Can Bad Things Happen to Good Nurses?
Suspended for Investigation
All of us, as Registered Nurses, are just one step away from an investigatory suspension. Have you ever been investigated for an error you made or were suspected of making at the workplace? How about investigated for an error you didn’t make? Below are examples of incidents at HCA hospitals in which RNs were placed on investigatory suspension status.
This can happen to you even if you’re a “good” nurse.
- Hospital administration received a phone call about an alleged HIPAA violation that happened more than a year ago — the nurse, with 22 years of exemplary service, was suspended for investigation.
- Hospital management suspected a nurse was sleeping on the job even though co-workers knew she was caring for an NICU baby and could not instantly respond. The hospital suspended the nurse for investigation until they could talk to the co-workers some days later.
- A nurse made a clerical mistake ordering blood, and the mistake was caught through the system designed to catch those errors. The nurse was suspended for investigation even though the mistake was caught and there was no harm to the patient.
In each of the above examples, employees were placed on investigatory suspension and the employees did not necessarily receive a discipline. So that nurses aren’t indiscriminately placed on investigatory suspension, our Union has proposed language that provides guidelines for the hospital to follow before placing RNs on investigatory suspension. This will address the needs of the hospital to perform investigations while protecting nurses from undue anxiety, humiliation and stress.
Our Union's Proposal on Investigatory Suspension
Investigatory Suspension. No employee will be held in unpaid investigatory suspension for more than ten (10) calendar days. The Hospital must meet both of the following conditions to place an employee in an unpaid investigatory suspension:
· The Hospital must have a reasonable belief that an employee’s continued presence in the workplace creates an imminent threat to the health, safety, or welfare of patients, other employees, patient families or data/property;
· The Hospital is initiating an investigation to determine whether disciplinary action is warranted.
Click here for additional information on:
Tentative agreement on Paycheck Errors
Our Union's Variable Shift proposal
Our Union's Vacation Requests & Holidays proposal
