Have you ever been written up at work for the smallest nursing mistake? Don’t despair! It happens to the best of us, so it’s better to be prepared when that time comes. Here’s how you can take some of the sting out of these occurrences.
Setting the stage. In my experience, you’re called to the nursing manager’s office or, if your manager is sadistic, you are told you have a meeting scheduled for later on but you are not told the reason. The classic ambush.
On with the show. You’re in the manager’s office, door closed, and you don’t yet know why you’re being blessed with such attention or, as I call it, “Special High Intensity Training”. Intimidation.
The hammer drops. Your nursing manager has already choreographed how the conversation should go and the response they want. The stage set, your manager will share with you your “crimes against humanity.” Resist the urge to argue. Your punishment is laid before you. An action plan, a letter of apology to a difficult patient (Do patients ever see them?), suspension, or the Big Kahuna…termination.
Hint: disciplinary meetings at the end of the shift are more likely to be terminations.
The game. Your manager, by design, holds all the cards. Location, surprise, and research to get the desired outcome. Feel like you’ve just been run over by a truck? That’s intentional! You’re expected to succumb to the ambush, feel powerless and give the planned response.
A better way to deal with this. When first informed of a meeting, ask politely what the subject will be so as to prepare (and keep your anxiety level down). You might request bringing a support person (union rep, witness, McGyver), though this might be denied. It helps to throw the choreography off a bit, even being denied shifts power, making circumstances seem unfair. Take notes, especially details such as times, places, names, etc. The more specific they are the easier they are to refute. When the meeting has run it’s course, give no response to the charges but request time to research the matter so that you can respond in everyone’s best interest and still do you nursing work.
Outcome. Research and reply carefully. Admit medical errors if present, and suggest reasonable resolution. Consult a lawyer if needed.
My example. I was called into the manger’s office who began the meeting mentioning this was my 90th and last day of probation (interpretation: I’m fired). She had a handwritten list of patients where I hadn’t followed the hospital policy for securing them. In a rare moment of clear thinking under fire, I pointed to the top of the list and said I would take 100% responsibility for that IV. But the rest were the fault of the person who’d seen my error, didn’t tell me about the policy change, but took time to make this list.
My manager agreed with my logic, accepted that I would read and follow the policy, and my job was saved. In hindsight, this was a short term victory but a long term failure. The hospital was a miserable place for nursing work. A few years later I moved on and have been much happier ever since.