Poor RN professional conduct

Specialties NICU

Published

I am new to this site. I am hoping to get some insight. I am an RN with 15 years experience. I have seen a serious decline in professional behavior at the hospital I work at. We have a no eating or drinking policy which stayed in place with little incident for years. Now, nurses who know better are blatantly doing it. Those of us who are respectful of the rules are not. Guess what? We are hungry and thirsty too. One nurse actually told me that now that I know where the snack drawer is....I have to eat from it...that way, they be sure that I won't tell on them. Yes, that is what an educated adult said to me. So guess what, the snack drawer got emptied today. The whining started. So, I told them I gave them up and if they want their stuff back they can go get it from the managers. The spineless creatures got so quiet. What is up with these people these days. Anyone else work with selfish inconsiderate "professionals"? How do you deal with the immaturity and sense of entitlement?

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ALL of the trials and tribulations that come with being a nurse, and you're complaining about coworkers who eat and drink at the desk?

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Reread...take note of the 4th sentence. Poor professional behavior at work. SubSippi I see 1 year of experience I have 15. You seem pretty bitter for a newbie.

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You seem pretty upset about things that aren't harming patients and aren't endangering your welfare or safety. While it may not be professional and can be irksome, consider yourself lucky that that's your biggest problem!!

Tip of advice: you might not wanna make enemies with all The other nurses over this... It isn't fun going into work and being the one who's disliked and ostracized (trust me on this)

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So, a few coworkers offered to share their snacks with you and instead of reminding them it's against policy to eat at the nurse's station you tell on them to management to get them in trouble. Then you post about them anonymously and describe them as spineless and unprofessional. Sounds like your coworkers aren't the only ones with problems displaying professionally appropriate behavior.

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Oh no. I was just being nice. Pt and staff safety issues are near constant. I am just waiting for someone to hurt someone else. 70 percent of our staff are new grads. It is a mess. I personally had to speak to hospital lawyers about an SSE. thank goodness it wasn't me who messed up. Rules and regulations are constantly disregarded. Management doesn't care. I was just scratching the tip of a very big iceberg.

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Oh no. I told them straight to their faces. I don't pull punches.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
SubSippi I see 1 year of experience I have 15. You seem pretty bitter for a newbie.

I see no bitterness from SubSippi. I think you need to pick your battles. One that is not causing patient harm but fighting the battle is causing interpersonal issues with staff members is not a battle worth fighting.

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Reread...take note of the 4th sentence. Poor professional behavior at work. SubSippi I see 1 year of experience I have 15. You seem pretty bitter for a newbie.

Well, you kinda came in guns a'blazin for your first post here. Nursing experience aside, SubSippi has been playing nicely in the sandbox here for a couple of years. It's a little quick to be making observations about who's bitter, don't you think?

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Reread...take note of the 4th sentence. Poor professional behavior at work. SubSippi I see 1 year of experience I have 15. You seem pretty bitter for a newbie.

I saw the part about unprofessional behavior. You mentioned this, and then launched into a diatribe about your coworkers eating and drinking at the desk, but mentioned no other behaviors. Hence, my comment.

I don't feel as though, after one year as a nurse, being able to recognize the fact that the nursing profession is afflicted with a wide array of struggles and difficulties indicates bitterness on my part. Rather, the word "bitter" may be more appropriately used to describe a person who TURNS IN A COWORKER'S SNACKS TO THE MANAGER.

You asked for insight, and have received several opinions from the members of this board. As of now, the general consensus seems to be that of "mind your own business."

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

Okay, from a remarkably un-bitter 21+ year RN (11+ in NICU); maybe not mind your own business but rather, use more effective techniques with your coworkers.

I believe the only message your coworkers got was "Wow, angry "crusty old bat (before you get freaked, that's a kind of compliment here on AN) ruining our good time!"

How about a different method that not only stops the behavior but has a better chance at keeping that snack drawer empty?

Think TeamStepps communication techniques that involve express: "I'm uncomfortable, I'm concerned. . . " and follow with your concerns about spreading infections by eating at the bedside. You might come off as a stickler, but it will be as a stickler for patient safety and not a party-pooper.

http://www.med.unc.edu/cce/files/teamstepps/implementation-package/TeamSTEPPS%20QuickFacts%20%284%29.pdf

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Omgseriously,

If you really called your coworkers spineless creatures who are selfish, inconsiderate and unprofessional to their face then it's a very small wonder that your unit is a mess.

You have set up a relationship with these new grads that running to tattle to management is the culture of the unit instead of working out a solution with each other. You've shown yourself to be someone who can't be trusted with even a small thing like the location of the snack drawer, so it's going to be highly unlikely that any of your years of experience and knowledge will be sought out or recognized by your coworkers.

I don't doubt your unit is struggling but from everything you've said here, it sounds as if you are as much a part of the problem as the new grads or management.

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