An ethical thread I guess.

This weekend at work I discovered a HUGE mistake, actually a lie, that one of nurses made. Thing is, she's the charge nurse.

I was hesitant to write her up, because I feared that I would get less hours for exposig her mistake (yes, it's like that at my work).

But then I thought, "No, I have a duty to the residents' safety first and foremost, and if I don't report this I will also be liable".

So I wrote her and the other nurse who made the same mistake/lie. Actually, I tried to not point the finger as much as possible...but it was pretty hard not to.

So anyways, I feel good about doing the right thing...but now I'm scared to see her next...or even what's going to happen at work. This is the kind of shit that our facility can get sued for, and the charge nurse can lose her licence.


Anything like this ever happen to any of you?

BRING THEM BITCHEZ DOWN
edit: oh u already did

It's not about me bringing anybody down though. I mean, I like the people I work with, and I like the new charge nurse. But the thing that happened is pretty fucking serious, and it needs to be investigated. It's about resident protection.


But yeah.

if they were so nice and you like'em why would you be afraid of losing some hours

You have a responsibility to the people there as much as any other. Regardless of who makes the mistake(s) they need to be reported and the mistakes need to be fixed.

I wouldn't fear for the status of your job as a result of doing this. If anything, I'd be more confident if I were you. People in roles responsibility respect people who do things like you did.

If there is a "right" thing, you probably did it.

Under most workplace circumstances, I take the "don't rat people out, but don't lie for them either" approach. If I notice somebody lying or fucking up, and I am not their boss, it is none of my business. If someone asks me about it, I won't protect them by lying, but I am also not inclined to seek a higher-up in order to tattle. In fact, it irks my shit out when people do that. If I end up caring, I am actually inclined to lie, myself, if I think it will get tattlers in trouble.

High school never ends, yo.

But yeah, if peoples' safety was in jeopardy, you took the right approach. I've never worked in healthcare, so I probably cannot understand the severity of the situation, if it is serious at all, but of course water-cooler politics take a backseat towards patients' lives.

But yeah, as UWM mentioned, do not worry about your job. Not because there's nothing to worry about - I don't think I am qualified to say, but safety is job one, imo.

___________________
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

sounds like an episode of Scrubs.

___________________
+ + + AMBROSIA
lovebirds tracklist archive | vincenzo tracklist archive

as i am also bound by legal code of ethics, here is my recommendation.

since you already did the right thing and alerted your direct supervisor of the issue even though they are responsible from the sounds of things, the following should be retained for proof of due dilligance:

-copy of the letter / memo / email you sent to the involved persons.

-Keep a list of all the inadequacies / incidents / issues that led you to believe that some kind of professional negligence or ethical breach had occured.

-some kind of official record of your working conditions up to the point where you sent the memo / letter / email (so you have a baseline to show that youare being punnished for your actions ie: having oyur hours cut back)

-Take the three documents above and mail them by registered courrier to yourself, and do not open the letter package when you recieve it. This will timestamp your documents in case the shit goes down....

-If nothing is done with in a reasonable time frame to rectify the situation and you feel that persons remain at risk, report it to the next highest authority.

at any point if you feel you are being penalized for performing your dutys, report it to the college of nurses (i think that is your governing body isnt it?) or your union etc.

___________________

quote:

Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN I have 3 hobbies: gaming, DJing & correcting maladjusted fools on the internet.

quote:

Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN Yeah, I’d like to know what horrible, scarring incident in your childhood turned you into such an ignorant, intellectual-hating philistine?

quote:

Originally posted by lücid sounds like an episode of Scrubs.

Lol, does the janitor follow u around and try to torture u too?

hopefully the person responsable fixes the fuck up and admits their own mistake.... but just in case, it never hurts to cover your own ass.....

___________________

quote:

Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN I have 3 hobbies: gaming, DJing & correcting maladjusted fools on the internet.

quote:

Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN Yeah, I’d like to know what horrible, scarring incident in your childhood turned you into such an ignorant, intellectual-hating philistine?

I find good kharma looks out for you in the long run. If you were found to have ignored it, and were terminated because of that or suspended or whatnot, I can't imagine you'd have an easy time finding work elsewhere. Where peoples health comes into consideration, I think you did the right thing. Office politics is nonsense, think of what the big people upstairs would think. It is their opinions that really count and I'm sure they want you doing the right thing.