To suspend or not

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I have read a lot on allnurses about nurses being suspended here in the USA, and it lead me to thinking why does this happen over here but it is rare in my country that a nurse is suspended or fired. In the UK if a nurse had a problem then they are supervised and supported, I wonder if it because there are unions who step in and help out.

In my career which spans 17 years I have only really known 1 nurse who was so awful we needed to supervise her for over a year and I seriously expect her to lose her registration because she was far too dangerous.

If a nurse is not a 'super' nurse they tend to be encouraged to move to a quieter environment, where there is less stress.

It is the culture that rather than help out each other over here? Everybody at some point needs support.

I read on threads if a night worker sleeps-then it is the worst thing ever and they should be fired, or a nurse on nights slept and I reported her for sleeping on duty because I really want her to be in trouble and fired. Why would you want to do this to your collegue, it is not a competition. Surely you wouldnt want your collegue fired, would you?

I worked in a no blame culture in the UK but here it is a blame blame culture.

There is a nursing shortage and I think sometimes rather than always blaming the government and accusing them of short changing the country we should look to ourselves and see what we can do individually and as a team to improve working conditions by not jumping in and reporting our collegues for every single little complaint you have. People who are suspended and fired have their lives ruined, and unless they are dangerous surely all problems can be sorted before these steps are taken.

We need to support each other.

Just my 2 cents worth

[GIJay, BSN, RN]

At my hospital suspensions are usually given after a series of progressive counseling. If you are suspended it is after verbal counseling, and two written counselings. I agree with the sentiment of your post though, some units i have worked it seems everyone is out to get each other.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

At my hospital suspensions are usually given after a series of progressive counseling. If you are suspended it is after verbal counseling, and two written counselings. I agree with the sentiment of your post though, some units i have worked it seems everyone is out to get each other.

I find that reassuring that your hospital does things this way

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

It is generally a supervisor that catches the sleeping staffer, not a fellow nurse reporting it.

[GIJay, BSN, RN]

I find that reassuring that your hospital does things this way

yes, if you got suspended you knew it was coming if you did not change your behavior (call ins, med errors, etc).

[RNin'08]

...it is not a competition...

IMO what you're talking about is exactly the behaviour that leads to the saying "nurses eat their young". This is the one thing I have heard repeatedly throughout school and from graduates that warn how difficult your first year can be as an RN (obviously depending on the facility, staff, etc.) but it is definitely an issue among nurses.

I've often wondered about this subject...why are nurses so prone to being so competitive with each other? I understand that for some it's a matter of wanting to be respected and prove their skills and such but that should be something to bring us all together, not divide us further...

RNin'08

~my reality check bounced~

[TazziRN, RN]

Suspension is rarely the first discipline, unless it's something REALLY big.

As for the sleeping on nights, at our facility staffers are allowed to take a nap as long as it's not in view of pts and family, and someone is awake.

[weirdRN, RN]

We had a nurse who had been at the nursing home for a long time who was suspended. It didn't have to go that way.

The nurse who reported the senior nuse was after the senior nurse's job, and Didn't care that it could cost the senior nurse her retirement.

Without too much detail, The senior nurse did something that if documented properly was in the best interest of patient safety. However, she did not document it and the other nurse pounced on that. The other nurse could have chosen to clean up the error, but instead she chose to try to get the other nurse fired so she could have her daylight position. This was a first time error for the senior nurse, but the error was such that she was required by policy to be suspended pending an investigation.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

edited

[TazziRN, RN]

Mad, employees have the right to know why they were fired. I'm thinking that those two nurses have an idea but do not want to share the information. Our facility has let two travelers go before the contracts were up, one because he was a trouble-making jacka** and we were refusing to work with him, the other because he was caught red-handed with multiple vials and ampules of morphine and demerol.

Regular employees: a few years ago we finally got rid of a bully and the reason was multiple EMTALA violations. She had been counseled many times, formally written up twice, and on the third time it couldn't be ignored any longer because she turned away a pt who was decompensating. Recently we finally got rid of another bully who had had two warnings also.

[fergus51]

I work mainly union jobs. The only nurse I have ever seen suspended should have been fired IMO, but thanks to the union protections she's still there. I'll tell ya all about it in a pm if you want:)

I have worked one unit where the nurses really were out to get eachother. It became a bit of a joke that dayshift must not have much work to do if they fit in so many write ups... I didn't stay there long.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

As a traveler, I pretty much do not ever sleep on duty...not even on my own time. Not even if "everyone" does it.

A traveler can pretty much be fired for any reason. If there is any little thing, it will be used to break the contract. I, for the most part, accept that as a traveler the rules are different for me and my work must be at above the par line in all aspects.

I will say that if an employee that is regularly excellent and supportive has that one bad day/night (nightshifters cannot easily find a substitute nor go home sick) where they need an hours time, and we can give it to them, why not?