Placed on administrative leave, reason unknown

[TurtleN84]

Hi all! I have an issue & really need some advice. I've been having issues with a co-worker. I went to their supervisor to let them know basically, that person & I probably shouldn't be working together. The supervisor goes & tell the co-worker. Later on, i get a phone call saying I'm on leave pending an internal investigation. They didn't, couldn't or wouldn't tell me why, so I can only guess. I'm pretty confident my co-worker has something to do with it out of retailiation. Now today, I still haven't heard anything. I'm curious as to my rights as a nurse. Dont I have the right to know why I'm suspended? Im what cases don't I have that right?

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

TurtleN84...Good for you! I wish they would fire my tormentor.I have a co-worker that has been bullying me for years and years and he too refused to take care of patients just to upset me.I had to limit the shifts I worked with him because he has an intense jelousy of me and puts his hatred of me above taking care of the patients.Recently he has been tormenting others and his bad behaviour has once again come to the attention of HR an even though we work in an "at will" state HR said they do not have enough on him.I heard they had stacks of event reports on him so none of us understand!

[nurseactivist]

Just for the benefit of union nurses, you should contact your shop steward immediately or your union field rep. Working for the government in CA, you have Weingarten Rights. The right to have union representation at in investigatory interviews.

[Boetica]

You cannot be suspended without just cause. "We're suspending you and it's a big secret why. It's so big we're not even telling YOU!" Come on. Let me guess y nynursey_, ASN, RN; you are in a union.........

A right to work state allows employers to terminate you at will. Most healthcare facilities are not going to do that, due to the competition with other facilities and other regulations which require a professional workforce to to meet these requirements.

I would speak to a labor lawyer, or perhaps the EEOC. Lawyers will usually give you a free half-our consultation. The EEOC is free. In the future, if I were you, I would try to come to an understanding with your co-worker. I actually had a similar incident when I was working. The nurse in charge of the unit I floated to went to the nurse manager and my supervisor about a disagreement I had with a nursing assistant. She wasn't about to do anything I asked her to do. My nursing manager and Unit Manager stuck up for me, stating that I need to be this assertive more often. I didn't even find out about it until my evaluation, and I brought it up.

I would love to know how this turns out. Take care.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I feel attacked because people are asking why did I report him & I should just suck it up & work with people I don't get along with & they are totally not seeing the issue. He only refuses to do something for a patient when he's upset with me & I have that patient. Isn't that an issue? Isn't that neglect? All I was trying to do was fix the problem by not having is work together

This is creepy stuff. If "he" gets "upset" with you and it reflects on work, you need to protect yourself. Union/attorney/malpractice.

This sounds like an abusive relationship gone sour thing to me--and none of my business except as far as directing you to protect yourself and your license, but honestly, you need to be able to move on from what I would perceive to be attempting to control you through your work. Not to be too bold, but people like him are really "convincing". Really, really protect yourself.

[Boetica]

Is that necessary? Really? Nurses eating their young; perfect example.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Is that necessary? Really? Nurses eating their young; perfect example.

I am not attempting to eat anything. However, I am an old broad who has been around the block a few times, worked in "Peyton Place" kinds of facilities for a long time, and navigating parenting adult daughters, so here's my honest take--

Nurse has had it with "advances" from a co-worker. Not interested. OR perhaps interested and there's a little social media flirting. Maybe a text or 2.

Decision is made that it is not worth it to get involved. OR there is some involvement and it just doesn't work. Other person gets a little PO'ed about that.

Perhaps even more so because said nurse is in a position to ask them to do or not to do tasks (their job) and HOW DARE SHE?!?!?! So I will throw a small fit, and because we have "history" she is going to let me just hang here and watch you tube all shift.

Or, "how DARE she question my control!! I will show her" which usually is a she took advantage of me because of her position of power/she is retaliating against me because I the man and she did not think so/ she is sexually harassing me (and I am far more interested in another chick now, so she needs to go so I can conduct my poop in peace).

Men (and women) like them will never, ever change. Details may be spot on or wayyyy off base, but intent is clear. Something occurred, and someone wants revenge. Someone wants to forget anything ever occurred. Someone's married. Someone's butt hurt. For any one or all of the reasons listed above.

OP, you can not fix the other person. And yes, it does beyond suck that they are suave enough to get people in high places to listen to the stuff they are shoveling. Don't ever poop where you eat. And the moment that someone "comes on" to you and it sucks, but you need to say something about it. Unwelcome advances are never a pleasant thing to discuss, but it needs to be.

Bottom line, this person (in my opinion) is using a relationship outside of work, or a desire for a relationship outside of work to control and manipulate the OP. And is now pulling all the stops to make her life a living hell.

I can not tell you enough OP, never underestimate this type of foolishly dangerous behavior. I wish you nothing but strength and the very best.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

You really haven't given any details about what the problem is between the two of you and even if the other person is a nurse or not. If we knew the whole situation we could probably give you more advice. Was it bullying, harassment, I don't know what happened between the two of you that lead you to need to ask not to work with the other person. You said others have had problems with the person as well. Did they speak up about it? Was anything done? As to not working with the other person is that even a realistic request? How do you want that handled by transferring one of you to another dept or shift? Please give us more details to understand the situation.

Where I work it could be possible to separate coworkers but still it would be an added hassle to management so I don't think they would be thrilled to do so. There is one nurse I follow who doesn't do her job and I do speak up to her and make her finish her work, like passing out meds from hours before and clarifying what assessments she is leaving me with. This is a constant, unchanging situation, not because of a bad shift. She is a nice person, but not the best nurse, and hell to follow! She says she has ADHD and doesn't want to take the meds because of how she feels. The result is you come on shift and find meds aren't passed for many of her patients, occasionally from 9 AM, assessments are usually not charted for PM's and sometimes not even days! It is almost a given if she had an admit that none of the admit history and paperwork is done, she thinks it is optional to pass on to the next shift, even when they came on days! Nobody likes to follow her, most grumble and pick up after her. I'm one of the few that is assertive and gets her to at least pass her meds and do half of the assessments. Some of the supervisors were asking us to write her up, which I did, and I generally wrote no one up, but the situation was ridiculous. Unfortunately in spite of this and being talked to by the manager nothing has changed. Well except one thing, she doesn't want to work with me because I call her on work or lack of it! Thankfully I no longer have to follow her, but the rest of my coworkers still complain as nothing has changed. I've heard she requested not to work with me and her wishes were honored, even though she is the one in the wrong for not doing her job in a timely fashion! Truth is I'm delighted with how it turned out regardless. I'm fine with helping out the prior shift if they had a bad day as long as it's not going to be every shift and every day! That is just not reasonable.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

You cannot be suspended without just cause. "We're suspending you and it's a big secret why. It's so big we're not even telling YOU!" Come on. Let me guess y nynursey_, ASN, RN; you are in a union.........

A right to work state allows employers to terminate you at will. Most healthcare facilities are not going to do that, due to the competition with other facilities and other regulations which require a professional workforce to to meet these requirements.

I would speak to a labor lawyer, or perhaps the EEOC. Lawyers will usually give you a free half-our consultation. The EEOC is free. In the future, if I were you, I would try to come to an understanding with your co-worker. I actually had a similar incident when I was working. The nurse in charge of the unit I floated to went to the nurse manager and my supervisor about a disagreement I had with a nursing assistant. She wasn't about to do anything I asked her to do. My nursing manager and Unit Manager stuck up for me, stating that I need to be this assertive more often. I didn't even find out about it until my evaluation, and I brought it up.

I would love to know how this turns out. Take care.

@boetica I think the employer would say turtleN84 was suspended pending investigation (even though they were not clear about the reason) and a labor lawyer would advise her to wait until the investigation was concluded.

@turtleN84, glad things have been resolved and hope your patients will get the care they need.

[klone, MSN, RN]

All I was trying to do was fix the problem by not having is work together

How is that fixing the problem?

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

If a patient complains about a roomate the complainer is moved. We also apply that standard to employees. If you are the one who is to the point that you cannot work with the other person, we don't do anything to them. We might investigate but in mgmt's eyes you are the problem because you are complaining. Fair or not....

[SmilingBluEyes]

OP IMO you handled it entirely wrongly for the reasons people have already stated here. I hope you learn what you can from this and move on, making different choices in the future. If my saying this is NETY to certain people, sorry, but so be it. Sometimes life lessons are hard. Learn and move on. And yes, you do have to get along and play nice with all kinds of people in your career, people you may despise. We don't get to choose with whom we work, but we DO get to choose our behaviors and actions.

[TheNGTKingRN]

If an assistant of mine refused to do care, I wouldn't be asking to be removed from working with them. I'd document the occurrences. First I'd attempt to resolve the issue by nicely speaking with the tech. Maybe a certain resident or patient is being combative and the tech fears her safety or job. Perhaps the tech is angry at me and inappropriately displacing their anger at OUR patients, in which case s discussion is warranted. If nothing comes from this, I'd document my interventions (while assuring the patient is still somehow receiving care).

This situation can't wait to fan out too long.

Next step is charge RN or manager. Without the focus being on ME or her/him but rather safety of the patient.