Suspended without pay/ Pending Investigation

Published

Hello Nurses,

I am a RN that worked on a Med-Surg unit. I have been suspended for arguing with a Nursing Assistant. It was a verbal disagreement regarding care If the patient. The patient was left soiled for almost an hour while I cared for other patients. This person knowingly left the patient this way.

long story short ...this aid went to HR and told a lot of lies and added thing to her story. Now I am basically waiting for them to tell me I’m fired officially. My union is fighting but it doesn’t seem good.

I have lost weight, cry every single day and have fallen into a deep depression. I am meeting with a physiologist in a few days. I try to keep busy and look for other jobs but even with good news I still feel sad and like my career is tarnished badly.

I'm also afraid of having termination on my record. It’s terrifying that this could all go left so quickly. I question being a nurse. I was wrong to go back and forth but I just was very passionate in the moment for my patients care. (I ended up cleaning her and making sure she was okay)

Has anyone faced a termination on record for unprofessional conduct? I need some advice and just support.

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OK...you already own the misjudgment made in this situation. so now the only thing to do is calm down and move on... you are assuming that you will be terminated or you may not even wish to return to this unit following this incident... either way your nursing career is not forever tarnished... While you may have to check a little box on applications admitting that you have been asked to resign or terminated from a prior employer, it is up to you how to spin it into a positive during an interview.. and as the years pass it will mean less and less and won't be very long until no one ever asks you about it again.

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39 minutes ago, 203bravo said:

OK...you already own the misjudgment made in this situation. so now the only thing to do is calm down and move on... you are assuming that you will be terminated or you may not even wish to return to this unit following this incident... either way your nursing career is not forever tarnished... While you may have to check a little box on applications admitting that you have been asked to resign or terminated from a prior employer, it is up to you how to spin it into a positive during an interview.. and as the years pass it will mean less and less and won't be very long until no one ever asks you about it again.

Thank you For your response. After working for 5 years and cruising through nursing and finally getting adjusted, I didn’t expect this. But I have had time to think and just not panic. It very stressful. The careers we have can easily consume your life. I had to realize it’s not over and I am also more than just a nurse. I have taken time to venture out with other things. I am still on hunt for a job that fits me this time around.

thank you

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

The problem is that most facilities care more about appearances than what the patients actually experience.

As long as the neglected patient doesn't complain everyone is happy. But not only did people hear you yell, you yelled about patient neglect, which alerted people to it. Bad bad nurse!

The reason it's taking so long to hear anything is because they know they have loose grounds to actually fire you, but they're mad at you for front-streeting them.

If your union is worth anything they should be able to get you reinstated with retro pay. But they might not be.

Do try to find a new job. When they ask why you were fired: "I was advocating for my patient but was a little artless about it. I will continue to be a patient advocate but will develop more finess."

Now quit crying over being body-slammed and take charge of your life.

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Specializes in Med-surg, telemetry, oncology, rehab, LTC, ALF.

I'm sure the patient appreciates you passion and concern for their well-being, regardless of the outcome. Maybe you were a little tactless, but your heart was in the right place.

I would find another job. Your hospital and union should be on your side, but if they're not, it's their loss, not yours.

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