Sex in the workplace.....what do YOU think should be done?

Nurses Relations

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Recently, at our small community hospital, the only hospitalist on the 7p-7a shift wasn't answering his pager when a CCU nurse was looking for him about a patient. After several attempts to reach him, she went looking for him, thinking he might be sleeping(that's allowed) Upon hearing voices behind the sleep room door, she summoned the Nsg supervisor, who found the door to be locked. She in turn got a maintenance man to unlock the door. Behind the door, she found quite a sight. The hospitalist and an off duty nurse. She was naked, he scrambling for his clothes. Both are married--not to each other.

She was given a mere 2 days suspension. He works for a physicians group that staffs hospitals, and we have not seen him since.

She has worked for the hospital for many years. What do YOU think should happen to her?

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
That was never an issue in this situation as the couple was in a LOCKED physician on call room. Had the CCU nurse, nursing supervisor, and maintenance man simply KNOCKED on the door, no one would have walked in on any sex act. Seeing that they never attempted to knock or call out, it would seem to me that they found EXACTLY what they were hoping to see.
Regardless, as an employee, I should be allowed to demand a professional work environment without being chastised and told I need counseling or that I am "weird." I think you've missed that point. But by all means, go ahead and have sex on the premises but don't get ***** if someone decides to report you and have your job lost. If you are not willing to face the potential consequences, then don't have sex in the work place. Simple as that...

Grownuprosie -

>>>"We have all been in the position with a partner when you make poor choices because it is exciting."

I have; and its delicious:D, though not in my place of employment.

Naw G --- sorry to tell you, there are LOTS of what might be called by some, dysfunctional people in our society who have never, and would never do any of their freak in a public place as they hide the fact that they have any freak going on -- believe me.

Of course they do have it going on in some aspect, somehow. But being honest about it, now thats another story for another time and space. And part of their freak is judgementalism. Thats a different thing from 'discernment', which is what most functional adults utilize in their life.

Regardless, as an employee, I should be allowed to demand a professional work environment without being chastised and told I need counseling or that I am "weird." I think you've missed that point. But by all means, go ahead and have sex on the premises but don't get ***** if someone decides to report you and have your job lost. If you are not willing to face the potential consequences, then don't have sex in the work place. Simple as that...

I never addressed you as weird, so take it up with that person. I only pointed out the fallacy of your argument in this context. Secondly, I have no desire to have sex at work, so no need to warn me about consequences.

Thirdly, if you were a nurse in this situation, your "work environment" would not have been affected. You would have known nothing about this. No one would have known about it had not a couple of nurses LOOKING for a juicy story and with a hall monitor mentality not gone out of their way to catch this couple. NO attempt was made to get their attention without exposing the whole situation and providing fodder for a bunch of gossiping, judgmental, and hypercritical coworkers. Their actions reveal zero concern for patient welfare and simply a willful desire to create scandal and drama.

As I said earlier, I do not have to think that the doctor and nurse were right in order to find the actions of the others very WRONG.

Specializes in Operating Room.

I'm conflicted about this..On the one hand, it's not like they were having sex in front of patients. However, I think the doc should be reprimanded for ignoring pages. I've been on call and had a cell phone die on me. I still got talked to about not calling back in a timely manner. If you are on call, there needs to be an expectation that they can reach you in a timely fashion.They were in a call room, but that's still hospital property, meaning you don't have freedom to do whatever you want in there. This should be common sense. And personally, I'm no cheap date. The nurse should have had more self respect. This does go on a lot, unfortunately. Lots of nurses and docs who think they're stillin college apparently, what with the sleeping around and drinking. Oh well, at least the aftermath is entertaining. Hilarious to see the fallout sometimes. There's a good reason why soap opera's often take place in hospitals,lolMy feeling is this...yes, you are consenting adults but use some common sense. Actions have consequences.

Specializes in Operating Room.

It is kind of weird how people are defending Dr Stupid and Nurse Nympho, yet pointing fingers at the nurse who found them. Really, I would have done the same thing. I have no sympathy for stupid, nor do I have respect for someone who1) cheats on their spouse and 2) can't control their needs until they're in a more suitable environment. Shoot, I think she should have gotten some pictures, sent a copy to the respective spouses of the guilty parties and then posted them in the cafeteria..

Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.

Not really that big of a deal. But they should have knocked on the door first. With that said-

A. It's not like he was banging a pt in their room

B wasn't banging a nurse in a pt room

C he's prolly a walking std

D the really drama will unfold between their 2 spouses lolol

Personally, the thing that shocks me the most about this story are the responses from the veterans saying this thing happens a lot. I guess I was very naive, because I never knew this kind of thing was happening on hospital premises ever, much less "all the time." Now, more often I hear about doctors having affairs with their office nurses, because they actually see them much more than we did. Our doctors rounded in the mornings, and maybe you'd see them later in the day if someone was in trouble, but I never saw most docs for more than a few minutes a week. Hardly enough time to develop a relationship that went beyond simple pleasantries.

Specializes in critical care.

I agree with and love everything BlueDevil has posted. Too many to quote, so I'll leave it at that.

I think if we were to prioritize the wrongness of offenses, doc should have answered his pages, and the nurse looking for him should NOT have opened that door. She clearly heard noises right? I don't know about you, but I know what sex sounds like. She knew what was behind that door.

Beyond that, I see nothing wrong. Who's to say they don't have an open marriage? It's a lot more common than people think! And they LOCKED the door. They tried to be private about it. I see nothing wrong with what they did, except him ignoring the pager.

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
that hospitalist is over 60 and prior to becoming a hospitalist he was a gp in this community for years. and a nasty self centered ass. what attracted her to him, most of us cannot figure out.

i'm not sure if you're aware of it, but this post makes you sound spiteful.

why did you leave your patient? i think you had some options. overhead page. is there not a phone in the on-call room? couldn't you have sent an aide or a tech if you really needed to hunt him down? sorry, but i personally cannot see the sense in leaving a patient who needed urgent care so you could go on a mission to track down the doctor. why didn't you just have him bomb-paged?

sorry, but your follow-up posts sound like you have personal issues with this doctor and nurse. who cares how old either of them are? people of all ages make dumb decisions.

Yup. I stand by my previous post. The ccu nurse had an axe to grind. We, each, are responsible for our own behavior. "the morality police", strikes me as very medival/talibanish. You don't have to associate with them, in any way. Unless their behavior impinges on your rights/world, it is NOT YOUR BUSINESS.

I agree with and love everything BlueDevil has posted. Too many to quote, so I'll leave it at that.

I think if we were to prioritize the wrongness of offenses, doc should have answered his pages, and the nurse looking for him should NOT have opened that door. She clearly heard noises right? I don't know about you, but I know what sex sounds like. She knew what was behind that door.

Beyond that, I see nothing wrong. Who's to say they don't have an open marriage? It's a lot more common than people think! And they LOCKED the door. They tried to be private about it. I see nothing wrong with what they did, except him ignoring the pager.

Specializes in MS, OB, PEDI, VNA, TELEM.
It is kind of weird how people are defending Dr Stupid and Nurse Nympho, yet pointing fingers at the nurse who found them. Really, I would have done the same thing. I have no sympathy for stupid, nor do I have respect for someone who1) cheats on their spouse and 2) can't control their needs until they're in a more suitable environment. Shoot, I think she should have gotten some pictures, sent a copy to the respective spouses of the guilty parties and then posted them in the cafeteria..
That's what i said. Geez didn't they think to bring their camera phone? Maybe they did and I just don't know it.:kiss
That's what i said. Geez didn't they think to bring their camera phone? Maybe they did and I just don't know it.:kiss

I'm sure with the way the rumor mill is fired up where you work, you'd sure know it if it happened.

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