hi papasmurf1cx thanks for your advise. however i dont exactly know if i have a case to appeal, they have all this written evidence and solicitors on their side and i have no memory hardly at all of the incidents since they were so long ago. i admitt i made the mistakes due to my illness. i dont know that i could face another interogation as it was pretty brutal the last two times, they kept saying i didnt appear to be unwell at the times of the incidents and got other members of staff to back that idea. they are very devious. i reported being stressed and the my concentration was poor many times to HR but as it wasnt written down i have no proof and she refuses to acknowledge it was said at all. is it a good idea to go back to work and be supervised i was thinking it is probably my only option to clear my name and be able to get anther job as soon as the 12mths are up. afterall its easier to get a job if you already have one. if i dont get back to nursing soon i am afraid i will loose my skills and my already battered confidence will get even worse. i have no clue what to do for the best. i would like to think that the would give me a fair chance but am not sure that would happen. one simple reason is that i made a compliant about the manger verbally abusing me which she denied of course, so i hardly think she would be easy to work for after that. what do you think?

thanks so much for your advise i agree with everything you said. i am not sure they would accomodate me to work in a new area. it does seem like they are not actually giving me a fair chance, things are exactly the same as the were. i am not sure what to say in an appeal . but i was going to ask my gp who is amazing to assess if i am covered under the disability discrimination act which i think i am and maybe they would back off. my biggest fear is that if i appeal they will then dismiss me. i dont know if i have grounds to appeal it because i did make mistakes but i was sick and when i am well i am a good nurse. lots of my friends agree that i should appeal it. its all a bit terrifying. if i dont appeal and go back to work i fear the working environment will be horrible being scrutinised everyday. is the best option to resign? would it be difficult to get another job with a wriiten warning on my record? thank you.

hi papasmurf, just wanted to let u no wat has happened since i last posted here. bascially sinceit was over a month since the investigation i decided to write a grievence letter about the length of time the investigation process was taking and demanded reasons to alot of questions i had as well as asking them had they considered that i mite be covered under the disability discrimination act. my rcn rep felt this was a bad move but i was so frustrated that i could no longer sit back and wait to see what they would do. however a few days later i got a letter from them stating that although they should dismiss me they decided to give me a final written warning on my record for 12mths and when i was fit to return to work i would be supervised and they would refer me to the Nursing midwifery council due to my health and poor performance. the problem is my confidence is shattered and i am scared in case i go back and i make more mistakes. whats your take on the situation i greatly appreciate your advise.

hi papasmurf, you have given great advise in the past and i just wanted to know if you have any further advise because its really stressing me out. to summerise i am a nurse who is facing disciplinary action due to mistakes i made at work on 30th march 2011. i went off sick myself because i knew i cud not do my job due to depression and didnt want to risk patient care. i am still off sick not being paid by employer. i had two disciplinary hearings the last one was 23rd march 2012 i still have yet to recieve an outcome. this whole process has been very gruelling and my union rep isnt very helpful she seems more interested in keepin in the hospitals good books than supportin me. i just want employers to give me an answer. i have been very honest wit them i never tried to hide mistakes i owned up to them, the were not serious mistakes and no one was hurt. can you please give me some advise, i cant seem to recover from my depression and move on wit my life because of this. the investigation was awful as it was over a year later i cudnt remember much and therefore found it difficult to answer any questions. throughout the hearing the seemed to be suggestin that i wasnt unwell even getting statements from collegues who said i seemed fine. they suggested i didnt inform employers that i was unwell whereas the opposite was true i kept them updated wit medication changes i was breakin down in tears in managers office sayin how stressed i was. the matron told me to use my acting skills to pretend i was ok! i just want it to end and in the future to be able to work as a nurse again please help! thanks, sadgirl

hi scarletpimpernel, thanks for your response. it is very frustrating that depression has derailed my career. i am sure i am not alone in this. its just that when i was upset in the matrons office and she said i see from your cv that you did some acting maybe you should use this to pretend you are ok. its really very sad that in the nursing profession support for any mental illness simply isnt there. iloved being a nurse,i am very gentle patient and caring sort of person and treat all my patients as if they were my family i particularly love caring for the elderly and kids. i am just so sad that after this my credibility as a nurse is gone and i will never work as a nurse again. they have crushed my confidence as well as my spirit. but when this investigation concludes on fri 23rd maybe i can start to recover and put it behind me. working as a volunteer is great and i would highly recommend it to anyone. thanks again and best wishes.

hi night owl, thanks for your reply. i am taking my union rep with me. i am just feeling very vulnerable at the moment and am going to find it tough goin but your adivse and everyone elses has given me alot of comfort. it is very much like a court case very intense. the awful thing is other nurses on the ward make mistakes and refuse to look after certain patients and nothing is said or done about it. i wonder if i hadnt mentioned my depression would things have turned out differently. i am thinking about a change of career ,at the moment i volunteer in a cancer research shop and its really nice at least i am still helping people in some small way. thanks again and take care.

hi browncow, thank you so much for your advise and comments. i think you are right i need to go to the meeting. i will let you know how it all turns out. thanks again.

i have to go to a poor performance hearing at work. i am very distressed and depressed right now and i cant go through with it. can anyone advise me if its possible to resign due to ill health or is it too late? do i have to take part in this hearing? any advise would be much appreciated. thank you!

hi night owl, thanks so much for your response it helped alot. i am getting help from my lovely gp with anti depressants and cbt counselling. thanks again.

hi stu007, thanks for your reply and advise it is very helpful. they sent me to an independant occupational health gp and he said i maybe fit to work but couldnt say so for definate. that was the only step they took with regards to my health. getting a letter from my gp is a good idea and getting a copy of the health and safety policy is also good. thanks. i am just hoping that being dismissed from this job wont make me unemployable.

hi hb, thanks for your reply. i did get a copy of the disciplinary procedure they are carrying things out properly. i just wondered if they can gather evidence from people accurately when its a year since the incident occured surely peoples memories are not very reliable since its a long time? does anyone know if there is a time frame in which this investigation must be completed? i just want the issue resolved and to get on with my life. thanks again.

hi there first of all thanks for reading this i appreciate any opinons or adive given. my story is a long one so i will keep it brief. started working at this private hospital jan 2010. probationary period 6mths was up and my boss called me in to say she wasnt happy and probation was extend. i admitted to feeling stressed and sufferin from depression. action plans were drawn up for me to complete 3 to be exact even though i completed my action plans none of them were ever reviewed. my manager piled on more and more pressure. i went to the boss at one point for a meeting and cried telling her i was very stressed and depressed she replied by saying ,i see from your cv that you have acting experience can you not use this to pretend you are ok! everyday my collegues told me they didnt know how i could bear to come to work as they could see how i was being treated. anyway i came off my anti depressants and was to start a different one but had to have a 7 day break in between, i informed my manager of same. then i made 3 mistakes in the one day as i was unbelievebly stressed. i didnt record post op blood pressure of a patient, i didnt record urine output and gave a childs dose of nasal spray to an adult. thankfully all patients were fine. mistakes were reported and i contiued to work for a couple of days with my manager literally lookin over my shoulder until i finally said i am too unwell i need to go off sick. i have been off sick from april 2011. i have been too a meeting with my rcn rep in which i had a chance to have my say, then i got a letter stating i had to attend a poor performance hearing but have no date as yet. can anyone tell me what the possible outcomes could be? has anyone else been in this position? my memory of these incidents is not good as its so long ago, is it a fair hearing? have they the right to hold a hearing a year after the incident? if i am dissmised is my career as a nurse over? i love my job as a nurse i am told i have great patience and am very caring, yes my performance was poor but i was very ill at the time and feel that work put too much pressure on me by treating me with you will loose your job if you make a mistake and watching me like a hawk but giving me no support. please help i am nearly suicidal over the whole issue. thanks x

hi there, i am in a similar situation so i can empathise with you i know how awful employers can be. my advise is get union support, ring labour relations for advise and look up government website under employment law. if you are strong enough to fight them do so. if not resign and leave it behind you and concentrate on getting better as your health is more important and when you are better you can get a job where you will be happy. as far as i know they have to wait til you are better to have this meeting,they cant do it without you. if they do and they dismiss you could claim unfair dismissal. get a copy of their grievence policy and use it.. i wish you all the best in this, i hope it works out for you. i also hope you get better soon. be kind to yourself,take care x

hi to all, i have written on this forum before and got great advise,however the problem is still here. in brief,i am a nurse in a private hospital,i suffered a major episode of depression,management aware of same. last april i made mistakes at work,i carried on workin for a week until i cud not handle it any longer. i have been covered by sick certs from my gp. employer told me the were investigating my mistakes to see if it was a disciplinary matter. it has been 8mths since i made these mistakes and they still have to interview me. i have been liasing with my employers through my rcn rep as i wasnt well enough to deal wit it. all my collegues think it is appalling how i have been treated and how it was all handled. i now just want to get it over wit,but am wondering shud i seek legal advise? papasmurf was very helpful last time i was here,so if u r there i wud so appreciate ur advise. furthermore, i am not being paid by my employer and am stressed out financially too. i am tryin very hard to get better and am seeing a psychaitrist. after my 6mth probationary period my employer told me i was makin some mistakes,i then informed her i was feelin depressed again and was takin medication. immediately after that i was sent to HR they started a capabilitly programme,and a list of procedure i wud have to be supervised on and complete in a certain time frame or i wud loose my job.

hi kitten, do you mean its a nice way of saying will will fire you but we have to go through procedures to do so.