Something is wrong here - we have the right to sign RN after our names anytime we want to and a simple disclaimer in the letter would let everyone know it is not the opinion of the facility.

And there is no way anyone should be able to keep you from using your freedom of speech - this is where a good union comes in or a labor attorney.

Then again, you can always write a letter stating that you WOULD have written a letter, but there is no freedom of speech at your facility!

Stuff like this really ticks me off!

__________________
The ER is the only place where you are rewarded for efficiency by getting more patients!

Kim
http://www.emergiblog.com

Bev,

Unless you and the other RNs have signed agreements not to publish letters/books without the express approval of your agency, what your Agency Director has stated is illegal. You might want to consider speaking with the person to whom the Agency Director is responsible.

Joy

I do think there is a phobia out there. I wrote an essay at a national conference last year. I mentioned that as an ambulatory nurse, I found it a little more difficult to implement in-patient based policies into the outpatient settings and that it was nice to have some resources from the association that I was affiliated with. The essay was written at the conference, and to be only published in their newsletter. At work later, I let a co-worker read my original handwritten version. She thought it was great, so she told our manager (not a nurse) to read it. He was very troubled and told me that if any higher ups would read my essay, it would look like he didn't know how to do his job. I was floored. I think any hint of bad press is terrifying to our employers.

I don't think it is right but I don't think I could write any letter to any newspaper and sign it with my own name and RN without at least speaking to our communications team.

I am not sure that if it had nothing to do with health they would be interested, but I don't think I would take the chance.

It is, I am afraid, a sign of the times.

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Julie
http://www.lifeinthenhs.wordpress.com

A very sticky situation. Why should she have anything to do with what you write? If it did come back to the agency all she has to say is that 'as a nursing agency we recommend independent and creative thought in our workplace, we encourage our staff to respect other's views even when we may not agree with them (for the safety and benefit of our patients), as a result the views expressed by ........ on ...... may not be the views of all staff and thus can not to be taken as the views of this agency'.

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'Think not of yourself as the architect of your career but as the sculptor. Expect to have to do a lot of hard hammering and chiselingand scraping and polishing. - BC Forbes'

This is loco. Ask your boss to put her/his policy IN WRITING. Unless you signed away your rights as a U.S. citizen when you took the job, you have the right of free speech. If you really want to stir the pot, call the ACLU about this. I bet they would REALLY love to hear about this.

MJ

__________________
Sanity is madness put to good use. George Santayana.

http://nurse-ratcheds.blogspot.com

We had a situation at our facility where a staff member (not a nurse) wrote a letter to the paper regarding an incident which involved their family member. We also are from a very very small town and everyone knew that she worked at hte hospital.

The incident even involved health care and outside factors which affected her family member's care.

There was nothing but support from our administration. They even made a statement saying she had the right to write a letter as a personal citizen and they supported her right to do so. She did state in her letter that it reflected her views only and not necessarily those of her employer.

Most of the scuttlebutt came from the staff at the hospital. It was equally divided on whether she should have written the letter or not. But regardless, our admin team did a good job of supporting her constitutional rights.

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Julie

My Blog ER RN

It's YOUR license....you own that little RN after your name. You paid for it in blood, sweat, and tears (and mucous, and poo, and emesis, etc.).

Sign away!!!

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Nurse Sean
http://nursesean.com

AMEN!


MJ

__________________
Sanity is madness put to good use. George Santayana.

http://nurse-ratcheds.blogspot.com