RN Disciplined While Waiting On Covid 19 Result

[INDY RN]

I am an RN working full time in the ED. Every shift I am subjected to below par PPE standards. Asked to re-use N95 and surgical masks for multiple patients, covid or not. So it was not to my surprise when I got a call informing me a patient I had provided care for later had a positive covid 19 test. I was informed to contact our employee health if I developed symptoms. A few days later I had a cough, sore throat, HA, fatigue and sneezing. I contacted my employee health as instructed, a test was ordered, I was instructed to remain at home til I received my results. Unfortunately I am still waiting......

My issue with the situation is that my employer has already let me know the repercussions of a negative test, should that be my result.

I will receive an occurrence for missing my shift while awaiting test results. (The quantine was orderd by employee health)

I will have to use my accrued PTO to cover any hours missed while in quantine awaiting my test results.

I will also have the weekend shifts I miss counted against me while in quantine awaiting results. Meaning I can have less weekend shifts off for the remainder of the year.

As an employee I have always helped when it comes to providing for our adopted Christmas family or the food drives. As an ED nurse I am in the frontline of this pandemic, caring for those in need, risking my own health for lack of PPE. This has been extremely difficult for me to understand how the hospital I work for can treat me this way as I await my results.

The community has been amazing and supportive of our ED staff. They have given snacks, meals, encouragement and thanks this entire time. However, the hospital I work for can't do the same. It is shameful to work for such an organization.

Is this OK? Is this fair?

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

5 minutes ago, Kooky Korky said:

Muno, please. Just once try to see this from a staff nurse's point of view.

To be ordered to work without proper gear, to be ordered by freaking Employee Health to stay home until cleared, and then to be threatened by your boss that you will be punished if your test result is negative, as if you have any control over what the result will be, is just every expletive that I have to delete here on the board. What is wrong with you?

Just curious - are you male or female? Line staff or boss?

I guess as a super human you are never ill are you? You never call off from any illness.

Have to go take my BP med now. Have to stop punishing myself by reading all of this rot.

That’s my point in all of this. Everyone is so effing tone deaf in all of this.....

[buckchaser10]

When I called HR to determine if my employees who are kept off for COVID symptoms received an occurrence my jaw dropped when they told me yes. How can we beat people down harder when they could possible have the illness, I originally thought to myself. Then I started having employees calling in saying they had COVID symptoms and I'd later be told that they were posting snaps of themselves drinking or doing other various activities and I started to feel less bad. It really is a bummer that employees like that ruin it for everyone else. I think if my employee ended up with a positive case I would "Accidentally" forget to count it but even that's still not very fair. I have employees at risk of being fired because they are on their last strikes and I feel bad but then again they had ridiculous call ins to even get to that point so it's damned if you do, damned if you don't. I can't wait for this whole COVID garbage to be done.

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

21 minutes ago, buckchaser10 said:

When I called HR to determine if my employees who are kept off for COVID symptoms received an occurrence my jaw dropped when they told me yes. How can we beat people down harder when they could possible have the illness, I originally thought to myself. Then I started having employees calling in saying they had COVID symptoms and I'd later be told that they were posting snaps of themselves drinking or doing other various activities and I started to feel less bad. It really is a bummer that employees like that ruin it for everyone else. I think if my employee ended up with a positive case I would "Accidentally" forget to count it but even that's still not very fair. I have employees at risk of being fired because they are on their last strikes and I feel bad but then again they had ridiculous call ins to even get to that point so it's damned if you do, damned if you don't. I can't wait for this whole COVID garbage to be done.

So just screw em, huh? Even if it’s legitimate? You ever think that people call off for bogus reasons, drink and “do other various activities” because time and time again they deal with trickle down BS from management and administrators?

Ridiculous policy procedures and the constant demand to work more with less is enough to drive ANY nurse to drink. Nurses are ***ing emotionally bankrupt right now because of the previous decade or so of mistreatment and stupid policies and procedures that are made up by some suit somewhere so disconnected from the actual patient care. Then you have the gall to say stuff like that?

Get out of here. The fact that you’re attempting to justify an ABSURD policy about covid absences by using past call-ins as an example (WELLLLL they wouldn’t be in this position IF) is freaking insanity.

[buckchaser10]

12 minutes ago, jollydogg_RN said:

So just screw em, huh? Even if it’s legitimate? You ever think that people call off for bogus reasons, drink and “do other various activities” because time and time again they deal with trickle down BS from management and administrators?

Ridiculous policy procedures and the constant demand to work more with less is enough to drive ANY nurse to drink. Nurses are ***ing emotionally bankrupt right now because of the previous decade or so of mistreatment and stupid policies and procedures that are made up by some suit somewhere so disconnected from the actual patient care. Then you have the gall to say stuff like that?

Get out of here. The fact that you’re attempting to justify an ABSURD policy about covid absences by using past call-ins as an example (WELLLLL they wouldn’t be in this position IF) is freaking insanity.

Uff da, I don't disagree with you. I literally said legitimate is not a strike from me and many others. I do not want COVID outbreaks between employees or with my patients because an employee felt the need to come in while sick. Often times policies and procedures are created by people who have no idea. They fail to see a patient and only see dollar signs. I also know that rural healthcare systems are literally within weeks of shutting down due to having to eliminate profit making services (elective surgery, imaging, lab, etc) to preserve supplies. The money is more important now than it has been in a long time. We are literally at near collapse. These suits while annoying on an average day are actually earning their money at this moment.

Finally, I will not apologize for disciplining employees who call out for absurd reasons and screw their coworkers over. This is not the time to be doing that.

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

6 minutes ago, buckchaser10 said:

Uff da, I don't disagree with you. I literally said legitimate is not a strike from me and many others. I do not want COVID outbreaks between employees or with my patients because an employee felt the need to come in while sick. Often times policies and procedures are created by people who have no idea. They fail to see a patient and only see dollar signs. I also know that rural healthcare systems are literally within weeks of shutting down due to having to eliminate profit making services (elective surgery, imaging, lab, etc) to preserve supplies. The money is more important now than it has been in a long time. We are literally at near collapse. These suits while annoying on an average day are actually earning their money at this moment.

Finally, I will not apologize for disciplining employees who call out for absurd reasons and screw their coworkers over. This is not the time to be doing that.

And that’s your problem. People still focused on punishing who they can because it’s easier to take action in that regard than to take the difficult action and stand up for employees, even if it makes them unpopular with superiors.

If a persons previous action (late occurrences) have absolutely NOTHING to do with them being forced to quarantine currently and causing a possible termination, and you’re FINDING YOURSELF MAKING JUSTIFICATIONS for that disciplinary action against that employee, then YOU are the problem.

[TriciaJ, RN]

On 3/28/2020 at 4:25 PM, DeaneB246 said:

Unions for nurses are certainly not everywhere. I know nurses who got in serious hot water fro trying to bring a union to south La years ago.

But that’s not exactly what I had in mind.

Yes, employers hate unions. They will retaliate against anyone who is trying to form one. But they are urgently needed by any nurses who don't currently have a union.

Hospital management seems to be getting more dirt-baggy all the time. The current pandemic would be a golden opportunity for them to show their support. But no, they want to see how low they can go.

Nurses need to use this situation as a wakeup call and seriously rethink what we're willing to tolerate going forward.

[TriciaJ, RN]

On 3/28/2020 at 6:13 PM, rnpatrick said:

It took Covid to get the world, media and lawyers to notice we exist. The cavalry is on the way. Keep your eye on the news and watch those administrators have to change their drawers.

I'm afraid the minute things start winding down the cavalry will turn around and go home. Nurses have to get better at being their own cavalry. Now and forever.

[TriciaJ, RN]

On 3/29/2020 at 4:46 AM, LC0929 said:

Thank you so much. As the Mom of an addicted daughter, besides being an RN, my heart is broken. I just wanted to be part of the solution.

Sometimes being part of the solution is to quit enabling a sick, broken system. Just like family members of addicts get drawn into enabling, your "family" of coworkers are doing the same thing.

If anything bad happens on your watch it will be your fault. When defending yourself on the witness stand you will be asked to whom you reported your concerns. I would not return to that building. I would find a new job asap. Good luck to you.

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

3 hours ago, TriciaJ said:

I'm afraid the minute things start winding down the cavalry will turn around and go home. Nurses have to get better at being their own cavalry. Now and forever.

Exactly this. That you for reiterating. I tell everyone that the rational side of me thinks business will go back to usual once this settles down slightly and they will give us two pizza parties instead of one, but I sincerely hope not. I hope this brings about some lasting change.

[guest1137738]

Sounds like a lawsuit. I would fight it. If fired, file employment. Seems like you already gave COVID. Might as well get into travel nursing. Go make some real money in New York.

[Stephanie Hoden]

You should look into the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. They can’t do this to you based on this new act. They have to give you sick pay and they can’t reprimand you.

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

8 minutes ago, Stephanie Hoden said:

You should look into the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. They can’t do this to you based on this new act. They have to give you sick pay and they can’t reprimand you.

“But an occurrence isn’t disciplinary or a reprimand” ????