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!

You are reading page 9 of Placed on Performance Improvement Plan - What should I do?

Sign up with an Agency (local or travel).

Or apply for another permanent job where you live.

Contact the Labor Relations Board and let them know that you didn't get all of your unpaid meal breaks. This is illegal, the employer knows it, LRB will make them pay you and whoever else makes the claim.

Do NOT write your replies at work. Use your home computer or some other non-public computer.

Run, don't walk to get out.

I am somewhat relieved that I am not the only one who's ever been done in by Monster Managers because I was dumb enough to fight them, but what a sad, sad, sad picture of our profession. It is shocking to read how many of us have been through this. If only the public realized how good nurses are hamstrung in their ability to give good care because managers do this type of ridiculous evil stuff. I know they are required to follow the steps set out by HR, but they seem to not know how to be honest with workers, how to coach and build up staff instead of bulldozing them into the dirt.

Here's wishing you all the best.

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.

I agree with the rest, get out NOW!!! you have the best chance of finding another job in L&D or another area the sooner you leave. When ask why you are leaving I was a good fit is lot more believable the sooner you leave. the writing is on the wall go, go fast.

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.

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.

It is not that staff are not interested in positive change or learning. They are not interested when the techniques used by management consist of badgering, bullying, and blindsiding them. And, unfortunately, that happens all too often. Not all managers are pure and fair minded as you are. Some are on some significant power and ego trips. It is unfortunate that this blame game exists. So if a manager bullies or blindsides an employee, the manager can turn it around and blame the employee saying they are only trying to help them and they are resistant to the help being offered. Interesting perspective. Why can't we work together as a team? It seems those days are long gone.

The same thing happened to me recently. I was an ICU nurse for over 20 years, spent my last 7 years in one unit then transferred to another hospital, same job. All of sudden I was getting written up over crazy things. Should have seen the writing on the wall. I was fired for a very minor med error which I reported and no harm came to the patient, doctor was not upset. I was upset because making med errors is not at all typical for me. But, they were just waiting for me to do something wrong. It was horrible. I think some hospitals are just viper pits full of nasty people. I don't know if its possible to get over it.

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