Suspended for not doing as nursing super ordered

[ED_Bound]

I was told to sign off on my patients & go home & not return tomorrow (today) & call HR on Monday. Here's a little on what lead to this. One of my pts was a Q15 while she waited for a bed at a rehab. She overdosed at home which brought her to the hosp for the 4th time. She was agitated from go & was having tantrums throughout the day. Whatever. Her husband comes in mid afternoon with a black heavy duty landscape bag & a shoulder tote full of personal belongings. Due to the fact that she's a q15 on a Med-Surg floor I told him she cannot have it bring it home. She pitches yet another fit & states she's keeping it, which she does, & her husband leaves. She starts squirreling stuff away throughout her side of the room. I'm watching all this as I'm calling for my supervisor. Long story short, supervisor says she can keep all her belongings, just not in her room. The kicker is, I have to check in all these belongings that I said she couldn't have...make-up, perfume, jewelry, toiletries, & a weeks worth of a high-maintenance wardrobe. I flat out refused.

A little back ground on this supervisor...he had/has a habit or bullying. He was managing a unit that basically stood up & had him resign. Yes he's that bad. So in the place I work, that entitles a promotion. Whatever.

I, like most, have had issues with him in the past as well but haven't written him up...just verbally vented to co-workers.

I don't feel I was wrong in trying to maintain a safe & secure environment. There is no room to store her possessions & when you're in a hospital you wear a gown & scrub bottoms when appropriate. He reinforced to her that I don't matter & she can do what she wants. (btw he did that to another pt that told me to suck his ____ while calling me the 'C' word & told me he'd see me in the streets....super did nothing again of course....well no, he reinforced it was ok by not taking action, so yes, he did do something)

I have a call out to a union rep regarding the matter but I would like some feedback from you guys too.

[Katie5]

Checked in the belongings. Lose the batle, win the war kind of thing. It seems you were more offended that he let her keep after you specifically told her she couldn't. Shrugs* he's super, I would do it and then corner him later and speak about it, when I'm much calmer.

Except if I totally don't care at all, then forget it. Mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

[danh3190]

Sounds like you hate your working conditions so losing your job wouldn't be that bad a thing. Only thing is to find a way that you can resign rather than be fired. Also make sure that any references they write are neutral, e.g. time of employment, resigned.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I'm sorry this happened to you, but unfortunately by refusing the supervisor they can discipline you for being insubordinate.

In my hospital we don't have 15 minute checks. If it comes to that (suicidal) we must have a sitter. Also the nursing aid could go thru the belongings and document this (of course very common for the CNA's to skip this unless you take them by the hand or do it yourself). Also security goes thru anything valuable and records this if they are safekeeping things, which also makes your job easier.

I understand your frustration with being pulled in too many directions at once and that you felt you didn't have the time to go thru the belongings, and then if you try to delegate and get a CNA to do it instead all you get is a lot of excuses.

Everything being thrown at the nurse today gets very frustrating and time consuming. When the housekeeper and CNA and secretary refuse to do their job or simply are not available, it falls to us. Then your the "bad guy" for expecting them to do their jobs, when the bottom line is they can't do your job, and you are doing your job and then some.

This is another issue with nursing. Best you can do is say nothing more, hope for the best and talk to the union and hopefully things will work out. Best of luck to you!

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

The problem with my facility is....the nurse is the last to know. Policy is good for the moment. Everything is flexible. Smoking is okay for the cop in his own room but not okay for the drug addict that is sharing a room. I have to assume if the addict had his own room it would be okay for him too? New rules show up in the bathroom. No joke. While you sit & do your business you can read all about it. They threaten suspension to all when the upper eschilon has messed something up. Weapons are okay to have as long as you don't threaten anyone. When you do, you get your own room. Again, no joke. I work at a facility that caters to the system abusing population. I along with my co-workers, pay them for their abuse. My immediate manager doesn't tolerate us being abused but unfortunately she's not there 24/7. The union isn't welcome on the floors so they can't really see what we deal with & we honestly don't know he rules or our rights. We are all lost & ask one another what is okay & honestly wing it. And as far as this last incident...the super went through her stuff with security & theneft it in her room. They didn't check to see what & where she stashed stuff. And our security is a complete joke as well. They don't even look up from their phone orlaptop to see who's comin or going. Anyone can come at any time & never be acknowledged. I had a guy storm in to kick my butt because the doc took away his drug addict wife's iv diludid away & made it po. All I can say is that I would have never thought nursing meant abuse. It's very disheartening after a year & a half to want out. But I guess it's no surprise when I hear nurses that have been there for years that they would leave too if it wasn't so close to home.... And I wonder if it's just the hospital I work or is it like this everywhere???? It's my first and only job as a RN (18ish months)

Unfortunately the threat of violence is very real, especially in the emergency room and psyche ward; but it happens everywhere else as well. That said some hospitals are more proactive and take more security measures to safeguard their staff, usually after someone is hurt in an attack. I would say especially big city hospitals have more safety protocols as they are aware of the risks.

The union should be made aware of these issues and hopefully they will step in to do something to protect the staff. You said people could keep "weapons"? I must not have read that right because that makes absolutely no sense to me. How are weapons ok?

As far as the "bathroom news" they do it by us to as we are a "captive" audience, so to speak!

Threatening suspension yes they do it by us as well even if your late with some small education requirements (never ending) you will get a certified letter from our educator aka chief petty disciplinarian threatening the same up to termination. Never mind they don't have enough staff and will call you on a daily basis. What a joke!

If you don't have your TB test done or whatever you will be unable to work. Hey it might be the only chance you get to take a vacation and have some time off from there...very tempting, haha.

I'd say you work at the same place I do (lol), but we are not stupid enough to let people keep weapons on them! Is that really true?

[ED_Bound]

Sure is true! It's recommended all possesions be sent home with a family member or locked in a safe by security. Very few take advantage of this & items are lost/stolen all the time. We had a fella with a pen knife in his possession that his psyc room mate stole & threatened him with.....so the knife was not returned to the owner & the other guy was moved to a private room right next to where he was moved from. I'm at the point where I just want to safely collect my paycheck & not have patients threaten me or those that are there for real help.

[redge03]

Hard to know exactly what to do. . . . I would have checked in the belongings, documented my conversation with the supervisor in my nursing notes and discussed the incident with my immediate manager on Monday. Sometimes descretion is the better part of valor.

Hope everything works out for you.

OK , so I may be wrong since I work in LTC. I agree with everything that Laurie52 said except documenting the conversation in the nurses notes. I would have documented in my notes the situation with hubby bringing in belongings and informed/educated pt and spouse of policy. Then I would have put that pt and spouse refuse, supervisor XXX contacted and informed at this time. That puts the responsiblity on your supervisor if they would say you didn't follow policy. If your 'beef' is with the supervisor, venting in the NN might do nothing but make things worse for you. Your supervisor should always follow p&p and have your back. A lot of times they don't. Write down on a separate sheet of paper your conversation with your supervisor, while it is fresh, call or leave a copy for your manager. Make sure you keep your copy. Other than that Laurie was right on. Best of luck!

[kcmylorn]

I agree with Esme on lessons learned and how to handle that super or any future ones like him. They are the supervisor- but that doesn't mean they are always right! or know everything.(please repeat that to your self 100 times) You must respect their position aka their rank. Next time do as instructed by what ever a boob they maybe- and believe me there are plenty out there. This is where you have to take the high road- know your policies( repeat that 100 times) Even if they tell you against the policy- do not argue,just document in the chart and then for yourself to CYA, then go about your business and tell your manager the next chance you get. This let's your manager know the policy is known by you-, not known by the super(not your job to dicipline or teach things to) but that the supervisor is misinformed on Behavioral health saftey issues on a med/surg unit- yes they do have such an animal/policy- I believe it is a state reg. I will tell you a little personal exerience with a similar patient. The urban hospital I used to work at has these kinds of patients ALL the time. I was fortunate to have a supervisor who has been a psych nurse and supervisor in a psych hospital. We had a patient- a heroin OD( many of our patients were), has the 1:1, visitors came in bringing in toilettres(sp?). after the visitors left(mom and girlfriend) the pt went into the bathroom, door closed, took a shower, came out and minutes later the 1;1 and new RN screamed for help, We called a code, pt was unable to be aroused. Pt had shot up in the bathroom. pt went to ICU and was vented. Nursing supervisor 2 of us RN's and security TORE that room apart-bed linen, mattress, bedrails, all personal effects were turned inside out. we were told to leave no crack unchecked. The super was peed. Our policy from that night on was in full force with all patient's and no exceptions. The family brought in the drugs, the needle and the syringe in the shampoo bottle!!! If a patient like that harms them self in the facility- the facility is held responsible!! It is our job to keep these kind of patient's from harming them self on our watch. We would have crack addicts come in and hide their crack pipes on the back of the beside table. A CNA and I has one admitted to our team one night, that patient was so out of it, we had to undress the patient. Out of the patients stinky smelly sock- fell their crack stash. The CNA and I called the super, and in the supervisor's presence, I got rid of it in the sharps container. and I documente3d in the patient's chart and the supervior sx'd the documentation as a witness. Check your policy and with your management on that- every hospital is different. Just some little pearls from an old nurse.

[kcmylorn]

These hospitals can be a learning mecca both urban and surburban( the burbs are not immune to sex, drugs, violence and rock and roll)- but you must know your stuff and be 100%sure of it(repeat this 100 times)- policies, proceedures and howto handle the crazy patient's(who you can learn the most from if you open your mind and your eyes) and crazy supervisors(who could be on drugs themselves-)Yes this is true also, remember I'm old and have seen it all. In those instances and it took me a looong time to figure that out- "if it doesn't seem right it usually isn't" and just because they say it's so, doesn't mean it is" If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck!!". You sign you want to go into the ED. Advise: be prepared for anything!!

[Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN]

This is going to sound harsh and cruel but, You screwed up. I also have been a house super in several differnet jobs and I would have sent you home also in a second for that kind of insubordination. Heck you hopefully will get lucky and all you will get is fired, and not reported to the Board of Nurses. Insubordination like that is a reportable offense. You sound very harsh and jaded in your posts and you seem to fail to see what was wrong with your response. I will lay odds that your employer rightfully sees you as a troublemaker, and will take this opportunity to rid themselves a hassle in you.

The super was right in saying tale the items and lock them up. The patient does have the right top those items. You said they were waiting on a transfer to a Psych unit/substance abuse unit. If they were there voluntarily they have the right to the personal items, They can check out if they want. You also haver the right to get those items that you knew were hidden in the room and lock them up as well. It sounded as if you did not want to do your job. I really doubt the union will help you on this one.

Live and learn and maybe next time give the super a bit of respect and you might just get some back in return

[nola1202]

I read your post and it reminds me of when I first worked in psych. I would tell a patient "no you can't do that" Pt says "why not?" I respond "it's part of the unit structure." Pt decides to make this a big power play. He goes to his SW or MD or the Nsg Super and plays the "if mommy says no, daddy will say Yes game."

Pt wins (has more experience with pot stirring and manipulation.) You feel diminished, humiliated, angry and resentful. "Ahhh isn't this fun I really got even with her" the patient thinks. You end up the one in trouble because you got caught in some entitled person's power play. I learned to say, well I discussed it with the Supervisor and we agreed to make an exception in your situation. (they feel special and you save face.) Or I say, I'm so sorry, there was a recent change in the unit guidelines, the Supervisor brought me up to speed. Often though I will put my bland as oatmeal face on. Check the crap in and get out. It just doesn't matter.

For you in your situation, this sounded like the last straw in a chain of events. I

hope the higher ups are calm, cool and consider the source. good luck

[ED_Bound]

Update---- I got my pay for the suspension...the super was found to have acted based on emotions. There were several options available to resolve the situation but the super felt inclined to bully me instead. Turns out I wasn't the only one bullied that day...grant it the super has a history or it but apparently was on a roll that day.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Update---- I got my pay for the suspension...the super was found to have acted based on emotions. There were several options available to resolve the situation but the super felt inclined to bully me instead. Turns out I wasn't the only one bullied that day...grant it the super has a history or it but apparently was on a roll that day.

I am glad this has been resolved for you....