Scrub tech breaking scrub without permission

[nmred]

I recently had an altercation with a CST in which s/he provoked, and admitted provoking, a response from me (the circulator). The surgeon reprimanded her/him for the behavior. S/He broke scrub and exited the room without mine or the surgeons permission. The hospital is saying that s/he had permission to leave the OR from another ST who was in the room as an assistant, not to relieve her/him. The hospital has placed me on administrative leave saying I provoked the incident. They are investigating me. The CST is still working. Apparently no one is collaborating my statement. Any thoughts?

[Mr. & Mrs. RN]

Well explain how you reacted. Did they put the patient at risk, fail to count instruments? That's all can think of that might help you.

[Argo]

I say you accept fault for provoking the situation, you already admit to it. If everyone else in the room saw it one way, and you saw it another, then I would just accept fault and move on. Appoligize, swallow a litle pride and keep your job/career intact. Unfortunately they might be looking for a reason to get ride of you...... if you know that isnt the case then just move forward.

[nmred]

S/He threw an object at me. I called him a perjorative. Questionable: the pt at risk. I am not accountable for her/his behavior. Abuse, verbal or physical, is never acceptable.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

S/He threw an object at me. I called him a perjorative. Questionable: the pt at risk. I am not accountable for her/his behavior. Abuse, verbal or physical, is never acceptable.

First off, the tech was wrong in throwing an object at you-this is unacceptable from anyone, surgeon or tech. They also should not be breaking scrub-although if there was another tech there, it might be hard to pursue this.

Are you union? If so, bring this to them. You said the people in the room aren't backing you-did they not say anything about the tech throwing something at you? Sounds like you are in a bad work environment..some places are bad about reining in abusive staff.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

What does the surgeon say? Did you write an incident report at the time or report to your boss?

[morte, LPN, LVN]

if you can get the surgeon to back you , this should be a no brainer.....and if the surgeon will back you a criminal charge of assault against the tech could be done as well

[nmred]

Not a union hospital. Apparently, everything/everyone has confirmed my statement. I'm being punished and s/he's been let off the hook. National Standards: S/He is directly responsible to the surgeon. MD said stay, s/he walked.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Not a union hospital. Apparently, everything/everyone has confirmed my statement. I'm being punished and s/he's been let off the hook. National Standards: S/He is directly responsible to the surgeon. MD said stay, s/he walked.

i am not getting it......who is punishing you? and why is the surgeon letting the tech off? is there a covert relationship between the tech and the surgeon? if this is your immediated sup. that is censuring you, i might check in with HR.

[Argo]

First the weren't backing your statement but now they are? This change in statement makes everything different in my eyes. If they are backing your statement, get it in writing, have them sign it and Take it to human resources, your management has no control over what they do to the tech and will be much more brutal.

[nmred]

Met with HR, everyone/everything backs my statement except the individual getting permission to leave the room. HR and my supervisor are mandating I receive counciling for calling this disruptive individual a perjorative. In the mean time, s/he is STILL working. They (upper management) state "One Tech may tell another Tech to break scrub and leave the room". According to State and National standards the Surgeon is the immediate supervisor. The point is...this individual in question is not being held accountable.

[SandraCVRN]

So the bottom line is someone threw something at you and called them a @#$#@#$. And you are the one in trouble..... I would drop the leaving the room part and concentrate on the getting something thrown at me part. I was in the core one day when someone was ****** about their assignment and they flung a casket cover down the core missed me by a foot, but I still turned them in.... throwing is NOT acceptable period.....

Reacting by calling someone a bad name to getting something thrown at you is not a reason to get in trouble.

If they left after this incedent I wouldn't worry to much about the breaking scrub part as long as there was someone else covering.

My only concern was the title of the thread, ??? permission part ????? thought this might be by a newbie RN that thinks they are hot stuff. IMHO