Have to VENT

[RNSuzq1, RN]

Hi All, Really need to Vent about a problem this week in Clinicals. Until this week, all of my clinical experiences have been great, never a problem. I just started our LAST Clinicals - 4 weeks on a Med/Surg floor and it just happens to be where I work as an NAII on the weekends, so I was excited getting the chance to do clinicals at a place and with Nurses I'm very familiar with.

Only problem I've ever had is with one newer NA who recently failed out of another Nursing school in town and walks around with a constant chip on her shoulder. For some reason she has zeroed in on me to dump all her frustration on. She's constantly asking me to help clean or lift her pt's, which I always do - but once in the room she'll make rude comments about how I perform certain procedures, etc - it's obvious, it's just to humiliate me. I was a Naval Hospital Corpsman for years, I'm a Senior Nursing Student - I might not know everything about Nursing, but I know for a fact I have "behind wiping" down pat and sure don't need some 20 year old arrogant kid trying to tell me how to do my job. It also has bothered me for months that she'll walk into someones room "YELL" Mrs X - you poopied all over yourself, now I have to clean you - then make comments about how bad it smells, etc. It's embarrassing enough if someone soils themself, but to have someone announce it outloud - she's just awful.

I'm quiet, don't like conflict and have been trying to ignore her and stick out this job until I graduate in May. The other day in Clinicals - Thank God she wasn't there the entire day, she was coming on at 3pm when we were leaving. Our Instructors told us to get the 3pm vitals (to help the NA's out) - I found the only vital sign machine in a hallway (there wasn't a soul in sight) - took it to my patients room and midway through the vitals, she stormed into the room, started to grab the machine (with my patients arm still attached to it) and yelled "Did it ever occur to you that someone else needed this machine"???? My patient and her family were looking at this nut with their mouths open. I told her there was no reason for her to talk to me like that, especially in front of my patient and told her I'd be done with the machine in 2 minutes. 5 minutes before this happened, my patients daughter thanked me for all I'd done for her mother and told me I'd make a great Nurse and I was feeling great, - then to have this arrogant, unprofessional jerk come in and purposely try to make me look like a fool - it ruined the whole day/week. After she stormed back out of the room - my patients daughter and sister both told me I needed to talk to someone about this girls rotten attitude. It was like she was so jealous of me being in Nursing School and working on our floor as a "Nurse" - and saw this as the perfect opportunity to humiliate the mess out of me. I was so embarrassed and it was all I could do not to cry in front of my patient.

By the time I got back to the Nurses Station, one of my classmates said this girl had been running me into the ground - telling all the employees at the Nurses station, in the breakroom, etc. that I stole the vital signs machine from her. These are people I have to work with and was so humiliated that she was making up lies about me. I went right to my Instructors - when they heard she talked to me like that in front of a patient and family - they were FURIOUS and after a very long post-clinical conference discussing how to deal with people like this NA - they were going to the Head of Nursing Admin. to file a complaint.

The nights I work with this person, I am the only white NA - the rest are black. She talks to the rest of them like they're her best buddies, but like I said - she treats me like I'm something stuck to the bottom of her shoe. I get along great with the rest of my co-workers and just started thinking recently that maybe it's some weird racial thing with this girl. Whatever it is, after what she did to me, there's no way I'm going back to this floor to work, I've had enough. I'm 20 years older than her and can't imagine talking to anyone like this, let alone someone old enough to be my mother - just absolutely no respect at all - pure arrogance and ignorance.

I'm not sure if she's going to be fired - but if not, I'll have to spend the next 3 weeks putting up with her, such a shame that one bad apple can try and ruin everything. Any suggestions for how to deal with people like this, I'd appreciate it - Thanks, Susan

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Susan, sorry to hear you had a bad ending to the day, but if it's any consolation I don't think the NA humiliated you in front of the patient/family at all ... only herself. People can talk all they want ... it doesn't necessarily mean anyone's listening, or gives a crap, to be quite blunt.

As you know from all your years of working, there are unfortunately different versions of people like this everywhere. If you wish to move on after graduation, good for you, but if you have any interest in staying, don't allow this one person to run you off.

Best of luck to you. :)

[DecafMom]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about what you're going through. I'm glad to hear your instructors are sticking up for you though. That isn't always the case. It sounds like the NA needs a firm reminder of what professionalism is.

[RaggedyRN]

If you wish to move on after graduation, good for you, but if you have any interest in staying, don't allow this one person to run you off.

:yeahthat:

[TexasPediRN]

Susan..

I read your post and wanted to comment on how well I think you handled the situation when this person came in yelling about the BP machine. From what you wrote, I can tell you handled it in a very mature way and that one day, you'll make an excellent nurse.

From that entire day- the only thing I would take home with me was the patients family who thanked you and told you that you'll be a great nurse. You need to hold onto the good and not the bad. Sometimes if we take too much bad home with us, and not enough good, it can burn us out rather quickly.

With that said, I hope this aide gets fired. There is no reason to act like that, and I wouldnt want to work with her ever.

Good luck with your nursing career :)

-Meghan

[beepeadoo]

I know when you're right in the middle of it, it really is no fun. But I have to tell you, from where I'm sitting, she looks like a total buffoon. That family knew what was what. You didn't drop in their eyes, I promise... not like they were sitting there thinking well of you until "oh well she took that machine..."

We all know exactly what is going on here. You do too. And so does anyone else who is around you. I promise that her going around the nursing stations telling everyone that you took that machine made HER look bad.

Hang in there. Give her enough rope and she'll hang herself. If she flunked out of nursing school (which is not in and of itself a bad thing) AND she has this attitude. You really have to wonder, don't you?

[RNin2007]

Wow, so sorry to hear about you having to deal with this. I fully agree with the first poster, that she did humiliate you, but only herself. You are using excellent judgement and you will make a good nurse. Think of how miserable her insecurities must make her feel, and be glad you are confident in what you do and don't need to belittle others to make yourself feel better. I hope you don't have to see or deal with her again...you've had enough. Kudos to your instructor too for taking this where it needed to go.

~J

[RNSuzq1, RN]

Thanks so much for all the kind replies, I really appreciate it. Both of my Instructors made the same comment as "Meghan" - they said it's not often that you get thanks from family members and the fact that I did should be the most important thing to take from that day.

Just wanted to say one more thing. We've all been really stressed out this semester with tons of tests, precepting, clinicals, NCLEX coming up, etc. and as on edge as we've all been about everything - I've never shown any emotions in front of classmates, but that day I lost it and told the 8 of them in the conference room that I just wanted to cry my eyes out. I thought they'd all think I was a big baby, but was so touched at how they reacted - lots of positive reinforcement. The one guy in the group surprised the heck out of me - he said "Honey" no matter how bad someone at work gets you down, don't ever give them the satisfaction of crying in front of them - wait to you get home and fall apart then... He works in the ER as an NA and said he's had similar stinging comments made to him and couldn't help but cry a little when he got home. I know men cry, but it was quite a thing to hear a man admit that in a room full of women, I really admired him for saying it and I can only guess that his sensitive side will make him a better Nurse for it. Thanks again for listening.. Susan

[TexasPediRN]

Susan-

Its completely normal to need/want to bawl your eyes out in nursing..

I remember I had one week of he**- to having about 4 tests, failing a med test, having a patient fall on me @ work (as an aide), feeling sick & passing out at clinicals...and about 4 other things going wrong. I bawled for a whole day almost! My mom felt so bad for me that she sent me flowers to cheer me up!! I think it was midterm week..and it was just bad. To top it off the patient who fell on me @ work was the mother of someone very high up in the hospital..I just felt like sh!t all week about everything..

Its good to talk about it with your classmates though. They are in the same position as you now, and nobody else could understand how you are feeling better then them. Of course we give lots of good advice on allnurses, but your classmates are going through the same stressors as you are ! :)

You are a kind and sensitive person, and you will make a great nurse. But you already know that dont you? You had a patient tell you so, and that makes up for all the bad that day :)

-Meghan

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Hopefully that girl will get fired, someone like that has no business being around people, let alone sick people.