Published Apr 1, 2005
I've heard it said that most nurses who get fired are released for drug abuse. Do you find this to be the case in your experience?
SmilingBluEyes
20,964 Posts
1. Drug abuse/drug theft2. Patient abuse3. Call ins (excessive)4. poor attitude5. Pre-pouring of meds6. Pre-charting
2. Patient abuse
3. Call ins (excessive)
4. poor attitude
5. Pre-pouring of meds
6. Pre-charting
these cover it, pretty much. Why do you ask, OP?
caye
20 Posts
In my nursing class, we lost a lot of students due to their grades or too many absences. Most nurses are terminated due to their lack of skills, too many med errors, and of course neglect of pt's. Also not being on time or being a no call no show is grounds for termination. Not wearing makeup is a new one for me. There are some cases of nurses and cna's having a body odor. I don't know if they just don't bathe or shower or if they have a physical problem. This has been my observation not only as a student, but as ADON of two facilities in Houston.
Caye
Students are kicked out of school generally for failing classes/clinical., but aNurses can lose their jobs for many reasons. Drug abuse is only a small part of those that lose there jobs. Other reasons that I have seen include multiple/serious med errors, abuse mental/physical of patients, undependability (read:too many absences/call outs). Quite frankly, here in the South, nurse managers may write you up for not wearing makeup or not wearing enough white, anything that they want as fewer hospitals are unionized.More often, the employees that are not liked by management are "run off" through excess floating, undesirable assignments, lousy schedules rather than being fired outright.Due to the shortage, however, I see more bad employees getting kept on staff....which tends to make everyone miserable. One bad apple can truly spoil the whole basket.
Nurses can lose their jobs for many reasons. Drug abuse is only a small part of those that lose there jobs. Other reasons that I have seen include multiple/serious med errors, abuse mental/physical of patients, undependability (read:too many absences/call outs). Quite frankly, here in the South, nurse managers may write you up for not wearing makeup or not wearing enough white, anything that they want as fewer hospitals are unionized.
More often, the employees that are not liked by management are "run off" through excess floating, undesirable assignments, lousy schedules rather than being fired outright.
Due to the shortage, however, I see more bad employees getting kept on staff....which tends to make everyone miserable. One bad apple can truly spoil the whole basket.
elizabells, BSN, RN
2,094 Posts
Re the makeup - I think it's part of nursing becoming more "customer service" :angryfire I just read a case (I work in a law firm right now - 60 days to school!) in which the appeals court ruled that a casino in Vegas can, in fact, fire its bar employees for not wearing makeup. This was a woman who had tended bar there for 20+ years, had a petition signed by many customers stating they loved her, didn't care if she wore makeup, and would in fact stop coming in if she were fired. The policy was put in place after she was hired. She didn't want to wear makeup and based her case on sexual discrimination because makeup costs a lot of money and men aren't required to wear it. There was also a part about enforced gender roles (she happened to be a lesbian). She lost, in the NINTH CIRCUIT, supposed bastion of liberal ideals lol.
That being said, I was written up while working at a Denny's for not wearing makeup.
z's playa
2,056 Posts
I know some p-r-e-t-t-y homily looking guys!
I say make them wear make up for Pete's sake! I'm sure the whole basis for writing up an employee based on makeup or lack thereof would be out the window faster than you could say Mary Kay.
RNKITTY04
353 Posts
Where I used to work, it was "suggested" that the night nurses "freshen Up" before the day shift came on. ie.... wash face and re-apply make-up.
Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN
12,126 Posts
If a facility is going to suggest i wear makeup, i suggest they buy it for me.
Or start making the men wear it too.
If a facility is going to suggest i wear makeup, i suggest they buy it for me.Or start making the men wear it too.
Exactly! And I want Lancome. Only the best to make me look "fresh".
spidermonkey
144 Posts
southern rn
235 Posts
I have some good friends that were suspended from a christian university for drinking-- not being DRUNK mind you, but drinking while out on a wkend night!! The dean smelled alcohol on their breath when they returned to the dorm & another student reported seeing the students drinking alcoholic drinks at a nearby establishment. Apparently drinking alcohol was against the school policy & the religious beliefs of this particular university. They were allowed to reapply the following semester, and all but 2 did- the remaining 2 went on to public universities.
Well, if it was against this university's school policy to consume alcoholic beverages, surely they knew this when they went to school there? If I were to enroll at a christian school I would check the policies before hand and expect that they would enforce them.
LPN1974, LPN
879 Posts
The posts about the makeup were a hoot.
But I agree.....for MYself only, I look like a ghost without it.
Now, if my job wants to buy it for me I would have no objection.
I did have one co-worker fuss at me once, saying I should wear makeup everyday to work. I told her I do get up and put on makeup everyday.
She tried to argue with me and say I didn't.
But ya know, here in the south, in the dead heat of summer, when it get so humid, makeup can slide off of me like oil. I told her that was what was happening. By time I got to work it was mostly gone.
LydiaNN
2,756 Posts
Not fired but I actually still have the eval writeup. I got this comment about how much "nicer" I looked in it. I believe that Fab4fan also, got something written on an eval about not wearing makeup.For some reason they had trouble keeping staff. Said manager got canned 6 monthes later....but she made my life a bit miserable for a bit.Not to mention bad skin from the makeup.
For some reason they had trouble keeping staff. Said manager got canned 6 monthes later....but she made my life a bit miserable for a bit.
Not to mention bad skin from the makeup.
My former supervisor would cite me in every eval for being "too casual" even though I comply with the dress code to the letter! Several of my colleagues were given the same comment. I'm pretty sure someone called HR and complained, because if anything, my dress has become more casual and my evals never mention it any more.
MrsWampthang, BSN, RN
511 Posts
One guy in my class got kicked out for coming to a clinical site drunk. It was pretty embarrassing for the rest of us and the clinical instructor.
I saw one of the best nurses our hospital had, let alone our department, get fired after 30 plus years of service for a "bad" attitude. Yes, she did have her moods and you could always tell when she was in one of them, but she was trying to work on it and usually if she was in a mood it was because things were getting stressful. She did a great job running a shift and was one of those charge nurses that didn't let anyone slack off. I think that probably got a lot of complaints from those that couldn't slack off when she was there. She was one of those individuals who would give you her right arm if you needed it, and she wore her heart on her sleeve. I think it sucks that they fired her with no warning, didn't let her transfer anywhere else, and made her termination immediate; I've seen other nurses asked to leave the department and were given a date that they would no longer be on staff in the department, but were not immediately terminated.
Anyway, those are two examples that I can think of right off the top of my head. Unfortunately in my state, you can be fired for any or even no reason other than your employer doesn't like you. Sad, considering how short staffed we are.
Pam