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.

[Rob72, ASN, 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.

Glad you have positive resolution, as well. However, don't let this become a "performance-bias" issue. Simply because it worked out this time, doesn't mean it will next time.

Your policies are not "flexible". They may be flexibly enforced, but the policies themselves are generally fairly rigid. Get cpoies of you policies, and start reading. Learn, persoanlly, how and when to enforce policy, and how and when to break with it. This is most important. If you are breaking policy, but you are able to verbalize why, on the basis of related but contradictory policy, or on the basis of "immediate welfare", you will generally be faultless.

The Union is (most likely) not your "friend". It can be used, however, and if you know your policy, and can give them a well laid out complaint (so they donst has to werk too hard), they can be a big help.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Glad you have positive resolution, as well. However, don't let this become a "performance-bias" issue. Simply because it worked out this time, doesn't mean it will next time.

Your policies are not "flexible". They may be flexibly enforced, but the policies themselves are generally fairly rigid. Get cpoies of you policies, and start reading. Learn, persoanlly, how and when to enforce policy, and how and when to break with it. This is most important. If you are breaking policy, but you are able to verbalize why, on the basis of related but contradictory policy, or on the basis of "immediate welfare", you will generally be faultless.

The Union is (most likely) not your "friend". It can be used, however, and if you know your policy, and can give them a well laid out complaint (so they donst has to werk too hard), they can be a big help.

Very well said.