suspended until further notice

chloecatrn · Sep 17, 2010

Is internet usage restricted for nurses at your place of employment?

Secondly, don't let them have the opportunity to terminate you. If this looks like it's heading nowhere good fast, resign.

Thirdly, you weren't writing orders or anything equally stupid, right? The doc who didn't log out of the computer system is partially to blame. You should've known not to use the internet if you're not allowed, but the doc also should be aware that logging out after each computer use is expected.

GilaRRT · Sep 17, 2010

Shut up and lawyer up is my advice. That means no more posting on internet forums. That also implies you will not reply to this thread. Good luck.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2010

Ok, I know what I did was not right and I am not here to get flamed about it but just asking for advice.
Here is what happened. I work nights 7p-7a. It is really busy until about 2 am. There are some computers at the nurse station where doctors leave their passwords up and it logs you onto the internet. No personal info, just logs onto yahoo.com or google.com. Many nights nurses log on to check email, shop whatever. Well, last week a certain nurse saw that I was logged on looking at the internet and she decided to inform the nurse manager and everyone up the food chain. I will state that this is in a right to work state.
I was called in the next day and asked if it was true that I had used the internet. I told them "yes" I had. However, I never take smoke breaks of dinner breaks, I just look at the news on the internet, mostly allnurses.com However, I did not mention that anyone else had used it as well. Almost everyone on the floor has used it. Now they are pulling an internet usage report. The problem is all these different sites are going to come up that everyone else has looked at and I know which sites that were mine. It is going to look like it was me who looked at all those sites. They were supposed to call me today to let me know if I was suspended indefinately or if I have a job. BUT no one called me. Finally, I felt like I had to know one way or the other (so I could have closure and start looking for another job ). I called them and they returned my call but left a message on my answer machine not to come in next week and they will let me know end of week what the status is? What do y'all think. I know I made a mistake but I have never done anything wrong before and I have a good record. I get along with everyone and really like the unit. What do you think? What would you do? I am really concerned!
They also told me it is criminal to look up items on the internet since it was under a doctors password. Can they take my license??

I can tell you now, that they cannot take your license and it was not a criminal act. The physician is equally to blame for not logging out after they walked away from the computer.

Using the internet had nothing to do with how you practice as a nurse.

Right now, some idiot in management is trying to scare you and use you as an example. You may lose your job, you may not...but you are being a scapegoat, not doubt.

As a former manager for another company who has personally had to terminate employees for internet usage...people, you need to HEED the policies of your facility.

You can never use, "everyone else does it" as a defense....ever.

Now with that said, let me tell you how IT systems in every company works.

They have the ability to know which physicians are logged in and which ones are not. So no, just because they pull up an internet usage report doesn't mean that every usage is going to be linked to you. They know, page by page, minute by minute, click by click, what was accessed and who was logged in when.

However, I have seen more people lose jobs over the internet. It's crazy...they never think it will happen to them, but every company has an internet usage policy that you sign when you get hired and nobody pays attention to it....but they need to for this very reason.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2010

Is internet usage restricted for nurses at your place of employment?
Secondly, don't let them have the opportunity to terminate you. If this looks like it's heading nowhere good fast, resign.
Thirdly, you weren't writing orders or anything equally stupid, right? The doc who didn't log out of the computer system is partially to blame. You should've known not to use the internet if you're not allowed, but the doc also should be aware that logging out after each computer use is expected.

She should not resign for two reasons:

1. She cannot collect unemployment. You CAN collect unemployment if you are fired from a job...the exact reason is very, very important.

2. They may not terminate her (and most likely will not) then she would have quit her job for nothing.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2010

Hmmm...this is a toughie. My husband just fired someone today for that very reason. However, his assistant was on the internet downloading iTunes the whole day instead of doing his work. My husband obtained a chart from the cable company that supplies internet capabilities that showed his assistant's personal usage.

If you were logged on the internet under someone else's name, then yes, you were wrong to do this. But I can't really tell from your message if you were or not. If the hospital that you work for allows internet access freely, then you can't really be held accountable for all of the sites accessed.

If your work is good, and you are meeting the obligations set forth in your job description AND if you are not violating any rules in regards to internet usage, then you should be ok.

One word of advice: if you resign, then you cannot obtain unemployment. I am pretty sure that this rule is still in existence, as a dear friend of mine was pink-slipped from a hotel that she worked for because of budget cuts. If anyone knows differently, comments are welcome!

chloecatrn · Sep 17, 2010

I definitely understand the resign vs. collect unemployment quandary. My suggestion to resign was based on the fact that virtually every job application asks if you have ever been terminated, and then you have to explain the termination in an interview. With the market as complicated as it is, if a facility has the choice of picking someone who was terminated for violating a previous employer's policy, or someone who's never been terminated, I would think that they would be more likely to choose the latter.

Additionally, in most states, you cannot collect unemployment for willful misconduct. This means that if OP knew that she was not allowed to be accessing the Internet, and she chose to do so anyway in violation of her facility's policies and procedures, she may not be eligible for unemployment. It is certainly the case in my state.

OCNRN63, RN · Sep 17, 2010

Shut up and lawyer up is my advice. That means no more posting on internet forums. That also implies you will not reply to this thread. Good luck.

Exactly. Don't think for one second employers don't look at this site. Your case would be recognized in a New York minute.

netglow, ASN, RN · Sep 17, 2010

Exactly. Don't think for one second employers don't look at this site. Your case would be recognized in a New York minute.

YUP, OP, since you've got some advice and no further advice will give more options, you should contact admin and have this thread deleted...

leslie :-D · Sep 17, 2010

YUP, OP, since you've got some advice and no further advice will give more options, you should contact admin and have this thread deleted...

as the op, you do have the right to have this thread closed.

something to consider, for sure.

i hope everything works out for you.

leslie

Bella'sMyBaby · Sep 18, 2010

If other staff use the Internet at work, then the facility cannot single you out!! Perhaps you need a Labor Relations Lawyer.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2010

Surfing the internet, even on work time, is not yet a crime.