Protest of Assignment

A Protest of Assignment (POA) is a written document notifying the employer that a nursing assignment is unsafe. As nurses, we would never turn down an assignment. But as patient advocates, it is our duty to do everything in our power to correct unsafe situations. Filling out a Protest of Assignment can help protect you from malpractice or discipline in the event of an adverse incident. But the most important reason to fill out a POA is to advocate for a change in conditions so our patients get better care.

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We’ve been incredibly short staffed in the ER. We made a lot of ruckus for a year and a half. We kept track of the staffing and patient numbers on each shift for months, and worked our way up the chain until we got to the CEO of the hospital. Now we’re expecting 50 new hires.”

- Johnny Pearson, RN, Kings County Hospital

We have an obligation to carry out the assignments we are given. But as patient advocates, we also have an obligation to report and try to correct unsafe assignments.