by NURSE IN
(SC)
Question: The Nightmare That Caused Me To Quit My Job At A Nursing Home
I WAS WORKING AS A NURSE IN A NURSING HOME IN S.C. THIS IS VERY DEMANDING WORK IN ITSELF.
ANYHOW, I FELT A REAL LACK OF SUPPORT FROM UPPER MANAGEMENT. MY COMPLAINTS ABOUT A NEW SUPERVISOR SEEMED TO BE IGNORED. THIS NEW SUPERVISOR WAS VERY UNSUPPORTIVE, I.E. SHE WAS ALWAYS READY TO LEAVE ON TIME, WHERE I USUALLY STAYED AT LEAST A HOUR OVER. SHE NEVER ASKED ME IF I NEEDED ANY HELP TO FINISH.
SITUATIONS WOULD ARISE THAT NEEDED TO BE RESOLVEd AND SHE WOULDN’T GET INVOLVED, I.E. A PART TIME NURSE CAME TO WORK & TOOK MY FLOOR, I WORKED FULL TIME AND WAS ASSIGNED TO A FLOOR, PART TIME HELP FLOATS. THE SUPERVISOR DID NOTHING.
I WENT TO ANOTHER FLOOR JUST TO GET WORK STARTED AND AVOID CONFLICT. AT THE END OF THE SHIFT THE PART TIME NURSE CAME TO THE DESK AND TOOK PAPERWORK I WAS USING AT THE TIME, OF COURSE WORDS WERE EXCHANGED.
THIS SUPERVISOR WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION BY THE PART TIME NURSE AND DID NOTHING. WELL, EXCEPT TALK ABOUT THIS SITUATION OPENLY IN FRONT OF OTHER CO-WORKERS, CNA’S, WHICH IS A NO NO. I WAS NEVER EVEN ASKED ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
THIS SUPERVISOR CALLED THE FLOOR I WAS WORKING AND ASKED THE ON COMING NURSE TO NOTIFY HER WHEN I HAD LEFT THE BUILDING, WOW. I COMPLIED TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE PERSON AS WELL, AS THE WEEK-END SUPERVISOR ABOUT THIS SUPERVISOR. I EVEN REFUSED TO COME TO WORK AFTER THE SITUATION WITH THE PART TIME NURSE. I WAS TOLD THIS CONFLICT WOULD BE RESOLVED, AS THE PART TIME NURSE WOULD BE GETTING FIRED DUE TO VARIOUS REASONS.
DUMMY ME, WENT BACK TO WORK. THIS SUPERVISOR CONTINUED TO BE UNSUPPORTIVE. I CONTINUED TO COMPLAIN, NOTHING WAS DONE.
THE SITUATION THAT OCCURRED, WHERE I DECIDED QUITTING WOULD BE IN MY BEST INTEREST WAS WHEN A CNA CAME TO ME, INFORMED ME A PATIENT OF MINE, MAY NEED HER SUGAR CHECKED. NO URGENCY WAS IMPLIED.
UPON ARRIVING TO CARE FOR THIS PT., I FOUND ANOTHER NURSE DOING THIS, THAT’S FINE, BUT WHY WASN’T THE PT. BROUGHT TO ME?
ANYHOW, I GOT WROTE UP FOR THIS SITUATION, WHICH I FELT WAS VERY, VERY WRONG. I QUIT THAT NIGHT.
I FEEL THAT THE SUPERVISOR INSTIGATED MANY SITUATIONS THAT HAD NEGATIVE OUTCOMES FOR ME AND UPPER MANAGEMENT LACKED SUPPORT.
I HAVE SEVERAL PAGES OF DOCUMENTATION OF NEGATIVE SITUATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES, AS WELL AS CO-WORKERS WHO WITNESSED INCIDENTS.
I AM UNSURE IF THIS IS GOOD CAUSE OR NOT. LET ME KNOW YOUR VIEW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
Answer to: The Nightmare That Caused Me To Quit My Job At A Nursing Home
And, “I AM UNSURE IF THIS IS GOOD CAUSE OR NOT. LET ME KNOW YOUR VIEW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.”
On the surface, without knowing what’s detailed in the several pages of documentation, it sounds like an unemployment determination I would expect to be denied for a quit in anticipation of discharge.
A quit in anticipation is rarely found to be with good cause because the written warning is allowing you an opportunity to correct a defect in your work .. or attitude an employer reasonably has a right to expect from a subordinate employee. To prove the employer was attempting to constructively discharge which is unreasonable, is an effort you the one that quit, must prove.
However, I can only see the surface, but I can speculate about what’s below .. at least from my past experience viewing this situation from the employer’s point of view.
I know the details of the final incident are of extreme importance to the SC UI dept., because that’s what prompted you to quit .. and that was, you we’re written up for something you didn’t agree with. In addition .. you had some personality conflicts going on and you didn’t feel supported by your supervisor.
Well, none of that is a first for millions of employees who don’t choose to quit.
Whether the preceding incidents you vaguely detailed, or the complaints you made to HR, or any reprimands you didn’t think might be important to mention may come back to bite you even if you happen to be allowed benefits .. the whole question here is .. would a reasonable person under similar working conditions quit their job that wasn’t yet being ended via a discharge by the employer?
Quitting, with few exceptions found in laws must be found attributable to the employment, not by you, but by another hypothetical, reasonable person.
Good cause to quit is always found in the details and hopefully, the documentation, of what you tried to do to correct an unreasonable work situation to preserve your employment
That is what shifts the burden of proof back to the employer’s to respond reasonably as well.
The “reasonable person standard” read gazillion of unemployment hearing decisions and it becomes burned into your brain.
I suppose it might be safe to presume the final incident was documented by the employer in such a way as to make you appear to be negligent in your duty to provide prompt care to YOUR patient, per some policy or work procedure.
The employer would of course, submit prior write ups for rule violations, maybe the progressive discipline policy, the written work procedure violated, ideally a signed acknowledgement you knew their rules and procedures, and of course any witness statements obtained through an investigation conducted before deciding to write you up for the final incident that you quit over.
I also assumed the above ..from the sounds of this, “I HAVE SEVERAL PAGES OF DOCUMENTATION OF NEGATIVE SITUATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES.
It doesn’t help me to view a situation objectively about the legal burden of quitting if you only tell me the superficial which sounds like it favors you.
Half the battle of proving, or rebutting the argument is to explore the oppositions weaknesses when to rebut or prove.
So, here’s a question about what you were written up for that seems sensible to me, even though I have no direct knowledge of the procedures you worked under ..
How long had it been from the time you were informed by the CNA a patient needed their blood sugar checked, until you arrived to aid the patient and found another nurse checking it?
Details.
Chris