Discrimination & Whistle blowing - Would you hire this nurse again?

Nurses Relations

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  1. Would you hire a nurse who has sued a facility in the past?

    • 5
      Yes.
    • 74
      No.
    • 40
      Depends on how qualified and desirable the nurse is.

119 members have participated

I was discriminated against when I applied for a job. In other words, a job offer at a hospital was rescinded due to their discrimination against me. I sued them and won. Now my name is all over Google if you search it. A few years later, similar thing happened. I got a job at a well known hospital, worked at the place, and the manager discriminated me. Since she couldn't make it obvious that the discrimination as the reason for terminating me, she micromanaged me and came up with a bunch of things that a new orientee might get wrong or make mistakes on to get me fired. Now, my lawyers are about to sue that hospital also.

I have been looking for a new job for the last 6 months since the fancy hospital manager let me go. My question is, is my career doomed because my name is tarnished all over the internet as a "litigious nurse," or does it really matter? Do HR people and nurse managers reconsider offering a job to a good candidate because she once sued another facility? What they did to me was wrong. And I want justice. But do people that sue facilities end up having a hard time getting a job elsewhere because of it? It seems like double punishment to me. :yes:

Specializes in LTAC, ICU, ER, Informatics.

I was raised as a Seventh Day Adventist which is a Christian Sabbath observing religion. It is well understood in the SDA church that it is allowable to work on the Sabbath if you are in a "life saving" profession which includes law enforcement, fire department, and health care. Many people consider it another way of honoring God on the Sabbath.

I would say if the OP is Jewish, that she should confer with her Rabbi about the matter. I was under the impression that Jewish Law had a similar exception as the SDA's do.

If the OP and her Rabbi determine that she truly cannot work on the Sabbath, then she needs to try and find a job that is M-F days only - perhaps a surgery team, a doctor's office, school nursing, etc.

I am still a nursing student, but I've worked in hospital administration before and I personally believe this should fall under the "reasonableness test" for religious accommodation. I don't think a hospital unit should have to work around someone who will never work a certain day.

Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.
elaborated further in following posts. she/he is an observant jew, needed the sabbath off.

Not to be nitpicky, but I don't think the OP ever said they were Jewish. Jews, Muslims, and some Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday.

Specializes in Med/surg, ER/ED,rehab ,nursing home.

How many Sundays I have worked. My only problem came to a head when the church I was attending started giving me difficulty about my Sundays on the job. I truly consider my work with patients on a Sunday as a way of worshiping God. I worked every other Sunday. By the way, I changed churches.

Specializes in Med/surg, ER/ED,rehab ,nursing home.

When I was first into nursing, I found bias in that I was married, therefore had a husband to bring home the bacon. Also there was the issue that he was in the military, and my time on the job was limited. Why should the fact that I had a husband keep me from having a job. They were hiring a new nurse that did not have another income provider. She got the extra overtime, days off, etc. with me having to take up her slack. By the way, she got terminated for narc stealing. Supposedly providing the drugs to her brother. Patients suffered in pain because of her.

I was discriminated against when I applied for a job. In other words, a job offer at a hospital was rescinded due to their discrimination against me. I sued them and won. Now my name is all over Google if you search it. A few years later, similar thing happened. I got a job at a well known hospital, worked at the place, and the manager discriminated me. Since she couldn't make it obvious that the discrimination as the reason for terminating me, she micromanaged me and came up with a bunch of things that a new orientee might get wrong or make mistakes on to get me fired. Now, my lawyers are about to sue that hospital also.

I have been looking for a new job for the last 6 months since the fancy hospital manager let me go. My question is, is my career doomed because my name is tarnished all over the internet as a "litigious nurse," or does it really matter? Do HR people and nurse managers reconsider offering a job to a good candidate because she once sued another facility? What they did to me was wrong. And I want justice. But do people that sue facilities end up having a hard time getting a job elsewhere because of it? It seems like double punishment to me. :yes:

It is sad that you have gone through this, but there is one thing that should be clear. Being Adventist and/or a sabbath keeper does not automatically exempt you from having to work on the sabbath. I am also a sabbath keeper. I have been Adventist my whole life. I have worked for Adventist managers who would not allow me to have every sabbath off. I have had an Adventist manager who did. It all depends on the person.

You have a few options. You can work on the sabbath and donate your salary, therefore it is not work, but volunteering. You could show your managaer how great an employee you are and maybe get them to work something out with you at a later time.

You also should keep in mind that Jesus helped to take the animal out of the pit on the sabbath "lest he die".

Taking care of the sick on the sabbath is not a sin.

I am a manager and when I hire I have to tell the person that the job requires 6 days a week. We are closed on Sunday.. I have had Adventist apply, but did not hire them for the same reason you seem not to be getting hired.

I have to fill the position with someone who can do the job. One requirement is every other Saturday.

Try to find a M-F clinic, or even Diallysis where you could work Monday, Wednesy and Friday only, and maybe leave earlier on Friday.

Pray. It will work out.

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

we had a nurse who was a pastor's wife. She wanted every Sunday and evey Wednesday off. The manager accommodated her for a while, but after so many people complained, she was told she had to have the same schedule requirements as everyone else. She quit. But that was her choice, just like choosing to work in a facility that is open 24/7

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

How did the second hospital discriminate you? I'd assume if they had heard of your prior case and worried you were a litigious nurse they just would not have hired you in the first place. If it was over working on the Sabbath seems like the issue would've come up before they had time to micromanage you and trump up reasons to fire you.

edit: I see your issue goes something like this - you want to hang a discrimination charge on hospital #2 because you didn't inform them of your scheduling needs, and they are prohibited from asking about your religion during the hiring process.

Then at some point your manager said "if I had known your religion I wouldn't have hired you" even though it's obvious that what she meant was "If I had known you couldn't work any Saturdays I wouldn't have hired you" - based on that you plan to sue them. I guess you could make a career out of doing that since it's based on blindsiding your employer. Not very ethical imo.

If you are such a devout Jew or Christian (maybe your another religion, I don't mean to jump to conclusions) I'm rather surprised you would choose to be so litigious as these faiths teach against it.

I think your being unfair to your employee's and co-workers. You need to look into a Monday to Friday job.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, Neurology, Rehab.

The best thing you can do is to apply for PRN positions, that way you choose your schedule. If you are applying to a new company and expect them to accomodate you just because you observe the sabbath, that puts them in an awkard position. When you apply and they tell you you must work every other weekend, you already know you are unable to commit to their job requirements so don't apply, in other words you are unable to perform the duties that are asked of you. The other option is apply for jobs that are closed on weekends and work M-F. Best wishes to you.

Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
Not to be nitpicky, but I don't think the OP ever said they were Jewish. Jews, Muslims, and some Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday.

Muslims do not celebrate a traditional Sabbath day. Their "day of prayer" is on Friday.

SDA and some Baptists (?) celebrate a Saturday Sabbath. However, if you are to take what the OP worded as literal, that she celebrates the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, it's a fairly good assumption that she is Jewish.

Specializes in LTAC, ICU, ER, Informatics.

Dirtyhippiegirl... Just FYI the SDA's observe sundown to sundown as well.

Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
Dirtyhippiegirl... Just FYI the SDA's observe sundown to sundown as well.

Weird! I just googled it and it appears that you're correct. I live in an area with a large SDA population and it was always my understanding from associating with SDA friends etc. that you could work on Friday (most spent Friday night preparing for Saturday sabbath) but definitely not on Saturday.

Does make me wonder about the policies in regards to the SDA hospital just down the road from me. I was also under the assumption, which was brought up by someone else, that life saving occupations were exempt from the sabbath.

Good to know 'tho!

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