GETTING WRITTEN UP: What is the most ridiculous thing you have been written up for?

jschut, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2004

I got written up one time when a patient pulled her G-tube apart and it soaked her bed. The 2 CNA's that found her had been there since 4a. My shift was over at 7a, and the pt was fine then.

The 2 CNA's reported this occurance at 8:30a. Called the ADON at home to tell of my "neglect". (And it happened AFTER I was gone!!!)

I was written up for pt neglect and the 2 CNA's....? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!

(Seems to me, if the pt had been checked more often, this wouldn't have happened, now would it?)

Another time I was written up for putting insulin in the med cart, then forgetting to put it back in the med room fridge when I was finished. They threw away ALL the insulin and ordered new. (Insulin doesn't even HAVE to be refridgerated, does it???)

But when I caught the DON doing the exact same thing, do you think she wrote herself up?

Moho · Feb 12, 2004

In all my years working, I have managed two reports, I think, haven't been told about any others. The first one was back in 1992, it was a hispanic two day post-op C-Section. I went in to do her PM care, since day shift pawned it off on me, and she did not like me doing anything at all, nor anyone else. She would rather lay in old blood from 2 days then get up. Yes, I made her get up, but it was light a fire or she throws a PE. I did this in a very professional way and had a CNA with me all the time, so I had a witness.

Second was just in Sept 2003 the night/morning of my surgery. I worked 21 hours straight, due to the fact that our MNG's would not come in and relieve us. So I got it from a young gent who said that his girlfriend was being neglected by everyone. I had no idea who he belonged to, I just walked up to the front from labor/del. He wanted the manager that was taking care of his S.O. I told him that our manager was not here (3:00 am). He informed me she was. I asked if I could help and though and behold his S.O'.s nurse came around the corner and he informed me that she was the nurse manager for our dept. (WRONG). So I let her take over and he said he was going to sleep in the other bed in her room (pt. bed). I interrupted after the other nurse said OK, to tell him that I was putting a pt in that bed and apologized, offered him to sleep in the waiting. Needless to say I WAS A VERY RUDE NURSE AND WOULD NOT ACCOMIDATE HHHHHIIIIIIISSSSSS NEEDS. The pt. was upset to learn that he was out at the desk being an A?? and apologized for his behavior. People just don't get it sometimes. To put the icing on the cake the HS took him into our lounge to write up his complaint, meanwhile a pt. was bleeding out and I needed help, so I rudely interrupted his complaint. So if ever a visitor wants a pt's bed to sleep in, just call the HS to deal with him immediately!!!!!!!!! :imbar

Moho

Medic946RN · Feb 12, 2004

When I was a street medic my partner and I got written up for going to a mulit vehicle, multi-patient accident where there were six comfirmed traumas and 18 more unspecific injuries. We were the second closest unit the call, the primary unit was already on the call and requesting assistance. The disptacher had his head up his a** and gave us a "feeling faint" call five miles in the other direction. We both got a letter of commendation for the excellent patient care we gave and a suspension for going to the call in the first place. We grieved the punishment and our employer was ordered to pay us back our lost wages x3. You just gotta love working in a government beauracracy!

MelissaRN · Feb 12, 2004

At my hospital we don't refrigerate insulin. We have little boxes over the PYXIS machin that has the Reg and NPH. It's good for 30 days after it's opened. :angryfire

nurse110 · Feb 18, 2004

Well, this was a new one for me but, I was written up because my friend and I rode to work together and it was causing a conflict among the other staff members at the LTC facility where I work. :uhoh21: Now, I see the DON, other nurses and CNA's going out and partying, most who call in regularly, is that too a conflict or what? I have worked here 8 yrs and for the past 3 yrs we have rode to work together, its office politics to me. Anyway, now they are telling me I can't take all my vacation days together, aahh isn't that what makes it a vacation or what???

Retired Nurse · Feb 18, 2004

:chuckle In LTC facility we had been having problems with the kitchen. The administrator, whose office was right off the dining room, told us if we had any questions to let him know. On this morning the oatmeal was so thick and gummy you couldn't get it off the spoon or mixed with milk, so showed him. He said "That is just like my Mother used to make." So I told the girls to serve it that "It is just like his mother used to make" I was written up for calling his mother a bad cook!!! :angryfire

Nurse Ratched, RN · Feb 18, 2004

well, this was a new one for me but, i was written up because my friend and i rode to work together and it was causing a conflict among the other staff members at the ltc facility where i work. :uhoh21: now, i see the don, other nurses and cna's going out and partying, most who call in regularly, is that too a conflict or what? i have worked here 8 yrs and for the past 3 yrs we have rode to work together, its office politics to me. anyway, now they are telling me i can't take all my vacation days together, aahh isn't that what makes it a vacation or what???

sounds like those other people have the problem. exactly how was this causing conflict? i could see if, for instance, you were riding together and both showing up late daily, but even then, the lateness was the offense, not the riding together.

niasmama · Feb 18, 2004

I work in LTC,found a med error on a resident done by CMT,I made out the med error sheet at 0300 and got written up cause I hadn't completed the sheet such as notifying the Doc. or the DON,the error was on eye gtts for so many days that hadn't been started as ordered,not only was I written up but suspended from work for 3 days!!! and I didn't even make the med error!! the CMT was suspended for 3 days also,you better believe now I make sure every line is completed,all I's dotted and all T's crossed!!!!!

JustaMaleRN · Feb 18, 2004

I got points taken off my eval for not wearing makeup.
An MD screamed at me on the phone and hung on me. I charted the incident and my UD tried to have me fired for it.

I had a physician who cursed at me everytime I called her about one of the patients she was covering. I spoke with her about it, my manager spoke with her about it. This last time, I had it, I told her that I would not tolerate that kind of language towards me or anyone I work with. I ended up in the VP of nursings office. They wanted to toss me out the door. I contacted the Risk Manager, and she provided the bundle of write-ups for this physician for inappropriate language and charting. They backed off. All it cost me was my job as a CNS. I am now a staff nurse, and never happier to be away from the political crap!

Seelo · Feb 18, 2004

We have a couple of people who like to write up everyone else for stupid stuff...
I have written up another nurse at the request of a physician, related to a mistake she made before my shift..... I noticed on the MAR that she had given 25MG of *****IV**** Lopressor :uhoh21: .... I thought, certainly not, so I went to the omnicell and looked up this patient's medication history for that day, and sure enough, 5 vials had been removed. I'm sure most of you know that IV lopressor comes in vials of 5mg/5ml.... I called up the doc and he was like, "OMG, is he dead yet?"
Anyway, he asked me to write it up, and I spoke with the nurse before I wrote her up and she agreed that it was a mistake that shouldn't be overlooked.
Sincerely though.... If you have to break the tops off of 5 vials of medication, and draw up 25ML of a medication.... you might want a few red lights to go off in your head.

Educate me on this one.....what did the MD originally order? was it supposed to be just 5mg IV? I am confused as to how this happened....maybe I am not seeing the big picture, but why would anyone ever give 25mg IV of Lopressor?

Reborn · Feb 18, 2004

You won't believe this, but I was a staff developement co-ordinator at a LTC facility, where my father had been placed for short term re-hab after Post CABG MI and subsequent complications, and after about one month passed away peacefully in his sleep, well,

When I returned from one WEEK off, I was written up for "excessive absenteeism" by a DON who was so sick she used to come and flop in a chair in my office and say (because she made it known she was dating two men) "oww, my lady parts hurts" :eek:

Whadda world :uhoh21:

My Lord helps me deal with as this! :)

Dayray, RN · Feb 19, 2004

Only time I have been written up was for refusing to take orders from a doctors secretary.

Patient was post bladder repair, could not void so I cathed her got 100cc. I looked on the chart and the patient had not voided from 0200 until now 0800 so thats less then 20 cc and hour the patient is making. Temp was 102.

So I call the doc, "hello doctor x I'm calling about patient xx" DOC:"is this an emergency?" I continue "she has not voided..." DOC:"is this an emergency?!!!!!" "no but..." and then he hang up on me. I wait 10 minutes and call his office back get the secretary who says she will give him a message, so I tell her whats going on. 15 minutes later secretary calls back with orders. I tell her I'm writing them down but that I need to have him call and confirm them. He did call back and spoke to my manager who got confirmation. I was written up for not taking the orders and the doctor made them change my assignment.

I couldn't believe it, I have in some situations taken orders when relayed threw another RN but never from a secretary. My manager was sitting right next to me while I did all this and she agreed with my course of action before I took it. Still even though I was told I did the right thing I was written up. It's amazing what will be done to accommodate a doctor.