Hi, the hospital I work for in Texas has instituted a new policy of forcing all non-clinical nurses to go back to bedside nursing and take care of COVID patients. Nurses are told that they don't have a choice but resignation.
I haven't done bedside nursing in over 7 years (been doing quality and informatics) and feel that I don't have it in me (skillwise and desire) to go back to bedside nursing. What should I do?
- Can hospitals really force people to resign or is this just a tactic so that they don't have to pay unemployment?
Hi, the hospital I work for in Texas has instituted a new policy of forcing all non-clinical nurses to go back to bedside nursing and take care of COVID patients. Nurses are told that they don't have a choice but resignation.
I haven't done bedside nursing in over 7 years (been doing quality and informatics) and feel that I don't have it in me (skillwise and desire) to go back to bedside nursing. What should I do?
- Can hospitals really force people to resign or is this just a tactic so that they don't have to pay unemployment?
- Do nurses qualify for unemployment?
- Can safe harbor be invoked here?
Make them fire you if you don't want to resign.
Are they going to give you some training and orientation so you will feel more able to go back to the bedside?
No, you won't qualify for unemployment if they are offering you a job and you refuse it.
Safe Harbor can and should be invoked if they do not give you options for training and precepting to get up to speed.
The staffing situation in the hot spots in Texas is dire. I am not using that word lightly. They don't have a choice. They need nurses at the bedside more than in informatics right now and are asking nurses to step up everywhere. I understand your reluctance. But yes, they definitely are within the law to do this. After all, bottom line is that we are all nurses and capable of providing hands on care.
I guess all doctors can do surgery. All brain surgeons can do hip replacements. And I would for sure want a dermatologist to do my colonoscopy.
You must be in Management.
Unemployment rules are different these days. Don't be so sure she has to accept a job that she feels unqualified to do.
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
7 hours ago, Kooky Korky said:
I guess all doctors can do surgery. All brain surgeons can do hip replacements. And I would for sure want a dermatologist to do my colonoscopy.
You must be in Management.
Unemployment rules are different these days. Don't be so sure she has to accept a job that she feels unqualified to do.
Of course not all doctors can do surgery. That's a false comparison. I am a senior educator, not in management. Most all nurses who have left the bedside were bedside nurses at one time. Even if they cannot do direct patient care from a nursing perspective, they can help on the unit. If training is provided and the individual refuses the position, they won't qualify for unemployment - or at least not in Texas. While I understand the level of frustration, I don't make the rules.
Where I work in Wisconsin, we stopped all elective surgeries and procedures and started early “upskilling “ people who work med/surg areas and cath lab/OR staff to reenter the bedside and critical care world. Even clinic staff from closed clinics voluntarily trained to come (or come back) to the hospital. We were waiting for covid to come in like a flood. It did not—thank God. Now that we have ramped back up to business as usual and we are trying to catch up with our back log of elective surgeries and procedures our ICU’s are full all the time with many of us working 60 hours a week. Anyway that said, if your employer offers (requires) bedside work the training must also be offered. There also was a ton of information out through the ANA and ANCC about upskilling and training to get nurses prepared for bedside and critical care nursing. Not judging but most of us became nurses to help those in need. When in the last century have people been more in need? You have to do what you think is best....I can tell you though that your fellow nurses will be supportive and welcoming and much appreciate the help you can offer!!
That sentiment has to be tempered with a nurse's actual abilities, both skill/knowledge/experience in Nursing and her/his personal health and other, unavoidable obligations.
I wonder if Managers are also working mandatory OT at the bedside. They need to feel the pain and exhaustion, too. And work without PPE, just as they force their staff to do. They want to help others, too, right?
It is because of the present pandemic I am glad that I am retired. I worked for 45 years.
I live in Texas; and, Yes it is bad here. I can pretty much guess what city & what hospital system you work for. The hospital SHOULD have a mentor/preceptor system set up for nurses who haven't done bedside nursing in 1 1/2 to 2 years bedside nursing. AND, it SHOULD be longer than 2 weeks (has already happened to other nurses).
I agree that you should contact the Texas BON for guidance.
If you are fired; for refusing; you won't be eligible for unemployment (been there, done that).
So she has to take work for which she is not prepared? Risk her license because she is forced to work bedside without proper training and O?
There also was a ton of information out through the ANA and ANCC about upskilling and training to get nurses prepared for bedside and critical care nursing.
Once again the ANA (ANCC is a subsidiary to make more $$) failed to provide anything of value to the Registered Nurses this past year but they still demanded monthly/annual dues. I don't think Covid 19 was even on their radar. I once was "very active" in my local district but found the organization was not "active" in supporting what the working RN needed. With regards to Covid 19, why weren't they producing commercials to explain to the public what nurses NEED to protect the patient and themselves? Yes, they wrote a lot of letters...letters that were easily ignored. The ANA was not interested in putting any dues money into protecting the dues paying members.
Where were they protesting about the need for PPE besides "writing letters to congressman?" Why didn't they provide the necessary PPE? Oh I forgot, they wrote letters to Trump.
I used to support them so well BUT they did NOT support me when I needed them.
eerrmm
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Correct. That sums it up for any non-union job.