Since Florence Nightingale, the mother of nursing, a nurse and a soldier have always been inseparable. A cop and a nurse gets along well. Yes, cops are lenient to nurses and it won’t stop.
Hospitals have implemented yet another way to punish nurses on time and attendance called “the point system” where after so many points, the hospital can get rid of a nurse just because they have accrued so many points. Have fun with that but nurses leave in groups and we are one. You cannot offend one without offending the other. That’s just the way it is – hospitals. Deal with it.
Clock-in time for Nurses: –
I get it… it is not a system if you do not have set rules and regulations with measures to enforce it. Nurses are well aware of this and want to respect your new time and attendance software policies. You’d agree while it takes all of us to form the world, you need nurses probably more than you need your enforcement policies. I am not making excuses for tardiness either.
A few weeks ago, Anna Smith was running late to work after spending all day attending her sick child – a high dependency child with chronic medical needs. She had worked the night before and had not had enough sleep in-between my shifts.
Anna Smith attempted to ask for a day off – and presented her reasons but she was threatened with how many points she’s accrue on time and attendance point system.
Without thinking twice, Anna Smith napped a few ours she could get so that she can clock in on time and avoid the big cane hospitals are enforcing.
5 miles into her drive to work, Anna Smith realized she had 5 minutes to beat the clock in deadline, or accrue tardiness points that can lead to termination.
With all the traffic lights ahead of her fate, Anna Smith drove beyond the speed limit and a cop was monitoring the streets few yards from the hospital she was reporting to.
Speeding Ticket or What?…
Without hesitation, the cop pulled Anna Smith, literally in her hospital parking lot for speeding. The cop got out of his car and asked Anna Smith for her driver’s license and proof of insurance as usual.
Anna Smith gladly produced the credentials worrying her clock-in time deadline had passed – and now – a speeding ticket.
The cop went to his car and after a long 5 minutes, the cop came back to panicky Anna Smith. The Cop knew this hospital in and out – had been there a thousand times in his line of duty. It is a high acuity – high crime hospital. A typical county hospital like Parkland Hospital in Dallas.
The cop told Anna Smith she was driving 15 miles above the speed limit. In a bad day, a ticket carrying a penalty of about $250.
Anna Smith told cop something that changed everything…
“I am sorry sir… I admit I was speeding… I didn’t do it to cause harm…. I am a single mother who have been dealing with a sick child between the shifts and couldn’t get a day off without being penalized. I was speeding only to keep my job so I can pay some taxes, some bills and take care of my kids..”
Cop in near Tears…
“I am sorry to hear this Anna Smith… I am only doing my job… I am an honorably served marine turned a cop. Besides my police peers, I spend very stressful times with nurses and emergency response personnel. I am sorry to hear what you had to go through… My wife is a nurse and I can relate… I will let you go with a warning”.
The cop went on to express his love for the nurses and termed nurses as under-recognized heroes. From
The Point System
While enforcing time and attendance is an important human resources element. I am a strong believer that rewards works better than punishment. Is it about time they came up with a reward point system or what?
No Secret, Cops are Lenient to Nurses
I cannot count how many times I have been forgiven by a cop just because I am a nurse. A cop has many options in his or her hands when pulling over a car for traffic violation. It is not uncommon for the nurses to get the most favorable option.
The Community Trusts and Favors Nurses:
A recent gallup research study showed that nurses are the most trusted professionals in USA, 16 years in a row now. The study looked into over 20 different professional fields with over 10,000 respondents in an evenly distributed sample in the USA.
On the same ranking lineup were the police men and women, the only other non-medical profession in the top 5.
Nurses and Military:
Florence Nightingale, the mother of nursing was all about the military. She literally put her life on the line to treat the military.
It is the way it is. The bond between military, cops and nurses is there to stay. We are together to serve our nations.
Leave a Reply