I just wanted to update all you guys out there who were pulling for me. Thank you for all your support, I greatly appreciate it.
Today I got a call from my employer, telling me to come in at 3pm for a meeting. My fate. I notified my mom and we began trying to contact my attorney (we later found out he was in court and was not accepting calls).
So I ventured in alone.
I have been terminated from my position. They stated:
Major offenses are any violations of hospital or safety rules of such degree that continued employment of the individual may not be desirable. The following are examples of offenses which will subject and employee to immediate discharge without warning, without notice, and without pay for notice. Dishonesty, including theft or misappropriation or the attempt of, or unauthorized possession of hospital property, possession of a controlled substance by employees. In light of the serious nature and consequence of these major violations, and in accordance with hospital policy on discipline, you are dismissed from your position as Registered Nurse effective today.
So, there we have it. I am seriously behind on my bills, and now I have no job. I have already started a job search. I talked with my attorney and he agrees that we have a good chance at a discrimination case against the hospital. I was off on a medical leave for three months, I came back in mid January. I have some work restrictions enforced by my physician for my well being, and they were unhappy with the restrictions. Normally they watch people for months before even acting on a case like this. I make one mistake, and they fire me. Fishy to me.
Just wanted to update all you guys. Thanks for the support again
And they wonder why there is a nursing shortage! Nurses are treated so badly. If they would just stand up for themselves, things might change. But they won't. And administration knows it. Nurses are worried about what might happen to their patients. But what about all the patients down the line who will have to suffer from unconscionable nurse-patient ratios, and every thing else that is wrong with nursing today because nurses keep accepting things like they are? Administration cannot just call up the local temp agency and say"send me a warm body over here." Nurses have power. I wish they would use it.
I am 55 years old. I have gotten to watch nursing over a long period of time and see the changes, which is kind of neat. The bad part is that nursing and they way nurses are treated is much worse than it used to be.
I looked to see how old you were. You are only 25!. You have the wonderful ability to leave Nursing in the dust and go do anything you want! That is what I did. I went back to college the day after I turned 40 and became an accountant. I had taken a course to see what strengths I might have. For 2 solid years I carried a 4.0 GPA partly fueled by all the things I had to put up with as a nurse. All I had to do was think about getting up on Christmas Morning and going to work and I was good for two or more hours of study. Then I sat for and passed the CPA exam.
Now I am CFO of a company that makes custom electronics for drag racing cars. I am off every weekend, holiday, and night. And I love the trips.
OK. I am ready. Blast me.
I wouldn't blast you, but I am curious as to why you returned to nursing?
Major offenses are any violations of hospital or safety rules of such degree that continued employment of the individual may not be desirable. The following are examples of offenses which will subject and employee to immediate discharge without warning, without notice, and without pay for notice. Dishonesty, including theft or misappropriation or the attempt of, or unauthorized possession of hospital property, possession of a controlled substance by employees. In light of the serious nature and consequence of these major violations, and in accordance with hospital policy on discipline, you are dismissed from your position as Registered Nurse effective today.
Did they allege any of the above reasons? If so did they indicate they would be notifying the state BON by chance? Unless you would prefer not to elborate what error did they make the determination with? If it's just the lost of a job and no further then dont beat yourself up and move on. Be surprised how many employers dont mind seeing a termination at least once in a career and you can chalk it up as a learning experience from there so you dont make the same mistakes down the road. It happens more than you would think in this field and be surprised that some employers actually understand.
Specializes in Pulmonology/Critical Care, Internal Med.
Good luck, sometimes we aren't able to see the silver lining in the very dark cloud. I was once fired from a job, but had I not been I would have never found the greatest job I had ever had. Look at this as a potential to go someplace where you can really thrive and flourish. Best wishes
The nice part about lawsuits is this: If there is one other nurse that did something similar, and DIDN'T get terminated, then you are looking at big big big $$$$$ for discrimination. Think...you had been there for 6 years....remember anything?
Yes, you may be employed in an at will state, but that doesn't negate their obligation to treat you similarly (in good faith) to other employees.
dmwRNpa -- Hey - I had been following your posting and I was SO sorry to read the outcome. I have been a nurse for almost 16 years and I was in your position a few months ago. I guess I was like the "red headed stepchild" working on a busy medical-respiratory unit in one of our city hospitals.
I had been employed there since December of 2005 and this occured in September of 2006. Prior to my termination, I worked a shift with a traveling RN and was in charge when she worked. She didn't agree with the assignment that am, even thoughshe had 1 less patients than every other nurse. She got nasty with me, and in ront o the N.M., she said, "I hate you, and I'm going to beat the ____ out of you!" I follow the chain of command, and 2 days later, I got suspended for 1 day for being sick and missing 1 day of work WITH A MD EXCUSE.This is what our empl. handbook stated constituted an excused absence. Then, about a month later, she brought a gun to work in her purse and placed it in her locker in the breakroom. I did not feel physically safe, and again, followed the chain of command. I was off for a week, and came back for my scheduled shift. About 3 hrs into my shift, I got called to administration. I was accused by "somebody" on the floor of putting a narcotic med - they were so full of bull, they couldn't even tell me if it was allegedly a pill, an injection, or what. When I asked, they were VERY angry, and said "We don't owe you an explanation." I demanded a drug screen, and was off a week unpaid waiting for the results. The results came back negative, as I knew it would, and I got called in and terminated for "1 pain scale score that was not correct" per hospital protocol."
Anyway, sorry for the long post, but you got treated the same way I did. I'm still angry, and cooling off, but have decided to be a stay at home mom. I doubt I'll go back to nursing after this .
Feel free to pm me if you need to vent or anythig. Stay in contact with your attorney.
I say take your nursing to another avenue ,teaching,legal nurse consultant,supervisor,etc. Just stop and think about who you deal with and what other avenues you deal with nurses everyday and think about one of those.Pharmacy auditor. Good luck.Anna
dmwRNpa -- Hey -- I just wanted to let you know that my husband and have been thinking about you. My husband is also an RN, and we worked together when I got screwed with. He knows 1st hand seeing me go through my ordeal how much I hurt.
Youre in my prayers, and keep remembering you did not deserve what they did to you.I know when you go through this kind of situation, you ask yourself is this why I decided to go into nsg?? For me, it was just too much and I am hanging up my stethescope, selling my scrubs on ebay, ect. Let me know how you are!
RN4NICU, LPN, LVN
1,711 Posts
I wouldn't blast you, but I am curious as to why you returned to nursing?