nurse terminated

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I work at an LTAC in La. The other day my DON fired one of the daytime nurses because of a med error (at 2pm. )The nurse packed her stuff, gave report to the charge nurse and was walking off the unit when the DON started telling this nurse that if she leaves, the board would be notifed because it is patient abandonment. The nurse was extremely upset and crying! How can this DON expect this nurse to finish shift after she got fired? Can she do this?:nono:

Sounds like Risk Management wasn't told about the firing or the request that she stay until her shift was over. There is NO way that if I am fired from a job I am going to stay one minute longer than necessary. Can you imagine the problems that a terminated employee could cause in a short amount of time if left alone???

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

You fire someone at either the start or the end of the shift. Once their fired, they're fired. No more work was expected of them.

When my position was eliminated (I wasn't fired, my job was), I was told in the morning, met with the HR consultant who was on the unit, went over my separation arrangements, then took 3 hours to pack up my desk, say my goodbyes etc.

But noone should ever be expected to do any work at all once they say "YOU'RE FIRED"

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

This is crazy, but I have seen similar situations occur in LTC. Especially if the DON is going to have to take pts for the nurse that is being fired:rolleyes: If this nurse was fired for a med error, what the heck is management thinking in allowing her to stay and probably have to give meds after she was fired for a med error? Nuts:uhoh3: And why was she fired for a med error in the first place? Of course, it might have been her 10th med error or whatever, or maybe a serious one, but this kind of punishment for a single med error is not right. We are human and will make some mistakes.

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Specializes in ICU;CCU;Telemetry;L&D;Hospice;ER/Trauma;.

You are either an employee, (hired) or not (fired).....,they cannot expect you to continue your patient load, while being fired....that's just plain stupid. The DON is D-U-M-B...\

If you signed termination papers, or received a verbal termination, you are no longer obligated to them or their "clients" by law....she's an idiot.

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even if the urse was not inclined to do something adverse, the trauma of being fired would not result in a nurse who could do a good job

this is really stupid

threat was empty, bon would not go along with this

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No way would I work anywhere for three hours after just being fired! If not for the emotional effects of being fired but for the simple fact that if you are not officially an employee and you say for example hurt you back while lifting a patient... you are up the creek because worker's comp probably wouldn't have to cover you... and you know the person who fires you is not going to have your back in that instance!

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Specializes in Cardiac/ED.

From what I understand that if she was expected to continue working after being fired...that she probably would have grounds for a wrongful termination. You were bad enough to be fired, but not bad enough to be allwed to leave before shift end, sounds iffy to me.

Not to mention the liability that the facility takes on by allowing her to continue with patient care.

It sounds like the DON wanted not only to fire her but to humiliate her as well.

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Specializes in Rehab.

I would say to that DON, "Sure. I'd be happy to stay. But since I am no longer employed at this establishment, I will be hired as an independent contractor at the cost of oooooooh $250/hour with an additional bonus for receiving the notice of my services so late. Would you like me to draw up those papers or shall I just leave now?"

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I would say to that DON, "Sure. I'd be happy to stay. But since I am no longer employed at this establishment, I will be hired as an independent contractor at the cost of oooooooh $250/hour with an additional bonus for receiving the notice of my services so late. Would you like me to draw up those papers or shall I just leave now?"

OH, you're good...........

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OH, you're good...........

I LOVE IT! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

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I guess it works both ways!!

MyGod, they actually told you what to say and wanted you to sign someone else's name????? If they wanted it done so much, why didn't they do it themselves. Nt saying it's right by any means, just why did they want to have YOU do it? That's nuts!

Because then they can blame it on the nurse who wrote the falsified info in case it comes back to bite them, and claim they didn't know about it. Anytime someone in high position asks someone to do something like that. they are setting that person up to fall on his/her sword so management won't have to. .

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Specializes in Tele, Acute.
OH, you're good...........

:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

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