What happens to the nurse?

LoriAlabamaRN · Mar 23, 2006

Every facility has its own definition of "writeup", but usually it means there is a report written of the incident and kept in your file, and that if another incident of a similar type occurs they can have cause to fire you since you have been warned in writing that if it happens again you could be terminated.

jessnurse05 · Mar 23, 2006

Wow, I wonder if that nurse has already had some writeups then because she was so worried about getting written up. I thought the charge was really jumping the gun for trying to write her up, though, becuase they had so many admits and discharges that day, even the other nurse who was working on that floor who is really experienced was talking to the manager about how stressful it had been and how everything was happening all at once.

Jessica

weetziebat · Mar 23, 2006

Also, the other nurses make it sound like such a big thing, I've had nurses give me their phone number so I can call them in the middle of the night to come in if I find a mistake that they made.
Jessica

Wow. I find it so sad that nurses are giving their phone numbers to be called in if they make an honest mistake. Can anyone think of any other profession where that would happen?

Here is this huge shortage and grown women and men are terrified of 'being wriiten up'. Dear Lord.

Lest you get the wrong idea from my post, Jessica, I'm not refering to you or the poor nurses you work with - just find it scary that healthcare management has such power to frighten us that we are willing to come running into work in the middle of the night to correct a mistake that should just be handled by folks and not made such a big deal over.

Shame on that charge nurse for not looking into why the patient wasn't admitted on dayshift before threatening to write her up. And good luck to you in not making any mistakes - don't think I like your hospital very much.

ERNurse752, RN · Mar 23, 2006

As far as what happens to you when you get written up...it really depends on how severe the "infraction" was.

The charge nurse in this situation jumped the gun about writing up this other nurse. Never write someone up without looking into the situation first, and talking to the person/people involved.

That's a good example of nurses eating other nurses alive.

plumrn, BSN, RN · Mar 23, 2006

...and sometimes, despite your best efforts, you just can't get everything done before your shift ends. If you have a pt having chest pain, and another with an elevated b/p you are calling the doc about, and dealing with, you just might not get in there to do that admission. Nurses have to prioritize, and understand when the previous shift has something left to pass on. Shame on that charge nurse for promoting such a dog-eat-dog atmosphere.

And how come some nurses have so much time to do all this writing up business, anyway???

jessnurse05 · Mar 23, 2006

And how come some nurses have so much time to do all this writing up business, anyway???

Now that you mention it, this was the same nurse who, a half hour before, didn't have time to come up and start an IV that I couldn't get.

The day nurse also had stayed and started blood for me since she felt bad for leaving the admit.

Jessica

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Mar 23, 2006

As far as what happens to you when you get written up...it really depends on how severe the "infraction" was.
The charge nurse in this situation jumped the gun about writing up this other nurse. Never write someone up without looking into the situation first, and talking to the person/people involved.
That's a good example of nurses eating other nurses alive.

It's also a good example of the petty, childish behavior that not only gives nursing a bad reputation (making the entire profession look petty and childish), but serves as one more reason experienced nurses are looking to get away from the bedside and all the crap (just like this) that comes with it.

Daye · Mar 23, 2006

Yeah this is one of the biggest burdens I pack around with me everyday that I work towards finishing school and getting my license. I am not a coward but the stress of feeling less than perfect and having someone find fault with me is just too much sometimes...Of course I don't expect kudo's for doing my job it is expected and I have no problem with that, but on the flip side getting written up is not a very good way of building trust and confidence.:innerconf

southern_rn_brat · Mar 23, 2006

I'm getting written up at work this weekend.

Had a family member go postal last weekend and when she told me how incompetent my nurses were I proceeded to tell her how it would be better for her to find a new facility for her mom.

It was totally worth the write up.

Daye · Mar 23, 2006

LOL You are TOO funny and for the first time today I am laughing about what might otherwise be something that could just tick me off! Great perspective Southern rn brat!:roll

southern_rn_brat · Mar 24, 2006

LOL You are TOO funny and for the first time today I am laughing about what might otherwise be something that could just tick me off! Great perspective Southern rn brat!:roll

lol When I have to write people up I always give them the speel of "use it as a learning tool, correct whatever you did wrong and then you wont do it again..blah blah blah" Of course people get mad because we know how people LOVE to take accountability for their actions, right? lol I've been in management way too long and know those write ups aint gonna hurt ya!

well, unless of course you get a whole bunch of them in a short period of time lol...then you better look out!

I'm going to have a hard time writing on the part that says "what will you do to correct this behavior" part of the write up lol

can I say "do it out of the view of the camera next time??" :lol2: