CRONA
Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement
Area Representatives and Membership Meetings
November 1 and 6, 2007

Disciplinary Action is the sixth in a series of educational information

In June and July of this year, the number of disciplinary actions increased significantly (10 at SHC and 7 at LPCH).

Eleven (11) of the seventeen disciplinary actions involved administrative leaves (7 at SHC and 4 at LPCH).

The number of days in which nurses have been placed on administrative leave ranged from one (1) day to twenty-one (21) days.

The alleged infractions were related to patient complaints, communication, harassment, documentation, medication errors, HIPAA violation, practicing beyond the RN scope of practice and attendance.

These alleged infractions have resulted in suspensions, written warnings, final written warnings, or terminations. A few of the nurses voluntarily resigned.

Written Warnings and Discipline

There is a multi-step disciplinary process involving warnings, final written warnings, and terminations that depends on the severity of the alleged misconduct and the nurse’s response to counseling.

Verbal counseling should be the first step of the corrective process. This will ensure that the RN knows what is expected and actions can be taken by him /her to correct the problem, such as additional training.

A written warning is used when the problem is not corrected, or if the severity of the problem warrants more than a verbal warning but less than suspension, final written warning or discharge.

Written warnings and attachments will be removed from the RN’s personnel file after 12 months from the date of issue unless the RN engages in similar or related misconduct within that period.

Similar or related misconduct during that period may result in the warnings being extended an additional 12 months and may result in whatever corrective action may be deemed appropriate.

Final written warnings and attachments will not be removed from the nurse’s personnel file at LPCH. Final written warning at SHC must be removed from the nurse’s personnel file after 12 months from the date of issue, unless the nurse engages in similar or related misconduct within that period.

After a nurse’s separation from employment, all forms of written warnings shall not be disclosed to other prospective employers.

If the manager is giving a written warning, he/she must notify you of your right to have a CRONA representative present. If you are denied this right, notify CRONA immediately. This applies to all RNs including RNs still in the trial period.

CRONA believes that there needs to be more mentoring and less disciplining. Job performance depends on education, training, and most importantly motivation. These concepts are the keys to establishing a just culture that holds employees accountable for meeting expectations.

A non-threatening environment is more conducive to learning.

For more information about written warnings and discipline, please refer to Sections 22 and 23 in the LPCH and SHC contracts respectively and to the hospitals’ Corrective Action Policy.

Grievance and Arbitration

The purpose of outlining the process for grievance and arbitration is to provide the hospital and CRONA with an orderly means of resolving differences which may arise between them.

Only nurses who have successfully completed their trial period are eligible to use the grievance procedure. Nurses who are in their trial period are not eligible to use the grievance procedure (except for paycheck and discrimination issues).

Timeliness must be adhered to when filing a grievance. In cases of discipline or layoff, the grievance must be submitted no later then 21 calendar days after the action occurred or should have occurred. The timeline in all other cases (performance evaluation, paycheck, etc.) is no later than 30 calendar days.

Failure to adhere to these timelines constitutes a waiver of the nurse’s claim. If you are denied your rights, your work condition adversely affected and/or received disciplinary action, call CRONA immediately.

For more information about grievance and arbitration, please refer to Sections 23 and 24 in the LPCH and SHC contracts respectively.

Sunny Balson, Secretary
On behalf of the CRONA Executive Board