[zipita]

Am a Registered Nurse. And at the time of this occurrence about a month ago I was working nghts. I developed chest pain due to stressful situations created by a coworker, a cherge nurse. When I came in I told her that I was not feeling well and that I had chest pain another nurse asked what was wrong and I told her, this was about 7:30 PM. I was not allowed to go to the emergency room until midnight after I refused to take a new admittion and expressed to my charge nurse for the fourth time that I had chest pain and needed to go to the ER, she finally said she would see what she could do about getting a replacement for me, at o point did she volunteer to take the patients and I had to continue wainting and then was told I had to finish my charting and give report before I went down. I have been under the care of a cardiologist and continue to be at this time. After a hospitalization in the emergency room at the same facility that I work this anomalies took place:
I asked not to be admitted to the cardiac floor where I work
I specifically asked that my charge nurse not be given any information about my condition as she and I don't get along and at this point I had gone from been an employee to being a patient and I thought I had these rights.
None of these wishes were respected and not only was an order issued or me to be admitted to tha floor, but the next person I see standing at my bed side is the charge nurse I did not want involved in my cased to begin with.
I was discharged the next day around noon. With a good prognosis.
The next day I worked another nurse tha knew I had gone to the ER approached me and told me that while she was there off hours visiting her grandmother that had a heart attack the particular charge nurse approached her, her husband and daughter and told her that I had been in the ER and what my lab results were.
I contacted HR with the concern that my privacy had been violated and none of my wishes had been respected. An investigation was done according to the hospital and nothing came of it because the person that interviewed the charge nurse was the nurse manager and not the compliance officer and she happens to be her friend. The nurse that witnessed the episode and told me was never interviewed by the compliance officer either, she was just asked a few questions over the phone that were misleading as she expresses to me. I contacted the compliance department again and asked them to interviews the witness themselves as I was making the violation claim as a patient and not an employee. The officer called the witness nurse and asked for a return call, at this time she is afraid of retaliation and does not call. I approached her and told her that since she had made this accusations and I had filled a complaint she needed to follow through and call the officer, at this time again she said that she was afraid of retaliation and that she did not want to. I said I was going to speak to an attorney and left for a 5 day conference. When I came back after working for a few hours I was escorted by my nurse manager to HR were I was placed on administrative leave and was told that the witness nurse had written a letter saying that I was herasing her to write a letter or call. I only asked her twice and at no point did I threaten her. Now I stand to loose my job because I stood up for myself.
What are some steps I can take to make the violator acountable as well as the witneess. My hospital has stated thet all they have done is given the nurse counseling to not do it again. I had to change my shift bacause of this as well. Now I am going to lose my job
Thank you for your attention to this matter and any help anyone can give me,
zipita

[JudyKayTee]

Because of the various twists and turns I would contact an Attorney - this seems to be fairly complicated and I am not that familiar with hospitals and the nursing profession. Do you belong to a Union?

[Fr_Chuck]

First you had some false idea that a hospital would not assign you to the proper department for your medical problem, that would be like a lady having a baby to say she did not want to go to that department.

So just being sent to the dept you did not want to go to, was unrealistic at best and actually petty. Next the fact you were in, was fairly common knowledge it appears to not only employees but others visiting, and of course an idea that fact would not be known would also be unrealistic.

I would say and sorry, but you have other issues against the workers and are looking for a problem that really is not there, from my opinion. And I see little that you needed to stand up for, unless you were provided improper care as a patient.

Sorry but I think you are making a big deal out of other personal issue you are having with them.