Your thoughts on being "written up".

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2012

The thing that struck me in your post was that the manager was actually reviewing video footage. Ummm....seriously, dude? And she walks around with a cup of coffee on a regular basis? Who is writing HER up?

Is she chummy with her own boss?

If she wrote you up for being a minute late because you helped a lost visitor, I would NOT sign that write up. If you already have, write a letter to HR. Include that you hold the "service excellence" standard that the hospital set forth in high regard, and because you practiced excellent service by going out of your way to help a visitor, you were then disciplined for being a minute late. I think HR would have something to say to your manager about that.

It isn't like she's going to be more retaliatory than she already is. Maybe if more nurses on your unit send letters to HR regarding these ridiculous write ups, your NM will take a drink from a cup of shut the (insert expletive here) up.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2012

I'd like others thoughts on being "written-up" at work. Before becoming an RN, I spent 6yrs in the Navy & 10yrs in Business. In all those yrs, not once was I written-up for anything. I've been working on the same floor for quite a few yrs & have never seen anything like the write-ups people get, for the most ridiculous reasons. I only know a few people who rec'd warnings for med-errors or patient care (it's rare). Most of the what you're written up for, are minor clerical errors, things that could & should be handled with a quick discussion with Mgmt, if at all.
These are actual notes: You were observed on the video tape with a drink at the Nurses Station - this is not permitted, please make an appt. to discuss this. (The Mgr. walks around the floor all day guzzling coffee, go figure). You clocked in 1 minute late last week, please see me to be re-educated about the importance of being on time. Really? That was the 1 time I was late in all these yrs & I get drug into the office about it. I was late because a lost old man in the lobby, asked me to show him where the ICU was, so he could see his Wife. They didn't care - I got a write-up, that'll teach me not to be nice again.
We recently had a pt that should have been in the ICU, not on our floor. She needed constant care, left little time for our other patients. I work nights & my co-worker who works days, had this same group of pt's all weekend. It was such a heavy load, she ended up having to stay late each night, to get all her charting done. What does she get for staying late to get it all done? A nasty-gram in her box - See the Mgr. about unapproved overtime. If she hadn't done all her charting, she would have been written up for that - you can't win.
It's just so insulting, to be constantly treated like a bunch of Toddlers who need constant supervision. We're a group of conscientious Professionals, that take patient care seriously. My group on nights, keeps the floor running & handles any problem that comes our way, just fine, without the help of any Manager breathing down our necks - but would they ever say Thanks, you did a great job - NEVER!!! All you hear is negative - you forgot to cross a T or dot an i - from someone who hasn't touched a patient in years, if ever.
Recently had a talk with my Brother, a long-time Trauma Nurse in another State. He said he's never heard of so much ridiculous, nit-picking and there were too many hospitals out there that appreciate and value their Nurses, to keep putting up with this. He works for a Union, so I'm wondering if that's why him & his fellow Nurses are treated decently or is it just my place?

What you describe is precisely the reason I got out of hospital nursing. Every time we had a staff "meeting", it was the staff sitting there listening to management lecture us and/or yell at us. A few months before I left, two of my colleagues left and went to work at the same agency. They told us after the fact that the first time they attended a staff meeting there, they were praised and both sat there bug-eyed thinking, "I can't believe we're not being yelled at." I recently experienced this myself... I had to attend a meeting for my entire agency on Thursday and the COO had nothing negative to say about the staff- she praised us for how hard we work and how we are the reason the agency is successful. I NEVER in 5 years heard anything remotely praise-worthy like that when I worked in the hospital.

As far as write-ups go, my manager in the hospital very clearly targeted certain people. I had a colleague once who was being worked up for a possible cancer diagnosis, discussed this with our manager and was told, "do whatever you need to do." THEN, she was written up for excessive call-outs when she had to miss work for an endless battery of medical tests.

pockunit, ADN, RN · Jun 17, 2012

Whenever I hear things like this I suggest that the person quietly start looking for a new job because management is probably starting a paper trail. If you're being written up for things like that, it's because they want to escort you to the door. You probably don't want to be on that floor, anyway, it sounds like.

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Jun 17, 2012

This is a sign of poor management. Has there been a change? I was like you, never written up in my adult life, until I took a job where I was written up numerous times for nonsense. I stopped paying any attention to my manager and looked for a new job.

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2012

I guess I should go to work tomorrow and kiss my boss. Maybe not. Might be awkward.

Nothing like what you describe happens where I work. If there is charting that needs completed we get reminders, but I don't consider that a write up. We never get written up for clocking in late..or early for that matter. Somebody might be looking at surveillance video, but if they are, they don't say anything about the food and drink at the nurse's station.

There was a time, when we transitioned to EMR, that there were daily notes in our mail boxes about what we were doing wrong. That was demoralizing. Especially before starting another day with the EMR monster. Those are rare now.

It sounds like somebody's boss has control issues.

PrimaFacie · Jun 17, 2012

Hydrating oneself at the nurse's station? That negatively affects patient care 'how', again?
Please.

The food and drink at the nurses station is an OSHA rule.

When I went to look it up to cite it for you, I found this funny article by a doctor who was ticked off by it:

Why Is Food and Drink Prohibited At The Nurse's Station And Other Hospital Work Areas?

JordanRose · Jun 17, 2012

I am so glad I am out of hospital nursing. That was the kind of hostile environment I worked in for 16 years. Then through a chain of events, I found myself out of my job last year. I was able to find a job in a speciality office and I am so much happier. None of the nitpicking, backstabbing, etc that I had experienced in all my years at the hospital. I have to drive a bit for my job, and I am making less money, but it is so worth it not to have the ever present "threat" of being wrote up at the drop of a pin.

caliotter3 · Jun 17, 2012

The managers are probably intent on being able to prove that they are doing their jobs, therefore the unnecessary writeups. Managers who are secure in their roles know when to do verbal counseling, when to do writeups, and when to just let something go.

interleukin · Jun 17, 2012

"Conscientious Professionals" do not tolerate such catch-22 conditions. They ask:

"Which do you prefer....all charting done or no overtime?"

These days, they are often incompatible scenarios.

If you, indeed, allow yourself to be turned into a long-term task monkey, then don't complain about it.

As a professional, you need to at least apprise them of their impossible mandates.

And, if they won't address or resolve the issues then, as a professional, pack up your dignity and leave.

Continuing to patch poor management behavior only guarantees its perpetuation.

loveu123 · Jun 17, 2012

I used to work on such a unit at the same hospital that im in now. People used to talk constantly about how they were scared of getting a write up for any little thing that happened on the unit. My coworker got a write up for choosing to intervene for a patient that had a vtach instead of restarting an infiltrated iv line to give vanco that was q24 hours. I left after they tried to write me up for punching in 3 mins late. I treatened to get union rep becausr our contract allowed to punch 7mins before and after. Im now working in a step down unit with trauma and surgical that is much more difficult at the same hospital,and i am not as stressed as i used to be in my old unit. The leadership in my new unit is very supportive and respect us and makr us feel appreciated.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 17, 2012

Personally, I think write-ups are WAAAAAY overused in our profession. Like other posters before me have stated, we aren't grade-schoolers in need of discipline for some minor infraction of the rules, such as chewing gum in class. We are adults and should be treated like adults, although I have no problem writing up someone whom I've already warned about a patient care issue or a particular behavior (calling in with the 'bottle flu' every Sunday they're on duty is a pet peeve of mine).

But unless it's something flagrant, such as leaving residents in soiled briefs for the next shift to deal with, I prefer to assume staff members need education, not punishment, so I'll sit them down and discuss the problem, then document the conversation in a journal in case they continue the objectionable practice. This constitutes a verbal warning; it starts a paper trail that progresses to written warnings (three strikes and you're out) and finally termination if necessary. I don't like to see my company have to pay unemployment claims, so the paperwork had better be there. (Now, if I can just get my floor supervisors to do this....... :rolleyes: )

wickeddiazrn · Jun 17, 2012

I'd like others thoughts on being "written-up" at work. Before becoming an RN, I spent 6yrs in the Navy & 10yrs in Business. In all those yrs, not once was I written-up for anything. I've been working on the same floor for quite a few yrs & have never seen anything like the write-ups people get, for the most ridiculous reasons. I only know a few people who rec'd warnings for med-errors or patient care (it's rare). Most of the what you're written up for, are minor clerical errors, things that could & should be handled with a quick discussion with Mgmt, if at all.
These are actual notes: You were observed on the video tape with a drink at the Nurses Station - this is not permitted, please make an appt. to discuss this. (The Mgr. walks around the floor all day guzzling coffee, go figure). You clocked in 1 minute late last week, please see me to be re-educated about the importance of being on time. Really? That was the 1 time I was late in all these yrs & I get drug into the office about it. I was late because a lost old man in the lobby, asked me to show him where the ICU was, so he could see his Wife. They didn't care - I got a write-up, that'll teach me not to be nice again.
We recently had a pt that should have been in the ICU, not on our floor. She needed constant care, left little time for our other patients. I work nights & my co-worker who works days, had this same group of pt's all weekend. It was such a heavy load, she ended up having to stay late each night, to get all her charting done. What does she get for staying late to get it all done? A nasty-gram in her box - See the Mgr. about unapproved overtime. If she hadn't done all her charting, she would have been written up for that - you can't win.
It's just so insulting, to be constantly treated like a bunch of Toddlers who need constant supervision. We're a group of conscientious Professionals, that take patient care seriously. My group on nights, keeps the floor running & handles any problem that comes our way, just fine, without the help of any Manager breathing down our necks - but would they ever say Thanks, you did a great job - NEVER!!! All you hear is negative - you forgot to cross a T or dot an i - from someone who hasn't touched a patient in years, if ever.
Recently had a talk with my Brother, a long-time Trauma Nurse in another State. He said he's never heard of so much ridiculous, nit-picking and there were too many hospitals out there that appreciate and value their Nurses, to keep putting up with this. He works for a Union, so I'm wondering if that's why him & his fellow Nurses are treated decently or is it just my place?

This is frustrating. I have recently accepted a position as a risk manager at my facility. First thing, if these are being "written up" in an actually reporting format that your facility uses to track and monitor trends etc, that information is very confidential. Please be careful when posting "actual notes". Our eSRM system cannot be printed. When I do trend and have to present information to committees, to help with changing a process, I have to make sure that the information is very watered down. In fact no one can remove note or minutes from those meetings. I keep a record of the minutes only.

Have you talked to your manager about this face to face and in a professional maner? Just because someone is in a management position it does not mean they have the best communication skills. He/She may be very uncomfortable aproaching people face to face or one-on -one. I agree that the drink at the station, I would have just walked up to you and had a nice discussion about it. In addition, Iagree that the rules should apply to her also. I always come across the reports that you can read are just being petty. I review them, look to see if maybe it could be a problem or why did the person report it, and then many times close it out. I can still go back in at another time and run reports to see if something is really becoming a problem.

The fact that you feel that "you" are being written up and not the "action" is a big alert for me that the culture at your facility may need to be re-educated as to why reporting is important. Many of the saftey process that are inplace currently came from tracking errors.

As far as the union, it depends on the union and the leaders of that union. I have seen great ones and poor ones. The great ones comminicate for the nurse with the management and have frequent meetings throughout the year. They do not only meet when there is a problem. They frequently discuss things in terms of patients and safety. Yes, they also support the nurses, but they also have a eye on the management/hospital side. Remember, if a hospital goes under due to financial reasons or saftey issues the nurses are out of a job too.

I am curious did anyone "write up" or report the fact that you have a patient that should have been at a higher level of care? That is what needs to be addressed. That is a big patient safety issue.

I hope things get better for you and that you find a way to get management to listen to you. You may want to speak to your Quality Director or Risk Manager if you feel like after you speak to your manager that things will not change.

~Kris