Told to go home..

[Grayeagle]

Company I work for here in Phoenix has decided we will wear Scrub tops/bottoms in colors they have chosen. No uniform allowance, not paid for by them.

I showed up today with their color tops, but wore my black pants ..they stretch when I bend or have to kneel down, unlike scrubs, which I have torn doing the same ..yes .. right across the back of my butt no less .. I swore then I'd never wear that cheap fabric for pants again.. LOL.

Anyway, Nurse Supervisor met me in hallway, told me to go home.

Had just gotten report and counted for shift change .. I was in the process of taking my badge off and handing it to her when I stopped myself.

Wow.

Just wouldn't do to quit right on the spot.

Went home, sent a resume out, .. LOL

My wife found a pair of scrub pants I had that were the correct color that I havent worn since way back then.

I am still debating whether I should go back in tomorrow or just call 'em and tell them where to send my check.

Comes down to the last straw .. no raise, not even a cost of living bump for the year and a half I have been there.. high patient load with more and more patients that need a lockdown Alzheimer's unit, not just me and one aid.. and now they want me to lay out a few hundred dollars for an arbitrary decision on their part that just doesn't make sense for me at all.

-shrug-

Sorry .. had to vent.

Not like I have to do a single thing they want, I will go work somewhere else for more pay that is closer. Throw me into that briar patch!

-Frank

[meadow85]

OK, if this has happened more than once then maybe they need to sit down and talk about it. Let them know why you are quitting so they have an opportunity to change their practices.

[sara62]

What happens if your surrounded by them?

sara62

[sara62]

You Know What Really Freaks Me Out?

There Are So Many Important Issues In All Different Types Of Facilities,nursing Care,staffing, Thet Need To Be Dealt With And What Are They Doing? Implimenting Dress Code Policies. I Don't Know,maybe They Just Want Us To Look Good When Everything Falls Apart Around Us.

By All Means Make Sure You Are Wearing Clean Underware.

Sara62

[Grayeagle]

I dunno .. if something really bad happens ..

..first you say it ..

..then you do it.

Clean underwear would be moot .. at that point :)

-Frank

[DoeRN]

But, they do make scrub pants in all types of fabrics. I have never seen any that have torn, especially if they are the appropriate size.

Well heck what kind of scrubs are you buying because I have a pile of them that I use for rags because they have torn and they were the right size for me. Especially the bottoms. I start a new job and have to buy all new colors tell me where you buy yours?

[missjennmb]

Good luck, Frank.

I think that my biggest problem with being a floor nurse was being treated like a four year old by my bosses.

You say "was"... what is the route you chose instead? :)

[missjennmb]

Regarding color codes though.... I think they are a great thing for patients. At my hospital you cant tell the difference between the nurses and the secretaries and the doctors (although the doctors generally wear a labcoat w/ their name and title embroidered on it...but anyone can wear a labcoat if they want). We have big clear nametags, but I think color coded scrubs would be more patient friendly.

That being said, if you did not have 3-4 months to get them, I'd be pretty ticked off as well. Nobody can come up with that kind of money in this kind of economy quickly.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

I would hate not being able to pick my scrubs. I've seen many pts comment of what scrub top their nurse is wearing that day. Can you imagine that being the highlight of a pts day? I also love to see staff come in with colorful prints or holiday scrubs. It takes away from the cold institution type environment. I have never seen a staff member look disheveled in what they choose to wear. I echo op's opinions when they talk about management having other bigger things to work on instead of the dress code. As long as its professional, it should suffice.

Good luck in your quest for a job that 'gets it'.

I bet those other nurses were ***** when the sup sent you home. Unbelievable that a facility would work short because of this. Yet, when your hacking up a lung, you better be there (hey, the mask they give you is free) and you aren't leaving early either!

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

But its also a petty reason to quite a job, imo.

From what I got out of the post, the pants issue is not the reason he's quitting- it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

[mom4josh]

Well heck what kind of scrubs are you buying because I have a pile of them that I use for rags because they have torn and they were the right size for me. Especially the bottoms. I start a new job and have to buy all new colors tell me where you buy yours?

The best I have found are Cherokee. They come in a blended fabric (polyester/cotton), are soft and very comfortable, and have plenty of "wiggle room" even for the biggest bootie!

:chuckle

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I had a similar issue when it was decided that nurses cannot wear sneakers (even white) any longer, unless we have a note from a physician. I did obtain the note after I was treated for heel spurs, but it was the principle of the matter that outraged me. Most of the nursing shoes are either extremely uncomfortable or expensive (many times, both). In addition, the majority of people are most comfortable wearing sneakers. We run on hard floors all day long, and not everyone needs to see a podiatrist to purchase costly orthotics or prescribed pricey shoes...sometimes, a good sneaker can actually be considered to be preventive care.

I wasn't sent home per se because I was wearing sneakers, but was harassed until I went to the podiatrist and obtained the golden seal note they needed to leave me the hell alone. I really felt that no one cared about the fact that our entire bodies were in nerve wracking pain due to gait changes related to bad feet, some nurses literally crying because they are in such pain.

While I do believe that the OP has a right to feel this way, I don't believe that it is always worth leaving a job before you are ready...I am not hearing that it is as easy as before to job hop (at least in my side of the universe). Anger makes us irrational. It's better to calm down and think about winning the war rather than wasting too much energy on battles. It does sound like if they send people home for silly reasons like this, then, they have other issues that are just as stupid...maybe this was the tip of the iceberg for the OP. This would probably give me incentive to start searching elsewhere-for sure. But, I would not turn in my letter of resignation unless I had a sure-fire position elsewhere.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I don't think so. Any workplace that treats its staff like that over the color of one's scrub pants is a place that won't hesitate to throw you to the wolves if something seriouis happens.

Besides, all too many facilities treat nursing staff like recalcitrant children. That kind of treatment needs to STOP.

And sometimes, when enough BS has been shovelled on you, you have to decide whether you're going to keep laying down and take it. I'd wager that this gentleman has manfully swallowed a great number of other unpleasant encounters with the leadership team at his facility.

I DEFINITELY believe that it is a cumulation of events that probably lead to the OP saying 'screw you'. I think that most of us are just saying not to burn bridges or have a plan to obtain a secure job elsewhere in this unpredictable economy. It is not about the facility...it is the interest of the OP being employed. Nothing is better than to be able to execute a plan and throw a 1/2 peace sign at the jerks that harassed you, and maybe even a moonie as you dance out of the door.