Am I a backstabber or just a concerned co-worker?

All I'm saying is that unless you've SEEN her provide unsafe care, there is no way for you to know that she will. And her comments about chest tubes and stuff makes her sound like half the new grads I precept-some learn slower than others, but they get it. You will find after you have been around awhile that there are nurses and even NM all over the hospital who don't know what they are doing and don't care to learn. If you are not her boss, who are you to judge how good she will become. I see this in new grads all the time, and no offense please, but it usually has to do with someone trying to make their self look better equipt for the job. Almost all new grads 'get it' soon enough, Some of the ones that appeared to be inadequate or uncaring in the beginning I would trust my kids to now. Get yourself some good experience during this time and let the proper people worry about her

I would just leave it alone. It really doesn't concern you. If you just let her be, she will soon enough drown herself, if you get involved it will somehow come back to hurt you. You are not her boss, and it will be her word against yours. Just worry about you, you do not need to babysit another grown up. Just my

Well thanks again for all the advice. She continues to mess things up. We are in our 4th month of orientation now. Since we are house floats we are supposed to be trained on three different floors. We are critical care nurses and she is making us look bad. When I get to a dept. that she just left I get preceptors that worked with her ask me stuff like...'are you gonna just follow me around like she did or are you going to do actual work?' On one floor we are supposed to be caring for open heart patients that are POD 2-5. I got thrown under the bus by a manager and preceptor because they found out after she left that rotationt that we were supposed to take care of at least three patients. She told them that she was still in the shadow phase and she wasn't suppose to do any actual care. When the manager found out she told me that she was sick of slackers and gave me three POD3 pts. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off and only by the grace of two really good nurses that helped me out was I able to get everything done. I took the challenge in stride because it was only after I finished....two hours late did the manager tell me why she gave me that pt load. I learned alot that day so I should thank her for that. I am still not saying anything about her because she is not doing any care. She calls off work, shows up late to the unit after she clocks in, hides in the lounge and still has yet to even speak to a doctor. All the other interns are fed up with her. I don't know how long she will last but at this time I am staying as far away from her as I possibly can.

No offense but it has been my experience that only insecure nurses try to make themselves look better by pointing out the inferiority of others. I am not saying she is not a loser but I am saying it is none of your business. Forget her and just myob, she is not your problem. Just learn everything you can and trust yourself that you have learned it. But also, never be afraid to ask questions if you dont know something. Dont let your insecurities get the best of you, pointing out her "mistakes" is not making you a better nurse, it just makes you part of the "mean girl" culture of nursing. People will respect you more if you just do your job and don't gossip. If you have to, vent to your husband or BF.