Suspended

Nurses General Nursing

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I made a bad joke at a staff meeting that was called for personality conflicts ( not mine). There were 6 nurses and the counsler that was doing the intervention. I work hospice. Someone said something and I replied" Does anyone feel like they killed somone", everyone laughed including one nurse who took exception to this and reported me. The next day I was called in to a meeting with the DON and someone from Human Resources. They told me I was suspended pending an investigation due to pt.safety. No-one would give me any other information. WHAT SHOULD I DO? SHOULD I GET LEGAL REPRESENTATION?

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
I made a bad joke at a staff meeting that was called for personality conflicts ( not mine). There were 6 nurses and the counsler that was doing the intervention. I work hospice. Someone said something and I replied" Does anyone feel like they killed somone", everyone laughed including one nurse who took exception to this and reported me. The next day I was called in to a meeting with the DON and someone from Human Resources. They told me I was suspended pending an investigation due to pt.safety. No-one would give me any other information. WHAT SHOULD I DO? SHOULD I GET LEGAL REPRESENTATION?

I am just curious why did you make that comment? Did you pose this question as a "joke" or were you concerned someone "killed" a patient? Maybe the administration received "bad vibes"????????

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I am just curious why did you make that comment? Did you pose this question as a "joke" or were you concerned someone "killed" a patient? Maybe the administration received "bad vibes"????????

the comment itself was made after a 2 day intervention meeting where a counsler from impact was hired to assist in the attitudes that were happening within our team..the team itslf is very small...home care hospice...2full time,1part time,(who ended up quitting after the first meeting) 2prn's of which i am one of them...one nurse was sobbing at the end of day 2 b/c she felt she experienced a situation that she needed support that she did not get..i made her aware of our bereav. coord. and made my off colored joke...everyone did laugh including the facilator..who may i remind you that is bound by law to report if safety related issues are at stake. (MEANING SHE COULD BREAK CONFINDENTIALITY) she did not...

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
the comment itself was made after a 2 day intervention meeting where a counsler from impact was hired to assist in the attitudes that were happening within our team..the team itslf is very small...home care hospice...2full time,1part time,(who ended up quitting after the first meeting) 2prn's of which i am one of them...one nurse was sobbing at the end of day 2 b/c she felt she experienced a situation that she needed support that she did not get..i made her aware of our bereav. coord. and made my off colored joke...everyone did laugh including the facilator..who may i remind you that is bound by law to report if safety related issues are at stake. (MEANING SHE COULD BREAK CONFINDENTIALITY) she did not...

Well, I just do not understand to what you are referring when you say, she could break confindentiality. If you made a comment out of fear/anger/anxiety/grief, you should be able to tell your side of this. I just wonder if there is something else going on that you are unaware?

Also, this intervention meeting, is it because of unprofessionalism on the part of your coworkers? Also, the comment that was made and your responded, "Does anyone feel like they killed someone?" ........ did you make this purely out of trying to lighten the "heaviness" of the situation?

I just don't understand why admin is concerned about patient safety with just one remark. They must be looking for something??????? Not that you are in the wrong, just came from left field is all.........

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Well, I just do not understand to what you are referring when you say, she could break confindentiality. If you made a comment out of fear/anger/anxiety/grief, you should be able to tell your side of this. I just wonder if there is something else going on that you are unaware?

Also, this intervention meeting, is it because of unprofessionalism on the part of your coworkers? Also, the comment that was made and your responded, "Does anyone feel like they killed someone?" ........ did you make this purely out of trying to lighten the "heaviness" of the situation?

I just don't understand why admin is concerned about patient safety with just one remark. They must be looking for something??????? Not that you are in the wrong, just came from left field is all.........

i did tell my side of it...the don hospice manager and someone from human resources. they said my version did not match the other persons. i repeated to them that i never practiced outside of my license and they said d/t the seriousness of the comment,they needed to follow protocal and i was not permitted to talk to ANYONE ABOUT IT and i cannot work until they have completed there investigation.

I feel so scared...i love my hospice career..and nursing...should i have had someone in there with me?

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
i did tell my side of it...the don hospice manager and someone from human resources. they said my version did not match the other persons. i repeated to them that i never practiced outside of my license and they said d/t the seriousness of the comment,they needed to follow protocal and i was not permitted to talk to ANYONE ABOUT IT and i cannot work until they have completed there investigation.

I feel so scared...i love my hospice career..and nursing...should i have had someone in there with me?

I would certainly seed legal advice in this instance. If nothing but to see if you need someone to advocate for you.

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I made a bad joke at a staff meeting that was called for personality conflicts ( not mine). There were 6 nurses and the counsler that was doing the intervention. I work hospice. Someone said something and I replied" Does anyone feel like they killed somone", everyone laughed including one nurse who took exception to this and reported me. The next day I was called in to a meeting with the DON and someone from Human Resources. They told me I was suspended pending an investigation due to pt.safety. No-one would give me any other information. WHAT SHOULD I DO? SHOULD I GET LEGAL REPRESENTATION?

I don't quite get the joke, but I trust that you know what you intended with the remark. I always get into trouble because of my sense of humor. One time, me and a fellow co-worker were doing a good deed for a fellow RN when we transported her patient to ICU while she finished writing the transfer orders. Our ICU nurses are famous for acting like angry bulldogs when you bring a patient in, so it is entertaining to mess with them. Anyway, one nurse asked me "Is her port accessed?" and I said "I don't know, we're just monkeys" In other words, not our patient...we are just transporting (which is typical in our facility). The other nurses laughed, we left without incident. THEN, they called the nursing supervisor to tell her that 2 CNA's just transferred a critical patient without an RN. She assumed that we were CNA's because we said we were monkeys. Our name tags are huge with big RN on the front. When I was questioned by the supervisor, I asked her what the charge was...impersonating a monkey? Some people just don't appreciate levity. Well, I do...and will continue to use it when I feel the need.

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