "incident reports" as being "written up" and they are not the same thing. When you make a medication error this incident report is sent to risk management, pharmacy and your manager, but is not part of your personnel file in Human Resources. Of course as people say above you can be written up for making medication errors, usually this doesn't happen with an isolated inicdent, but repeated errors.

Nurses might be quick to write an incident report on a coworker about something and then go bragging "I wrote them up for........" which is all false bragging because they merely did an incident report and don't have the power to write anyone up.

Don't be scared because 99.999999999% of us go through our careers without being "written up".

Good luck to you.

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