Disfunctional RN's

[Rnandsoccermom]

I have to vent. In the last 18 mos. the HR dept. where I work has taken over final say on hiring people, ie: we are desperate.

We have an experienced RN who has been with us for about 5 months. She went thru orientation etc.... and was placed on her own. Now she has decided that she really doesn't know how to chart in the computer, doesn't know how to properly flush a central line, no one really told her and it's not her fault. Has been sitting on the clock after her shift complaining about not wanting to go home to "all those kids".

Same thing happened in about 6 mos. ago with another RN who blamed people for not helping her, no one told her, she didn't know (after a year no less). She was coddled along until she was found unable to keep her head up and stay awake at the desk on the day shift (not the first time she had erratic behavior). She is on a leave.

I am getting frustrated with being so desperate to keep people that we will put up with almost anything! HR is more worried about numbers than quality. And I am afraid of working with these people, they don't care about lying to you or about you. It's scary!!!!!

Just my rant.

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

As a matter of sanity, nursing has become a survival of the fittest enviroment. In the past 6 months we have had nurses on longer and longer orientations. 2 months plus. One was out of practise for almost 20 years and I was her refresher course! Oh full load to boot. She almost put a foot of air into a pt via IV. She quit the first week she worked alone. Another who was "experienced" had to be stopped giving an IM shot because she diluted it with 5 mls of saline first. She quit after burning out her preceptor for 2 months. Then you get the "bare minimum" nurses, that made it through. Their patient are the ones calling the station or sending family to the station all mad, usually at end of shift, about the care they've got, the pain meds they've asked 5 times for, etc, etc. The next shift or whoever happens to be there gets to deal with it, while they finish charting and trot off home. As someone said, we are a good team and it does make us all look bad, cripples morale, and has had the effect of making people just fend for themselves and own group of patients. Our CNC's, equally frustrated, just choose whom they work shifts with. Apart from more selective hiring ( never going to happen) I have no idea what the answer is. Does anyone not have this kind of deal at work and if so how?

Returning to work after 20 years? That's like trying to fly a jet after quitting your job 20 years ago just after you learned how to push that wheelbarrow.

If you were willing to walk away from it for 20 years, probably a better idea to just keep on walking.

[pkapple]

Wish I knew the answer....you can't shame a lazy person into doing a good job, can't help or guide a know-it-all with crappy skills or lack of compassion into doing a carring job. Then of course is the resentment--discussed ad nauseum in other threads esp. over pay. Let's face it if the most you can get is a 2% raise, and in order to get fired you need to commit a felony, what incentive does a burned out, tired out, discouraged nurse have?

Let's see bust your butt, give excellent care, clean up everyone elses mess, do aqll the little extras, work any shift, fill in for short shifts--you get 50 cent raise; call sick, do minimal at best, piss and moan all day, leave half the work for the next shift, cause all kinds of family/patient problems and you get oooh 50 cents. Not to mention if these dolittles are complained about or get poor reviews they will be going to higher management or some outside agency and c/o of some type of injustice..it's not their fault, people are out to get them etc etc.

Some folks are really dysfunctional-like the near med errors etc--these people need some serious documentation against them made and some helpful teaching by co-workers, others can't or won't be helped--management needs to wake up before a serious event occurs!