Move Over Norma Rae

It seems to me that you need to take some time to take care of yourself. I'm thinking from your post that you are a staff nurse, and bedside nursing is not an easy thing to do. While I admire your determination, I would be concerned about the long-term effects and the potential for injuring joints above and below your knee, including your back. You are using altered mechanics to protect your injured knee. Do you have disability insurance? If you do, now would be the time to see if you can claim benefits to get you and your husband over this bump. I would be checking with Human Resources on this. Most employers do not want to lose a valuable employee. You are expensive to replace!

Do I know how you feel! First Hand! I am there right with you. I am studying to be an RN, so I am currently an CNA/CHHA..I worked for a Hospice Agency. I gave all, I mean all of myself to them, nights, weekends, endless hours. I did field work, office work, marketing..you name it, I did it. I thought that this company..the owner would take care of me if something happened. I thought I was the "star" employee. I received nothing but compliments from my families, vendors that I had dealt with, marketing responses were excellent. I was the number one go to when a patient needed something. I was happy. I loved my job.Dooms Day happened. I was working with a patient, I completely tore my rotator cuff, a series of inaccurate treatment took place, then refusal of my injury to be reported to workman's comp, finally gets reported then I get to the correct Doctor. Before accurate diagnosis, I suffered muscle atrophy in the deltoid as well as the rotator cuff, now 2 surgeries later, I am still off work. I can't lift, pull, NOTHING. I think I am done. I was promised to get and never got from my employer. He even told me "I will take care of you. Your my little......." I to have saved them from numerous law suits, calmed many of families down. (feel free to read my other postings!) To add insult to injury, I recently discovered that the company went out of business, and did not tell me nothing. So, I have nothing to go back to.I am Hurt, frustrated, tired of having my family do when I can't. My Parents are aging, my Father needs assistance with everything and I can't do it. My driving privileges have been revoked due to medical condition. I was once the "do it your self mom, nurse, wife", now I have to wait for a ride to the grocery store! I feel as if my life has been stripped away. I don't know if I will regain what I need to go back or go on.In a sense I feel violated.This plainly and simply sucks. Many sleepless nights are spent crying because of the pain, the loss, the hurt, the frustration.

It sounds like your employer did not handle your situation well at all... but they do have a legitimate concern about an employee using an "accommodation" without going through the proper procedure to get it approved. There are OSHA regulations, ADA rules, liability issues, etc. that they must deal with. It's not reasonable for a staff member to expect to be accommodated without getting it approved, supplying a physician's report, etc. I'm not saying the employer would have handled it well had the OP gone through those proper channels: in fact, they probably would still have handled it badly. I'm just saying that an employee should expect to have to jump through a few hoops to get such a thing approved.That said ... as a 55 year-old, I can appreciate where the OP is coming from. Many of us have "given, given, given" thoughout our careers and it is devastating to learn that our employers feel little or no sense of obligation to treat us well in return. All we can do is try to treat each other well ... and make preparations for the day when our bodies, minds, and spirits start indicating that it is time to move on.To you younger, healthier nurses out there ... make plans ... prepare ... save you money ... It will probably happen to you someday, too.

The ADA laws will most likely apply to you and reasonable accomodations are required to be given. I will post a few links to get you started. Good Luck.http://ucp.org/ucp_channeldoc.cfm/1/...632-12632/6184http://www.thefreelibrary.com/New+EE...2.-a0210666959http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/acco...tml#requesting

Just for clarification, can't your doctor write a note for you, specifying the accomodations that you require? Just to flip the coin over, if you were a manager/admin/whatever kind of suit, and saw an employee going around in a wheelchair wouldn't it make sense to be just a tad bit curious as to WHY this employee was requiring a wheelchair, and wouldn't it make sense (and also a necessity for liability purposes) to ask the employee to get some kind of documentation from their doc as to what's going on and whether or not they are physically able to perform their job? It's not a question of the quality or quantity of work or the level of commitment, it's a question of physically being able to perform the job you were hired to do, and, who is liable if you make your condition worse in the course of doing your job. I'm sorry you're hurting and feel trapped. I hope you can find a resolution that allows you to heal and recover, because this anger you are feeling can't possibly be good for the healing process.

The Americans with Disabilities Act would likely cover you but again, you'll have to provide documentation (doctor's note) to your employer.Your situtation and how your employer is treating you is absolutely unexceptable and nurses EVERYWHERE should stand up and pay attention.

Fight but fight sensibly. You need the money, you want to keep the job. They don't really need you. You are expendable and pretty easily replaced. Sad but true. you are not coming from a position of strength.Give them the information they need, get on FMLA, see is ADA laws apply to you, do what you have to do to keep your job and your insurance. Offer to work nights so no VIP's see you. Good luck. I know it's loathesome to have to kiss backsides of morons, but you need to keep your job, right? Swallowing pride isn't so bad. Eat chocolate afterwords or something. Sorry you have to endure this. I pray for a speedy recovery. By the way, were you injured on the job? Got a lawyer?

Thanks for sharing your story. It doesn't sound like you are asking for any advice, so I just wish you the best of luck as you work it all out. I believe in happy endings, and with what you've been through, you certainly deserve it.To answer your last question...... no. At least from what I've seen so far.

I agree with Daytm

Eesh, makes me wary. I am just beginning nursing school. I am happy you are sharing your story, though. It needs to be heard. *No you ARE NOT Norma Rae!*I will keep this in my head whenever the powers that be attempt to treat me like an indentured servant!

If I could, I'd climb up on that table with "Vieja" Rae and raise my arms.(can't really d't rotator cuff injuries. I'm mad as H... and didn't take it any more.Now since I *won* my cause I am literally broke. I got full SS and Medicare in 2002. I got full state retirement in 2004. McDonald's workers make about what that got me. The BON says I'm a Nurse, I just can't work as one so they "allow" me to call myself inactive. It sucks greatly.

Your post was very timely for me. My cousin's wife died on Monday from ALS. We were having a discussion about how fortunate he was to work for a company that literally bent over backwards for him so that he could care for his wife at home while continuing to work. They allowed him to work 4 hour shifts, or whatever hours he was able to give them. They considered him a valuable employee. He was very disheartened to hear my view on how my employer would have dealt with this most unfortunate situation. Suffice it to say, it would be very similar to yours; if you can't work your scheduled hours, then it is FMLA or nothing. It is a sad state affairs when a health care institution cannot take care of its own. The health care industry is now a business; nothing more. Caring, what's that???The only words I can offer you? Use every service available to you (if any), and believe that all will work out. God Bless!