I have been a nurse for alittle over 4 months and have been employed at a Urgent Care Center since then. I haven't had a problem with anyone until now. There is a phlebotomist who works there who is also a Surg. Tech. She works in the capasity of a lab person, does blood draws,rapid streps,u/a's, ect. She is starting to step on the nurses toes. and its just little things that are getting to me. She had told me on MANY occasions that she can give meds...which I told her no she can't, she said "Under my LICENCE as a surg tech I can" and I said "Well you work as a PHLEBOTOMIST here not a surg tech" Then like the Radiologist and I were talking about my boards test and he was saying he heard that the nursing state boards was tough and I was saying what was on it and here comes the phlebotomist to chime in

"MY licencing test was SO much harder than theirs...blah blah blah" but what really just sent me over the edge of just NOT liking her is when she started telling pts that she is a scrub nurse. now call me crazy but I thought that a scrub nurse and a surg tech were two different things? oh yeah she busted out on me in front of pts that I was setting up a suture tray wrong and that i needed sterile gloves on She has done stuff like this to the other nurses...gives use permission to give meds and things like that...she is just rubbing me the wrong way. I look at it this way, I maybe a LPN but I worked my butt off to be able to call myself a nurse. Am I being too up tight about this? Is there anyway she would legally get in trouble for calling herself a nurse when she isn't (just so I could tell her about it and to NOT be telling pts that she is a nurse when she isn't!) or should I just do what I have been doing and ignore her?

OHHHH I forgot to mention that one of the doctors was writing a script for an antibiotic and she looks at him and says "You know you really should write that for a Medrol Dose Pack cause that is the best antibiotic we have" :chuckle The dr laughed and said "That is a steroid not an antibiotic" I could have died...

It sounds like she has a case of the " I need to feel importantitis"Quick call a script in for egodeflation, tell her to take two and get a reality check!

Funny RNFROG!!! Why doesn't someone report her???

Kristy

I worked w/a girl who also had a bad case of insecurities.

Always trying to impress everyone around her w/her wild stories, oh & the worse is these people can never admit they made a mistake, always someone elses fault. Its sad actually, but I know its frustrating.

Whenever she would get under my skin, I'd just look at why she's this way, and it would help me not get so where I'd want to pull my hair (or hers..ha) out.

Sounds like she has issues with her job description..I wouldn't take it personally. It's an internal struggle.

I say kill her with kindness because it's the slowest possible death.. Soothe her ruffled feathers by allowing her to be the expert on sterile technique and sterile instrumentation, because that is her forte.

There is not a state in this country that allows a surgical tech (ST) to administer meds in the OR or any other setting. Some states, like Minnesota, have med techs, but this is not the same training. An ST receives limited training about anesthetics and gases (like lidocaine and supraine) in school, but that is for general information. For instance, when the surgeon is asking for lidocaine with epi, the surgical tech hands them the sterile syringe (which can only be drawn up by a nurse). Their med training consists of knowing why the lidocaine with epi is used in a given senario.

By the way, ST do not receive a license, (so she isn't licensed to do anything) but rather a certification after taking a national exam. Only then can they hold the title of Certified Surgical Technologists (CST). There are some states considering licensure, but none that I know of have passed the ammendment yet. Some physician's offices allow unlicensed assistant personnel (UAP) to administer meds, but the docter is responsible.. similar to the role of a medical assistant. If the physician is employing a nurse, my bet is that he wishes the nurse to be responsible for that duty.

ST's have had issues with nurses and especially AORN for years. For more information about ST go to:

http://www.AST.org

There are people in this world who feel it necessary to pump themselves up because something is lacking or they feel inadequate in their lives. I work with a tech who tells tall tales about medical related things to nurses. She is the stupid one. We cant believe it but she really thinks that we believe her tales. She told me once that she dontated 4 pints of blood in one afternoon. I told her that was impossible and why and she came back with I am just telling you what I was told. She has also been telling all staff that she has a relative dying of ovarian cancer and has been telling us this for 4 years and this relative has reportedly (by her) not had any treatment. Just wild stuff and she expects people with schooling and liscensure to believe it. Even when you call her on it she wont back down. She is just a chronic liar.

Avoid her.

The doc can take care of himself.

If she bothered him, he could have her fired in 5 minutes.

Stop worrying about her & focus on your own business, especially at work.

EMPTY WAGONS RATTLE THE LOUDEST

Check the Nurse Practice Act in your state. Here in MD, yes, it is illegal to identify yourself as a nurse if you are not one.

I would be just as annoyed as you.

Wannabe, wannabe. wannabeee...

Tell her to go back to school then :)

Just goes to show you that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. I would speak with the physicians about my concerns and have them talk to her about her role in the office. Do not hesitate to write her up for overstepping her scope of licensure or certification. People like her need to be stopped in their tracks before they harm someone.

Originally posted by debRNo1

EMPTY WAGONS RATTLE THE LOUDEST

Love it!!!