While out on sick leave, found out I am being "replaced"

[kimbalotz]

Hello, I was in a pretty bad car accident in mid May, sustained a back injury. I have been out on medical leave since then. All of my necessary documentation has been sent to H.R., and I have been updating them very often on my status, including contacting my manager and doing the same. A very good friend and colleague who works in my unit had been told by another nurse in our unit that since i am out on leave and they are short staffed, the manager has asked the nurses to write down names of other RN's in our hospital who may want to switch to our department to "replace" me. Mind you, we are ALWAYS short staffed...I work in an extremely busy ER and we routinely have 4 RN's on at night, which is ludicrous and unsafe...but that's another story. So...my being out on leave may be inconvenient, however it is not the cause of the short-staffed-ness, thus, replacing me is not the solution, right? Unless...the manager is ****** that I am out on leave which is a very real possibility...although it is wrong on so many levels.Question...what do I do? I am not back to work per doctors orders...I am undergoing physical therapy and slowly getting back to myself. My friend was told by the other nurse NOT to say anything to me...(obviously), and I don't want to throw her under the bus. I am supposedly being "replaced" , not fired...as I think they may just transfer me to another unit...but this isn't legal, right? I am flabbergasted.Thanks for the advice.

[JBudd, MSN]

Doesn't mean you don't stll have a job, but they do need to cover your shifts.

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

Your presence filled a need on your unit. Your absence creates a need on your unit.

You haven't been fired. You haven't been transferred. From your description your unit is "always short" so when you come back there will be work waiting for you. It's just that they don't want to be "always short +1" while you are gone, and they don't have any clue when you are coming back.

Not sure what is so upsetting to you.

[kimbalotz]

Wow, really? I don't have a reason to be upset? My friend was told to "not say a word" to me about my being replaced...and I will most likely be moved to another unit. If the unit was appropriately staffed, being down one nurse wouldn't be such an issue. Second, having your colleagues and manager secretly planning to have you moved to anoer floor (with no choice) all because I was hurt in an accident and have done nothing against policy, is a horrible thing. Yes it's great to still have a job, but I think it is under handed and downright mean. Kicking a good staff member when she's down, punishment for having been in an accident. Nice.

[loriangel14, RN]

Where I work that is normal.If you are off for an extended sick leave your position will be posted as a temp position It is usually filled internally until you are back.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Well, first and most importantly this is heresay. Unless your manager told you this HERSELF you need to take it with a grain of salt, particularly the spin you are putting on it. And no, you should not be upset. Your unit needs nurses. Badly from the sound of it. Your being threatened by that is not going to do anything to ensure your place when you return. Heck, if you want to really be great, find someone to recommend to them. If you are still going to have a job when you return you have zero to be upset about and are working yourself up over nothing.

[SBJustBreathe, ASN, RN]

Don't trust he said she said. Period. All it is is a rumor unless you heard it from someone who matters.

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

I understand why you are disappointed at your bad luck, but I don't understand why you are surprised by this turn of events. You state that working with 4 RNs is ridiculous, but you expected them to work with 3 while you are out on an extended leave? Of course they have to replace you! And FMLA only says they have to give you a job when you return, not the same job. Them's the breaks. Buck up. Maybe you'll like the new unit better.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

yes that is correct..they DO NOT have to hold your position for you. Their concern is to staff appopriately so the patient need can be met. They only have to provide you a job with like hours when you return with no guarantee of the same position. Since I work in an area with very few skilled RNs available I have never lost my position while out on leave. I would try and stay calm and if you are difficult to replace hopefully they can just borrow someome or use a float..that is what we do. They know you are coming back..right?

[Andy Droid]

not meaning this as any kind of personal insult / attack, but my first reaction was that it was rather arrogant for you to assume that an already short staffed crew work work even shorter staffed for an unknown ammount of time while you were off.

There could be a dozen reasons why the co-worker was told not to say anything.... one of them might be to try to avoid causing you stress from thinking you've lost your job, or perhaps they were trying to keep ther "job opening" quiet to avoid others applying for it who had more seniority than the person they wanted to hire.... who knows really, and I've always looked at it as "who cares who says what.... the lady that signs my paychecks is the only voice worth hearing."

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I am supposedly being "replaced" , not fired...as I think they may just transfer me to another unit...but this isn't legal, right?

Wrong. Perfectly legal.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

my first impression of the "don't tell her" was that perhaps they don't want you to get all upset when you should be working on healing. second was that they may be offering somebody on the floor a temp position (until you return) because it's easier to get a traveler or something to staff that spot on a2. or they may have promised a new hire there a chance to apply for er after a year of med/surg, and this is their extended orientation/try-out, and she goes back after you return. or she stays too, because they can hire a new grad for med/surg to cover that hole.

while it is perfectly legal for them to transfer you to another floor (and any of your coworkers too, for that matter), i wouldn't get all twisted over this until you know for sure from the person who can make the decision. meanwhile, how about getting an estimated return to work date from your docs, and call your manager with the good news? the response to that should give you a clue.