Sent STUPID email "joke": what now?

[Zuzu's Petals]

First off, here's a quick rule for work emails: do NOT put any names in the "to" field/leave it entirely blank until you're absolutely positively sure you want to send it, and THEN address it.

I failed on my own general rule with that. I wrote a long "joke" email to a doc that had been an ongoing issue with us for a bit---a good-natured thing. It was a "joke taken to its illogical conclusion". As fun as that was to chat about, I'd been drinking some wine while writing it, so decided it was best to leave that email alone and go to bed.

HOWEVER, it was in my "drafts" folder. Long story short, next day I'd been trying to finish up all kinds of things before my vacation started, and THAT STUPID EMAIL ENDED UP GETTING SENT along with the necessary others. As in, to a HUGE portion of our dept docs. Next thing I know, my mgr is texting me with, essentially, "WOW!" comments, and "I've spent my morning apologizing, suggest you do as well, and WHAT is your [damage control plan]?"

(This was my first notification that this stupid joke email WENT OUT.)

I spoke with the doc who was the intended recipient/whom I'd been joking around with (knows it was an ongoing joke/extension but who was horrified that it went out to a bunch of other docs--"I mean, people get FIRED for this kind of thing!")

I spoke with the medical director of our dept, who made the very salient comments about "you can't control where these electronic things go, or how they'll be viewed or received". Now I'm slightly living in fear that my "funny" email will end up all over the frigging internet, with my name VERY clearly attached. (It really wasn't that funny, very much an inside joke, so I can't say this bit is keeping me up at night. BUT STILL, what a horrid thought!)

I spoke with the director of our entire area, who understood the whole background/joke of the entire thing (we even had a wee laugh about the background of it) but was also very clear about making sure "any future emails are kept professional". She told me that she felt it was adequate that I had spoken with the two docs previously mentioned, as well as my own mgr.

I'd asked my mgr to call me when able...that didn't happen. And now I'm technically on vacation for several weeks. (This all happened during my last day before vacation.)

Honestly, I'm wondering if my manager didn't call because he's working up a "you're fired" case. I know he has a huge amount of other current big projects going on, but don't know if he's just busying writing things up so that he can properly/legally fire me.

#1--I'm in a position that is not readily replaced

#2--don't trust corporate drones: bad Yelp review? You're gone.

#3--know I was a complete idiot with this "joke" that went over like a lead balloon, AND which was never intended to be sent without further editing

#4--strong union here, but don't think they've anything for me if someone high up decides to fire me (basically unprofessional email).

While "unprofessional email" really doesn't seem a good reason to fire a nurse, I certainly know it can be deemed so. Lord knows, anything that garners negative press these days means your employer "MUST" fire you, lest they be seen as agreeing with your actions.

So I'm currently both grateful for AND hating my vacation right now, primarily because I've not spoken with my mgr/didn't return my call, and now he probably "shouldn't" as I'm on vacation. Feel as though I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Wondering if I should be spending my time off looking for another job, in the event I go back to a corporate firing.

SO: let this stupidity be a lesson for you, and do NOT do what I did!

ALSO: any words of wisdom that anyone might care to share?

-Zuzu's Petals

[Golden_RN, MSN]

Not that this will help you now, but your email may have a "recall" function to delete an email that you sent out.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

1. Apologize to the parties involved. This does NOT mean a blast e-mail sent out to everyone. Make amends to whoever was directly impacted by the message (recipient, whoever you were talking about, etc.). And of course, your superiors.

2. If someone not directly involved brings up the e-mail, don't start with the self-flagellation. Acknowledge you goofed but don't make a big production about it. Treat it like it not that's big of a deal. Note: I'm not downplaying the error of the OP's ways in any way. But the more of a deal the OP makes of it, the more of a deal the peanut gallery will make of it.

3. Cease drinking alcohol while writing work e-mails. Never a good idea.

4. If your email account offers a recall or undo before sending feature, activate it for the future.

5. Consider that ANY email you send has the potential to be seen by all (as you found out the hard way), and let that guide you when writing and sending future emails. So save the jokes for your personal e-mail or for in person.

6. And last, unless it's a critical e-mail, don't send your message right away. Sit on the draft. Come back to it in a few, reread it, and make edits as needed. And then sit on it and do it again. And if at the third time you read it, you're happy with the message, then hit Send. This will help stop you from sending things in the heat of the moment that can be inappropriate/easily misconstrued/better sent another time/etc.

While there's no guarantees, more than likely this will all blow over and be forgotten. Some other incident will come along to catch everyone's attention. So don't beat yourself up too much over it...but do learn from the mistake.

Best of luck.

[HomeBound]

Sorry this happened. It's cringe worthy--I know.

I did have a colleague or two from a major Level 1 send out "jokes" about then-president-elect-Barack Obama via hospital email. I received them, I didn't send them. Think all of the stereotypical and obnoxiously racist ideas---and you get the gyst. Including one that "proved" he was the AntiChrist.

However---since I lived in the South---and this facility wasn't exactly known for it's "tolerance and diversity"---the emails were just deleted and the issue ignored.

The other way I know---is that I accidentally recorded a conversation between me and my bestie---about someone in my life. I was profoundly unhappy and was venting/confiding in this person, but unbeknownst to BOTH of us---the convo was recorded. I inadvertently handed the recording (it's complicated how the situation evolved) to the person about whom I was venting.

Suffice it to say---at the time, the issue was life altering. After years of dealing with the fallout---I can say it was the best thing that happened, but the thing is---watch what you say.

My mom always told me..."Never say or do anything that you don't want to explain in open court." This incident almost went that way.

[Mergirlc, MSN, APRN, NP]

"Say it, forget it....write it, regret it"

Perhaps next time just keep the joke/convo to actual in-person interactions?

[Davey Do]

On 5/13/2019 at 7:57 AM, Zuzu's Petals said:

do NOT put any names in the "to" field/leave it entirely blank until you're absolutely positively sure you want to send it, and THEN address it.

I do the same sort of thing you do, Zuzu- say what I really feel in an email and then edit it for appropriateness before it's addressed and sent.

However, I put fictitious names in the email and address it to myself.

I do the same with my journals at work. I have inadvertently left journals at work with cartoons and narratives.

My disclaimer is, basically, "All persons and places mentioned in my works are totally the creation of the artist/author and any similarity to any individual living or dead or place named is purely coincidental." Something like that.

Good luck to you, Zuzu!

[Leader25, ASN, BSN, RN]

On 5/13/2019 at 8:57 AM, Zuzu's Petals said:

4--strong union here, but don't think they've anything for me if someone high up decides to fire me (basically unprofessional email)

Basically you must have had a meeting with union rep/ you and management/anm and a plan for discipline discussed.

.Then depending on the decision leave you in probation limbo,etc,

Good luck

[Zuzu's Petals, BSN]

Quote

Basically you must have had a meeting with union rep/ you and management/anm and a plan for discipline discussed.

.Then depending on the decision leave you in probation limbo,etc,

Leader25: Nope. No meetings, no union discussions, no discipline discussed. Not sure where you pulled those conclusions from, but---no.

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

This is also an excellent resource for making your apologies really hit, and be less cringeworthy.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201311/the-five-ingredients-effective-apology%3famp

Seriously they should teach this in school.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Well that's an oops! moment. Hopefully since you already addressed the error and apologized to the people involved it will just end up being an embarrassing moment. I'm thinking that might depend on the actual content of the email though. I'm not asking what the inside joke was, but if it involved names or politically charged content that could complicate matters.

[JKL33]

3 hours ago, Zuzu's Petals said:

Leader25: Nope. No meetings, no union discussions, no discipline discussed. Not sure where you pulled those conclusions from, but---no.

I would think the poster was simply describing the general process that would most likely take place leading up to any potential termination?