Refusing an unsafe assignment is not patient abandonment, abandonment requires an established relationship of care.
You may be able to argue some form of professional neglect, dereliction of duty, failure to act/rescue, et cetera. I doubt they’re are any criminal convictions for this though related to refusing an assignment prior to clocking in.
Nursing boards vary state to state and that is largely what controls the refusal of an unsafe assignment. Most states allow for a complete or partial refusal of an unsafe assignment.
I have received several emails from my malpractice carrier about how to refuse an assignment in general and during COVID, so I doubt this is an isolated inciden
I don’t think that sitting in the break room for four hours and having a pout is appropriate. If they were so inclined to refuse then they should have said that and left. In my opinion what they did wasn’t refusing an assignment, that was trying to manipulate management.
You may be able to argue some form of professional neglect, dereliction of duty, failure to act/rescue, et cetera. I doubt they’re are any criminal convictions for this though related to refusing an assignment prior to clocking in.
Nursing boards vary state to state and that is largely what controls the refusal of an unsafe assignment. Most states allow for a complete or partial refusal of an unsafe assignment.
I have received several emails from my malpractice carrier about how to refuse an assignment in general and during COVID, so I doubt this is an isolated inciden
I don’t think that sitting in the break room for four hours and having a pout is appropriate. If they were so inclined to refuse then they should have said that and left. In my opinion what they did wasn’t refusing an assignment, that was trying to manipulate management.