Alcoholic Nurse, Did I do the Right Thing? Poll

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
I've worked with a guy for 2 years that comes to work smelling of alcohol every night. Shakes & tremors, flushed face, the whole nine yards...

Talked to my boss numerous times, he wouldn't do anything.

I finally e-mailed my boss's boss & her supervisor, turning him in for drinking today. I'm obligated to report this kind of stuff by my licensing agency & have been concerned about the liability & possible danger to patients.

I sort of feel bad, but feel like I didn't have much of a choice:(

Also interested in your comments or a bump to keep the poll going for a few hours...
 

Mookow

Lifer
Apr 24, 2001
10,162
0
0
Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I have worked with a guy for 2 years that comes to work smelling of alcohol every night. Shakes & tremors the whole nine yards...

Talked to my boss numerous times, he wouldn't do anything.

I finally e-mailed my bosses boss & her supervisor, turning him in for drinking today. I'm obligated to report this kind of stuff by my licensing agency & have been concerned about the liability & possible danger to patients.

I sort of feel bad, but feel like I didn't have much of a choice:(

Also interested in your comments or a bump to keep the poll going for a few hours...

If he comes in drunk all the time, eventually he will screw up and someone will either die or get handicapped. Turning him was definitely the correct decision
 

Nohr

Diamond Member
Jan 6, 2001
7,303
32
101
www.flickr.com
Originally posted by: Mookow

If he comes in drunk all the time, eventually he will screw up and someone will either die or get handicapped. Turning him was definitely the correct decision

Agreed, kudos for doing the right thing.
 

crab

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2001
7,330
19
81
My mother was fired for helping a family prove that another nurse was ripping them off. :(
 

Antoneo

Diamond Member
May 25, 2001
3,911
0
0
You definitely did the right thing. What I really don't understand is why your boss blew you off :|.
 

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
Originally posted by: Antoneo
You definitely did the right thing. What I really don't understand is why your boss blew you off :|.


I've had the same boss for 7 years now, suspect he had a couple of reason's for not following up on my concerns.

1.) I told him verbally, nothing was official, but I offered to put it on paper for him.
2.) With the current shortage of nurses, he's afraid to lose even a single staff member.
3.) He's one of those "head in the sand" kind of guys, nice & great to have as a family member or friend, but an ineffective supervisor.

He's leaving @ the end of the month & taking a non-management position, & it'll be a nightmare to get things straight after his decades (literally) of inattention to details, broken equipment, staff problems, etc...
 

wfbberzerker

Lifer
Apr 12, 2001
10,423
0
0
in any occupation you should report that behavior, but its especially important in a situation where he saves lives.
 

AlienCraft

Lifer
Nov 23, 2002
10,539
0
0
Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
Pliablemoose, you did the right think period
But did they do the right thing?


rolleye.gif
:D
 

amnesiac

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
15,781
1
71
Can the morons who voted "narc bastard" please at least state your reasons for voting why?

There's no excuse to show up intoxicated to any job, ever.
This goes double for such jobs where people's lives are YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

How would you like it if a family member was in the hospital and died because the nurse was drunk and administered the wrong medicine/procedure?

The help in hospitals is scary enough without them coming in to work tossed. :|
 

RaynorWolfcastle

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2001
8,968
16
81
did you speak with the guy first? Speaking with management is the right thing to do, if you've spoken to the concerned parties first
 

BatmanNate

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
12,444
2
81
You're definately in the clear on this one. Coming in iniebriated to any profession is bad news, but one where people's lives other than your own could depend upon it is double plus ungood. :D The impact of your decision may not be known to you, but you could have saved a life.
 

Swanny

Diamond Member
Mar 29, 2001
7,456
0
76
I sure wouldn't want a drunk guy taking care of me in an ER. You did the right thing.
 

Tripleshot

Elite Member
Jan 29, 2000
7,218
1
0
If I was the administrator recieving your complaint, I would call in everyone from that shift who had knowledge, and everyone of them that did not respond as you did would be shown the door. We hold our law enforcemnent and professional people to a higher standing, and those whose job it is to serve and protect, are in those jobs because the accept the responsibility for thier actions. Those who condone or protect those who violate that trust are not worthy of the respect or the rewards the public bestows on them.

I hope you busted his ars. :disgust:
 

eakers

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
12,169
2
0
Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
did you speak with the guy first? Speaking with management is the right thing to do, if you've spoken to the concerned parties first

 

wolf papa

Senior member
Dec 12, 1999
738
0
0
if he came in that way habitually, chances are he has a serious abuse problem, ignoring it would only enable him to continue, but facing the repercussions may encourage him to get help. That's the positive angle for the nurse.

And what you did was the responsible thing to do - healthcare professionals need to be at their best consistently. The patients and their co-workers deserve nothing less.

You did right.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
Originally posted by: Mookow
Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I have worked with a guy for 2 years that comes to work smelling of alcohol every night. Shakes & tremors the whole nine yards...

Talked to my boss numerous times, he wouldn't do anything.

I finally e-mailed my bosses boss & her supervisor, turning him in for drinking today. I'm obligated to report this kind of stuff by my licensing agency & have been concerned about the liability & possible danger to patients.

I sort of feel bad, but feel like I didn't have much of a choice:(

Also interested in your comments or a bump to keep the poll going for a few hours...

If he comes in drunk all the time, eventually he will screw up and someone will either die or get handicapped. Turning him was definitely the correct decision


damn right you did the right thing. you may have saved someones life.
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,207
66
91
You should sleep well tonight knowing that you did the right thing.


Hey, it's these though decisions that show our true colors.