How ethical are you?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2003

Originally posted by eltrip
Always, always, always speak the truth! It's the only way to be able to live with yourself.

Exactly. The truth comes out the same every time. Even if it gets me, my hospital, or the docs in serious trouble. I need to be able to sleep at night/day.

chartleypj · Jan 4, 2003

Regardless of whether or not if was a physician or a co-worker, I would not sacrifice my integrity as a Registered Professional Nurse to cover for them.

Whatever happened to taking responsibility for one's actions and accepting the consequences of unetheical, innapropriate, illegal or unprofessional behavior?

Paula

ohbet · Jan 4, 2003

My opinion is based purely on my own experience working with nurses and doctors.I used to really idealistic and held a naive view of our profession in terms of how "ethical" nurses are,but I would say most nurses,when it comes to ethics,talk the talk but do not walk the walk in the majority of cases,most of us want to save our butts when the bottom line comes.Sorry I sound so cynical.

Going80INA55 · Jan 4, 2003

I was wondering if someone was going to be brave enough to say what really goes on out there.

Hurry! Ohbet, you said it. IMHO, it is also my experience that nurses will talk the talk but not always walk the walk. We are taught as stated by ITSJUSTMEZOE, to CYA and that is what we do.

I believe we will stand up and say this or that is unethical, but when the heat gets turned up most walk away because they don't or cant take the risk of any fall out from the event.

Unfortunately, many believe, as they are walking away, that their are plenty of people that will stay and fight the fight. That is not true. :confused:

I am sorry what happened to you RNCountry. :kiss

night owl · Jan 4, 2003

Had a charge nurse make several mistakes in one shift that led to a pt's demise. All the CNAs that worked with her that day were terminated. Part of the story made the paper, but the whole truth was not revealed. Instead of taking the option of resigning or losing her license, go to court and face a jail term, the nurse, her husband who was a DOC at this facility and her lawyer went to the Director of the facility, sat down in his office and told him (more like threatened him) that if she was fired she would go to the media and let them know exactly how the place was run. The Director felt threatened by this so instead he transferred her away from the bedside and into the Education Dept. where she now gets every weekend off, and every holiday off and loves every minute of it. The real kicker is when she had to give an inservice to nights and go around to each unit, my co-workers and I had NO idea that she was the charge nurse involved with the pts death until she told us. She sat there and told the three of us the whole story! Maybe she was so full of guilt that she had to get it off her chest, I don't know. I walked out of the room shaking my head. Moral of the story, "Money can buy you anything and everything." I'm sure she paid plenty of bucks for that lawyer!!! BUT how do these criminals sleep or even look at themselves in the mirror each day? In my opinion, she should have LOST her license and DID time in prison. Instead, she parades around telling her story with her head and nose held high...How ethical is that?

Everytime I see her my stomache turns and I think of that poor patient and what a schm*ck nurse he had that day.

How ethical am I? If I had to face the judge based on what that nurse told myself and my co-workers that night she came to give us that inservice? I would in a heartbeat! She needs a lesson taught to her. If it were me? I'd be in jail paying my debt to society because I don't have the money she does. Money is power...

And why is it that the honest people who do the right thing always seem to get more flack? If you know the answer, please explain. I'm not sure I'll ever quite "get it."

Rustyhammer · Jan 5, 2003

I would tell the truth.

I remember one time writing a med error report on myself and my DON couldn't believe it.

She called me a bad name too. Created more work for her.

-Russell

JulieBean2U · Jan 5, 2003

Had a patient's leg start to turn cold with pedal pulse becoming more faint by the minute, and he was in horrible pain. When I called the doc, he ordered Tylenol #3 ONE EVERY 8 HOURS. It was effective though, because the feeling in the guy's leg dissappeared within hours, along with the pain. The doc ignored the nursing pleas for almost 72 hours. The leg was black when he finally came to see the patient. He screamed at every last nurse there until I flipped the chart open and showed him 72 hours worth of careful documentation to support that he was a negligent ASS. The patient died, needless to say. I wonder what the doc told the family, if he even bothered to comment. Hope it keeps him awake. The lesson still holds: DOCUMENT

rogdog · Jan 5, 2003

Sometimes when you stand up for what you know is right it causes more trouble and hassle upon yourself. This is why so many stay silent. I'm glad there are some of you that don't. Although you might not have recieved thanks your reward will come someday.

duckie · Jan 5, 2003

I have and always will come forward regardless if it is something I am involved in or not. If I screw up that bad, then I no longer have my focus where it should be and don't need to be there anyways. I would die to protect my patients, they are defenseless and depend on us to protect them. I have often wondered what I would do if someone entered out facility with a gun, as we have fired people with that potential, I know in my heart what I would do as I have made my peace with my maker and I'll just pray it would save others if I'm ever called upon to put my actions behind my mouth. It is a heavy load we carry, like the captain of a ship, I guess I really take it to heart. As far as taking care of employees that don't do their job, I go after them every time. I had a nurse fired once for not doing her job. I was asked to sit in the Chapel while they escorted her out. They said she was unstable and might attempt to harm me. I'm a stubborn butt and said I'd love to assist them in walking her out, but they wouldn't let me. I recently heard her name mentioned in regards to another facility and my blood just curdled. She is so NOT a nurse, why someone hasn't gone after her license yet I do not know. I had no problems with her knowing it was my complaints that got her terminated, I felt I had done my residents a favor. I once had the chance to have the pud job of the century. a rich MD had a spouse that was very ill. All he wanted was a nurse to sleep at his house and he had CNA's at her bedside. I would be available only if she needed me, otherwise I could have slept and gotten paid for it. I was all set to take it as a second job till I found out that airhead was the second shift nurse and I turned it down flat. I wonder how that situation turned out. I honestly think she has been fired at every job she has ever had and if our paths cross again, I will go to the state board of nursing this time. She scares me to death. I could give other situations, one of which I think I am about to put myself in the middle of where I currently work, no, my residents win hands down, even if it costs me a penalty of some kind. I am not perfect, I make mistakes, thankfully not often, BUT I make them all the same.

DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN · Jan 5, 2003

I smiled as I see someone quoted from me and I can say with an even bigger smile. Because I do and did walk the walk and talk the talk.

I too was in a somewhat simular situation as RN Country

about the same outcome for me as well.

But again I walk the walk and talk the talk.

Im the patients advocate not scapegoat.

Zoe

I have looked into the eyes of Drs, Administrations, and Lawyers and I have yet to flitch. I have been sickend by the greed and the lies, and placed my license in the path of the truth and I prevailed!!!!!!

jude11142 · Jan 5, 2003

I had the unfortunate occasion to be in the midst of a negligence case against an Oral Surgeon. All I can say that it's pretty damn sad when you have people who are supposed to be "upstanding citizens not only in the community but in the medical field "and then under oath they lie!! I told that truth about everything and believe me there was some that I didn't want to say. I mean, the case was against this doctor and they were trying to dig into my past and damage my credibility(sp)??? Makes no sense. Several questions were asked of this doctor and his answer(if something was done etc)?? He answers "absolutely not!".......I couldn't believe him, I almost yelled out, "what are you crazy?" . Terrible time in my life and I am glad that it's over. The case was settled and he lost but you know, I wonder did he really lose? Sure a settlement was given under arbitration but did it go public? No, ofcourse not, it was under "gag order".....so bascially his insurance company paid and that was it. Thank God, he left the state and supposingly retired(I can only pray that he did so that he doesn't harm another). But to answer the main question here, I wouldn't hesitate to tell the truth no matter what......Not only is it ethically the right thing to do, but it is the law. We are supposed to tell the truth. So, I would never lie or conveniently not remember even if I faced "getting fired"...........Atleast I am able to look myself in the mirror and know that I did the right thing and I would do it again(though I pray I never has to endure something like that again).

JUDE