Internet Porn at work-need advice

[RN34TX]

I really debated posting this (it gets a little raunchy for those who get offended easily) but I really need advice from other colleagues and can't discuss it at work with others.

A colleague has been rumored to have been viewing Media at work. I believe that she has been written up or disciplined for it in some way but that's just the rumor mill, nothing substantiated for sure.

I really enjoy working with her and we get along well. She has been nothing but helpful and has taught me plenty when I was new.

She has told several co-workers that she is involved in a "swinging" type lifestyle with her husband. She has never mentioned this to me but is apparantly quite open about it to some.

I have been very quick to remind my co-workers that what she does in her private life is none of our business (even though she's made it some people's business) and to leave her "swinging" lifestyle alone unless you plan to participate in it yourself, in which case it would be your business.

A few days ago, I was logging in to my e-mail at work before my shift, and her e-mail popped up (same ISP) as she must have forgotten to log out.

I saw graphic Mediao pics and quickly logged her off in fear that someone might see it. I figured that she had enough trouble and there were enough rumors to go around the unit, and I didn't need to add to it, so I never mentioned the incident to anyone at work other than my partner and one friend who, like me, disapproved of our colleagues snickering about her lifestyle..

But a few days later.....A trusted colleague and friend has also confirmed that the rumor is true and she worked with her during a slow night and witnessed her watching Media and chatting sexually to people online. (No patients were there or could see this stuff so that's not a factor.)

Why was she telling me about it when I didn't want any part of the rumors?

Because she then presented me with a calender that this co-worker left behind at work that I'm sure she didn't want any of us to see.

She has been logging all of our behavior at work that she deemed "inappropriate."

From reading the notes in the calender, I'm assuming that she's preparing for a lawsuit because she's anticipating getting fired for her internet activities at work, but that's just my interpretation of it.

She listed nurses by name watching DVD's during break or slow periods that contained foul language or other "inappropriate" for work material. She noted any off-color or foul comments or jokes by staff and listed dates and times.

Here's what disturbed me........

In the calender, she lists a date and time and noted me for "looking at pictures of naked kids online." -----What????

I couldn't believe it. I realize that she's trying to take the attention off herself, and as the only gay man on the unit, I'm a walking target for being labeled as a child Mediao freak/molester or whatever, so I just dismissed it as that and left it alone.

There are 4 of us who know about this calender and took it off the unit.

We have all sworn to secrecy about the calender until we decide what to do from here.

I made the mistake of telling my colleagues about my witnessing of her internet Media mail and now they are pressuring me to tell the manager what I saw online.

I only disclosed to them what I saw in her e-mail because I was upset and hurt about what she wrote about me looking at child Mediao online. I really liked working with her and I do not want to be one of those nurses who act in a retaliatory way and slander her because I myself do not know all of the facts.

I realize that she shouldn't be looking at Media or sexually chatting with people online at work, but what is my role here as a nurse and colleague?

I don't want to be part of this witch-hunt, so I'm reluctant to tell the manager what I saw.

In addition, although I know that it's just paranoia on my part and is complete B.S. on her part trying to take the attention off herself, I can't help but wonder if her comments about me looking at child Media online is going to hurt me later at some point, substantiated or not.

My colleagues who know about this are seriously pressuring me to tell the manager about what I saw, but my idea is to confront her privately about the calender and her comments written on it about us, as well as to tell her to stop looking at Media at work because we all know and are on to her.

I really don't know what to do about this. Advice?

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

NEVER leave a computer with your log on enabled. Anyone can surf anywhere under your name...even child Media. And hospital IT can track usage.

Actually, log off any place you go too. I was in a hotel last summer that had a computer we could use, in the lobby. Someone before me clicked out of yahoo but didn't log off of yahoo . . the screensaver was the same as it always was. I went to my yahoo account by just typing "yahoo.com" into the address bar and that person's yahoo email came up.

If I had been devious, I could have read all his email. I logged him out of yahoo though.

It isn't enough to just log off the computer. Make sure you log out of every place you go.

steph

[RN34TX]

As someone said e couple pages ago, Witch hunt going on here. Why dont you dunk her in the river and if she floats she is a Media freak, if she drowns she wasnt, oops.

Ok, then, since you're the second person to vote that it's a witch hunt, then what are you suggesting I do from here?

Obviously I'm afraid that it's a witch hunt too, or I wouldn't be stewing about this and would have gone to my NM right away.

I'm scared to death that I'll find out more info later that confirms that this whole thing was, in fact, a witch hunt and that my reporting her will cause irreversible damage and that I aided in ruining this woman's life.

However, her comments about me in her calender indicate that she's not so squeaky clean herself and shows definite intent to have ammunition on board if she does get into trouble again.

Here I am, feeling guilty about possibly helping to ruin this woman's life, when technically, she has already begun to start dragging my name through the mud by writing that stuff about me in her calender.

Who knows what she intends to do with it? People don't write things like that for the heck of it, I'm sure she intends on somehow taking it further if need be in the future, if she hasn't already.

The whole purpose of starting this thread was to get some objective input from other professional nurses who are removed from the situation and have no motive to convince me to either help get her into trouble or to help keep her cover.

My co-workers have been pressuring me to report her immediately and can't believe that I'm hesitating about it.

One of them is the one who previously reported her and I know that she wants me to come forward because it will make her own story even more credible if another person speaks out about this nurse's computer habits.

Everyone, thank you so much for all of your input so far, it has really helped me to begin sorting this stuff out and to hopefully start deciding on a course of action by tomorrow morning when I return to work.

[mak2]

Well I usually dont give advice because I have a lot to worry aobut taking of myself, but you asked. Stick with the facts. I personally would not go to my manager about something that important I could not swear to in court. If you are right or wrong the accusations sticks. If you are wrong you look like a busy body. You do have an IT department. Talk to them. Tell them you are concerned without mentioning names, then refuse to mention names. They can probably comfort you with how they perform security secarchs. I can review everywhere my kids have been on this computer. By the way, if you are on a Peds ward I might rethink that. Something else. I have enough trouble living my life to the standards I have set for myself, personally and professionally. If I worried about what other people might accuse me of or might just make up, I would not leave the house. do the best you can and be happy. That is the most advice I ahve ever given anyone that I have not raised. Sorry if it was no help.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

You're right, I don't know, and I'm assuming that she hasn't as of yet.

My manager is easy to approach and cool, but I don't want to be any part of someone getting fired.

The colleague who reported her was told that she (manager) would not tolerate this in any way shape or form and better not get any more reports about this.

What if my reporting is the last straw and she gets fired?

I'm sure that she left her e-mail up by mistake, so why should she get fired for this? It's none of my business, I just happened to see it when attempting to log on.

As far as the B.S. goes, the FBI could take my hard drive at home, follow me around for months or whatever, and never see anything illegal involving children so I'm not worried about that. It's obvious that she's desparate to take the attention off herself.

My opinion? shes covering her a**, plain and simple. she knows all the talk about her, and she probably senses something is coming up, and sounds like she doesnt want to go down alone. So shes maintaining a contemporaneous record, which by the way, holds alot of weight in court and elsewhere. Be careful around her, as she obviously has things to hide, and she knows everyone knows, so shes going to take anyone she can down with her, since she probly thinks all of you did her in. Unless pts were in danger, being neglected, privacy breached, or you were TRUELY harrassed sexually, I would keep my mouth shut. I would even bet she left that calendar there accidently -on purpose, so someone could find it, just so you would get the point of what she would be capable of if anything went down. Throw it out, dont say anything to mgmt. Keep her close to you, and watch yourself.... thats my opinion....

[mak2]

hopefully she would still need some hard evidence to "take someone else down" wiht her. If not it is a good job to lose. If you sepnd your life being worried someone might make up lies about you and you have to protect youself all the time you must truly be miserable. a made up record Holds a lot of weight in court? maybe with other evidence, but again, how bout if you buy a new car and the next door neighbor calls the IRS? It is jsut not worth it to be that afraid.

[babynurselsa, RN]

IF you work in a hospital they have an IT dept that can track EVERY signon to the internet. This would include passwords and cc #'s. If you each have an individual sign on they can go back and see who was on and where they went.

[Jo Dirt]

Media is the fastest growing addiction in this country. She needs help. Maybe you could start with an anonymous letter to your boss?

[buildingmyfaith57]

to me its disscussing. people should keep their sexually to themselves and not bring it to work.

[pedinurse05]

I still don't understand where you all have this time on your hands! The only computer usage we have time to do is probe for meds and check labs. This shouldn't be done at work period--especially when clocked in. Way too much time and drama on your hands.

[beepeadoo]

IF you work in a hospital they have an IT dept that can track EVERY signon to the internet. This would include passwords and cc #'s. If you each have an individual sign on they can go back and see who was on and where they went.

I agree. There is no way you could be looking at naked kids and them not know about it. This is one reason they do monitor traffic. It's not just about keeping people from going to bad places, but protecting those who DON'T and get accused of it.

You know I read through the posts and forgive me if someone hasn't already pointed this out, but quite frankly, if you kept your mouth shut and didn't say a thing, it sounds like this woman has done enough to end her own career and damage her own life. I'm sorry, but surfing Media and swinging from work is wrong, and doing it after you've been caught and reprimanded is just stupid. So I guess I'm saying your information about her activity is probably just a drop in the bucket and really not all that needed.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Why is she so open at work? I don't think its an accident that she left her calander at work. If someone was keeping one like that don't you think you would keep it in a safe place? Or is she really that stupid. Stupid to not think she is being tracked, stupid to leave her calander out.....

[HealthyRN]

Everyone seems to be assuming that all hospitals require log-on and passwords for internet access. That is not the case at my hospital, although they probably should. Log-on is required for the charting system, but not for the internet. It may be possible that the IT department cannot track this nurse.

TX- Have you actually seen the calendar or did you just hear about it?

Good luck!