Placed on Performance Improvement Plan - What should I do?

Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation!

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Specializes in Rural, Midwifery, CCU, Ortho, Telemedicin.

Unfortunately, for all concerned, in the majority of management positions you are required to keep a running log of any concerns and who they were discussed with, even if there is nothing specific. After all the situation just might become "serious: and if it was not documented how are the supervisors managers to back the supervisor when he/she cannot "prove" that they have recognized the "problem' and had begun "corrective action". The first step in corrective action is to notify the "offending" party that there is or could be a problem. Then it is up to the "offender" to correct the problem even if they have not been given sufficient information to correct or even know the reality of the problem. To actually delineate the problem might, after all, result in the problem being solved or in the power being taken from the insinuator. But, unless you work for one of the about 1% of medium to large businesses, somewhere there is a note that will 'exonerate' the supervisor, and the more Draconian his/her manager and the corporate miasma are the more likely that the note will be 'enhanced' to your detriment. Which is why I much prefer small facilities that are non affiliated.

What s a game of chest? Do you mean chess? Also, there is no such word as kindergarteners. Use of the spell check function on your computer or using an actual dictionary would be helpful to you. The deterioration of usage of the English language is so depressing.
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i was thinking his/her phone got the best of her/him, what happened to e that really should be there? hmm

But in my case, what would they even write?! Someone is worried about another person? Okay? And what would it solve to tell me this? Especially when said manager does nothing to correct or even attempt to solve the problem, if there is actually a problem in the first place. I find it hard to believe that every conversation is written up in a file.
They are not supposed to be writing up anything without showing it to you. Obviously they violate this all the time. It is too bad these managers are not accountable to anyone. It is too bad you have to sue them to get them to be accountable and even that doesn't always work. They are so lucky to have these jobs where they have unbridled evil and can run with it and get away with it, destroy people's lives and call themselves the caring profession.
Unfortunately, for all concerned, in the majority of management positions you are required to keep a running log of any concerns and who they were discussed with, even if there is nothing specific. After all the situation just might become "serious: and if it was not documented how are the supervisors managers to back the supervisor when he/she cannot "prove" that they have recognized the "problem' and had begun "corrective action". The first step in corrective action is to notify the "offending" party that there is or could be a problem. Then it is up to the "offender" to correct the problem even if they have not been given sufficient information to correct or even know the reality of the problem. To actually delineate the problem might, after all, result in the problem being solved or in the power being taken from the insinuator. But, unless you work for one of the about 1% of medium to large businesses, somewhere there is a note that will 'exonerate' the supervisor, and the more Draconian his/her manager and the corporate miasma are the more likely that the note will be 'enhanced' to your detriment. Which is why I much prefer small facilities that are non affiliated.
When I was a manager I was told that you had to give people good references unless you had everything documented and discussed with the employee at the time of the documentation. That is why I was shocked when that old bee gave me a bad reference, because there was nothing that had ever been discussed with me. I suppose I could have taken the old bee to task and sued her, but I do believe in divine justice and the principle that what goes around comes around. You never know, she may end up being my patient one day. I would be professional if that ever occurred.

Because of issues with reference, in my state, only a fool would give a reference that is more than date of hire, date of leaving the company, and the job title. No one knows who is on the phone line and places have been sued for giving a bad reference even when fully legitimate. Even the infamous question of "would they be eligible for rehire, goes unanswered or I just forward voice mail to our HR to let them deal with it.

Nowadays, when I get a reference call from someone who really did a good job and I want to give them something positive, I usually say "I will cut to the chase, yes, they are eligible for rehire and I would do so without question". Fill out on line reference forms? Nope. Even the ones that are supposedly anonymous.

Because of issues with reference, in my state, only a fool would give a reference that is more than date of hire, date of leaving the company, and the job title. No one knows who is on the phone line and places have been sued for giving a bad reference even when fully legitimate. Even the infamous question of "would they be eligible for rehire, goes unanswered or I just forward voice mail to our HR to let them deal with it.

Nowadays, when I get a reference call from someone who really did a good job and I want to give them something positive, I usually say "I will cut to the chase, yes, they are eligible for rehire and I would do so without question". Fill out on line reference forms? Nope. Even the ones that are supposedly anonymous.

That is good, because these managers are on such power trips. This prevents them from treating good staff unfairly. I was fortunate I had a prospective employer who was honest enough to tell me what was happening instead of playing head games. I wondered why I would go for an interview where I knew I was the best qualified applicant and then get a rejection letter. Oh well, what goes around comes around.

Specializes in as above.

labour relations board, no! Its a govt run agency, read between the lines. PIP? get out. You wont win! Good wisdom, ask THEY want they want. They pay you, some sucking up might get what you need, a permanent job. It aint the way it used to be. Lot of managers/supervisors these days, dont have a clue HOW to manage.

Hidden files or black books are illegal. Its hard to believe that nurses licensed and accountable to nurse practice acts can practice defamation and piling on. That said ANA stands by and does nothing to hold these nurses accountable. This is a well informed statement. I have years of correspondence attempting to get these issues on public forum like conference agendas, etc. When they go unanswered I mark as such and file it. Things have changed since 2006. One can see the timeline of corporate infiltration. It is at its worst; now. They control the narrative by ignoring dissent. What they won't acknowledge is that by ddoing so they are silencing the visionaries and innovators.

OP, where are you? Looking for a new job? Come back and update us, please.

Very few nurses have the ability to pay a 15K retainer to sue for defamation, etc. Only 20 per cent of nurses are part of a union organization that might provide legal assistance. Making it a much more common practice to be wrongly rated by a former employer. Other industries are much more cautious due to more widespread lawsuits.

Very few nurses have the ability to pay a 15K retainer to sue for defamation, etc. Only 20 per cent of nurses are part of a union organization that might provide legal assistance. Making it a much more common practice to be wrongly rated by a former employer. Other industries are much more cautious due to more widespread lawsuits.
Where I live 99% of nurses are unionized and the union provides free legal services and they are concerned about nurse abuse so will gladly support a nurse who is being abused by management, especially if there are issues such as discrimination involved. We also have a govt. run Human Rights Commission and I know a nurse who has gone to them about how she is being discriminated against.
Hidden files or black books are illegal. Its hard to believe that nurses licensed and accountable to nurse practice acts can practice defamation and piling on. That said ANA stands by and does nothing to hold these nurses accountable. This is a well informed statement. I have years of correspondence attempting to get these issues on public forum like conference agendas, etc. When they go unanswered I mark as such and file it. Things have changed since 2006. One can see the timeline of corporate infiltration. It is at its worst; now. They control the narrative by ignoring dissent. What they won't acknowledge is that by ddoing so they are silencing the visionaries and innovators.

When you speak of hidden files, do you make the assumption that the manager office files only contain bad things? Yes, I have individual employee files. I keep copies of patient "thank you" cards, other cards that we use to recognize employees in our hospital, notes on mentoring they may have done, extra shifts worked to help out, certificates of courses, etc. I also keep copies of BRN reports for nurses on probation in case the BRN suddenly thinks I didn't turn in the reports in a timely manner. If I have a repeated conversation about an issue with an employee, I keep a note of the date and general contents. On the off chance the employee makes no change, and I have to resort to official written counseling, that note of the date and content is referenced as a reminder of "previous conversations" although it usually takes more than one conversation before I resort to written and usually involves something about medication or similar patient safety issue. Previous verbal conversations/verbal are required before we move to written. With a large number of employees, I would never remember those conversations accurately. Those "hidden files" are more helpful during evaluation time to remember all the stuff they do well. The good stuff far outweighs the "bad stuff".

I assume there are managers and supervisors out in the world that probably only do keep bad things and that seems to have been a common experience in this thread. Please don't judge the world by a bad experience and paint us all as evil just because we are managers and keep files as we should do to coach and mentor and recognize staff appropriately. My experience is that the office files are well balanced if not downright positive things as the majority.

It saddens me to think that leadership is becoming more negative in employee relationships and wonder (again) what leadership education/mentoring THEY have had. Or is there a culture shift that is pitting staff against leadership and staff nurses are not interested in self-improvement or change and blames leadership when efforts are made to grow them or teach them? I truly don't know.

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