Reasons nurses get fired

Nurses General Nursing

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What are some reasons you've known nurses to be fired? I worked for a small company and was fired. I'm not going into why, but I did not cause any harm or do anything illegal. To me, those are the reasons nurses get fired.

Specializes in Dialysis.
RNGuyUS said:

I recently encountered a situation where a traveler was fired on the spot and anyone with anything to do with it zipped their lips. Best I could gather, something happened to a patient in the traveler's care. Before the "incidnet," the patient was flourishing. Overnight in the traveler's care, not so much. The facility closed ranks on the family except for one tech mentioning to the patient's family member that they were sorry and that the nurse caring for them had been "immediately terminated." Executives told the family that the traveler was dismissed because they didn't chart as well as the facility would like and wouldn't discuss anything further citing "personnel privacy." Additionally, they made out like the patient's sudden deterioration was inevitable and unavoidable. The family tried to get copies of care records, but from what I understand, they've been blocked repeatedly.  

 

Have any of you ever encountered charting policies so stringent that the staff has a one-and-done typo policy?  The administration won't even explain the issue. I mean, its serious enough it merited firing a nurse, no warning, no correction, nothing. So it must be serious. If so, why so secretive? If this traveler's mistake is so life and death, then wouldn't it make sense to use this as a teaching moment?

 

I'm all about minding my own business and providing superior patient care, but this whole situation is unsettling to me. My gut tells me something isn't right. And I don't like being swept up with bad guys. 

 

Has anyone else encountered charting issues that merited immediate dismissal? 

The teaching moment may come after any potential suit or payout to family. I've seen immediate dismissal, and it rolled just like this. The dust has to settle before any open discussions 

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Specializes in Psych, Substance Abuse.

There has to be more to this story. Sounds like a cover up for sure. 

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.
RNGuyUS said:

 

Have any of you ever encountered charting policies so stringent that the staff has a one-and-done typo policy?  The administration won't even explain the issue. I mean, its serious enough it merited firing a nurse, no warning, no correction, nothing. So it must be serious. If so, why so secretive? If this traveler's mistake is so life and death, then wouldn't it make sense to use this as a teaching moment?

Has anyone else encountered charting issues that merited immediate dismissal? 

It's easy to fire a traveler bc they're a contract employee, have no union involved, etc. Understandably, the hospital does not want to invest in remediation for a non-employee.

A "charting issue" is code for a medication error or failure to document a change in condition or not taking vital signs. 

The hospital is not interested in teachable moments, just liability.

"Nothing to see here, folks; move along."

 

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