Okay, it’s not that drastic. But it’s important to always keep in mind the standards you are held to as a nurse, even on social media. As much as we’d like to keep our work lives and our private lives separate, the digital age has made distancing these two worlds ever more difficult. Our online presence gives anyone a window into our lives.  Access like this can be dangerous for any professional, especially nurses. Not only are we governed by the usual rules of social etiquette, but we must … [Read more...]

I am known for saying, “You can always get another job but not another license!” If you smell the handwriting on the wall, resign.  If you get terminated, on every future job application you will have to disclose that you were terminated.  Otherwise, not to do so is called fraud and material misrepresentation in obtaining a license. Some nurses will say, “Well, I was there only a short time.”  It does not matter! In fact, when you sign your employment application, there usually is … [Read more...]

Most States are “employment at will” which means that one can be terminated for any reason or even for no reason at all!  However, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers are prohibited from discriminating against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin. In a recent case, a 60-year-old nurse of Chinese descent, worked at the Cleveland Clinic since 1976.  Ms. Lee started over 40 years ago, when she was just 23 years old. In 2009, … [Read more...]