How in the freaking world are you a nurse???

Nurses Relations

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I work with a nurse who is not a new grad, she had been nursing for 5+ years and is 40+years old. She is just plain incompetent. Doing narc count with her is like doing narc count with a monkey who is trying to be bad at it, I mean come on second graders could do a better job. She does not get treatments done, is pathetically slow to respond, sometimes does not respond at all (a pt was found on the floor at shift change with a head injury and she wanted to finish report and count narcs while the pt was on the floor) I told this nurse her pt was asking for nitro and having chest pain-she didn't know what nitro spray was:eek:!!!! And said the pt was lying about the chest pain, she never did VS or any assessments. For two person changes she just stands there, I have to tell her what to do, once she even asked me what to do with a dirty pad:confused:! I noticed one pt had 4 med patches on one night and asked her if she takes one off before she put on another, she said its not her job (maybe she thinking of the little nurses fairy who comes around and does things like take of patches, gets water and warm blankets).She can be very nice, always greeting me nicely, but she can turn on a dime. If you question her on anything, or tell her she missed something she blows, yelling and screaming about how we are all equals and she knows how to do her job half the time I don't even know what she is talking about her words are English, but her sentences are incomprehensible. The next day its like nothing ever happened. I refuse to work with her now if I can help it, if they call me I always find out if she is one before I say yes.

So, have you ever worked with anyone who you are shocked made it through middle school let alone nursing school???

I had an older RN who had worked LTC at the facility connected to the hospital I worked at... they closed the LTC, and turfed the nurses...this one landed on neuro where I worked. She drew up insulin in 3cc syringes.:uhoh3:..I asked her how many units that was, and she just looked blank...nobody home... lights v e r y dim...pretty sure she still had a pulse, but it was pumping sporadically to her brain. :eek: I'd been out of school for about 3 years at the time...couldn't believe she was allowed to come within 10 miles of the hospital.

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Specializes in Peds.

O---M---G !!!!!! Seriously??????? That's scary....

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O---M---G !!!!!! Seriously??????? That's scary....

Yeah- poor thing was a real piece of work....chronic 'deer-in-the-headlights'......the insulin/3cc syringe thing is inexcusable- but on the other hand, they never should have put an LTC nurse of 2 trillion years on an acute neuro floor without a LOT of orientation and checklists of skills. :eek:

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While some of these nurses MAY have a medical/psych problem, I believe that it has more to do with the,"warm body", philosophy", that nursing schools have come to believe in. There seems to be very little quality control in admitting individuals into nursing school. You know, the more the merrier!

It is too easy to get into nursing school. The program it too short, which encourages not the best and brightest to go into nursing. "IN TWO YEARS YOU CAN HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE AND A TERRIFIC CAREER IN THE NURSING FIELD!".

As far as I am concerned, the main reason the PTs, OTs, increased their entry into practice, was to keep out the truly unmotivate/unqualified, from entering the profession. And keep their numbers down and their need up. Instead as in nursing, flooding the profession with newbies, which is very definately driving down wages, benefits, power ,etc. And making jobs scarce. Everything that has been expressed on this listserve.

An increased entry into practice would cut down on ALOT of applications to nursing schools, and truly only admit the best and brightest. I am NOT saying that anyone who does not have a BSN is stupid, or unworthy of becoming a nurse. What I AM saying is that nursing is attractive as a career because you CAN have a decent paying career in two years. And YES, it does take longer to get through the program if you take longer to take pre requisites finished. But the public sees a two year Associates Degree as entry into practice, as opposed to a Masters and Doctorate for OT and PT. It attracts the wrong kind of people.

It IS in our best interests to petition the ANA to increase the entry into practice as a matter of survival. It IS in our best interests, to improve the image of nursing. Right now, the public may say in a poll, how much they love and respect us, but the truth be told, they think that we are a bunch of overpaid, whiny, women, to do nothing but hand our ice water, pass a few pills, and complain about our lousy work .

JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW

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Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.
An increased entry into practice would cut down on ALOT of applications to nursing schools, and truly only admit the best and brightest. I am NOT saying that anyone who does not have a BSN is stupid, or unworthy of becoming a nurse. What I AM saying is that nursing is attractive as a career because you CAN have a decent paying career in two years. And YES, it does take longer to get through the program if you take longer to take pre requisites finished. But the public sees a two year Associates Degree as entry into practice, as opposed to a Masters and Doctorate for OT and PT. It attracts the wrong kind of people.

Wow. Gotta say, as a lowly EMT in the ED and later as an AUA on a private med-surg floor, I "oriented" quite a few new-grad hires. I've caught med and practice errors, and reported individuals who were intractable, not wanting to listen to "the tech." Haven't seen any significant difference in ASN/BSN newbies.

Perhaps making NCLEX a 1, or not more than 2, time pass affair? Raising the entry GPA to a 3.4 or 3.8? I think that is a more credibly realistic measure of potential and performance than paying 3 times as much for a degree with the same scope of practice.

Changing the degree requirements does nothing more than reward the already overblown academic sector. Changing the academic standards requires higher performance from the student- and the instructors.;)

Or, to make it simple- keep them out because they're dumb, not because they're poor(like me!).

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So, have you ever worked with anyone who you are shocked made it through middle school let alone nursing school???

It's easy to criticize and complain about this dangerous situation. I recognize your need to vent about it. It's terrible and difficult, and it must be very frustrating for you. As nurses, it's important to recognize possible pathology in our coworkers. If it is pathology, it has to be addressed.

As others have said, it might be a mental illness for which the nurse is not taking medication.

But it also might be... an undiagnosed psych issue. In this case this person needs help and not anger. We're in this together, and we have to take care of one another.

I see that you've tried to help this nurse by correcting mistakes. If it's a psych issue, this nurse may need more than just bringing mistakes to this person's attention. This person may be afraid or unaware of his/her own situation, and therefore defensive.

It's a lot of responsibility that you never asked for, but it has to be addressed.

Good luck with the situation, and try to hang in there. We'll be thinking about you.

Regards,

Mukfay

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I agree with making entrance harder. And passing the NCLEX with 75-260 questions is horrifying. I know that when I took boards there were hundreds of questions/day over 2 days, and a minimum of 50% (I think) pass score- which I thought was horrible then.

Now, it sounds like (from what I've been reading) that hospitals have basically had to go to long "internships" to finish teaching what we were expected to know in order to graduate- not even considering taking boards without the skills. IDK ... something needs to change. I'm not saying the 'good old days' are always appropriate for now.... but when we got out, my class had 100% NCLEX pass rate on the first go.

We also have a different generation in general- and that's not "bad"... but too many forget that "work" is a verb- not a destination :)

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Wow. Gotta say, as a lowly EMT in the ED and later as an AUA on a private med-surg floor, I "oriented" quite a few new-grad hires. I've caught med and practice errors, and reported individuals who were intractable, not wanting to listen to "the tech." Haven't seen any significant difference in ASN/BSN newbies.

Perhaps making NCLEX a 1, or not more than 2, time pass affair? Raising the entry GPA to a 3.4 or 3.8? I think that is a more credibly realistic measure of potential and performance than paying 3 times as much for a degree with the same scope of practice.

Changing the degree requirements does nothing more than reward the already overblown academic sector. Changing the academic standards requires higher performance from the student- and the instructors.;)

Or, to make it simple- keep them out because they're dumb, not because they're poor(like me!).

When I was in nursing school..one of my instructors previous job was for the BON of my state. She told us a little story. There is no limit to how many times someone can take the NCLEX in my state. A nurse from a different state applied for a license because she failed the NCLEX numerous times, and finally passed, but her home state had a limit on how many times one can take the NCLEX. So she applied for licensure in my state, and became a RN. She met the requirements, and was licensed. Scary thought.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

While I hate the whole "write her up" syndrome when it is misused this is a clear case of the need for it when used appropriately.

Anything she does that is dangerous to patient care should be written up.

Let management then decide what the issues are and take whatever corrective action is appropriate.

You ain't her BFF, shrink, mother, bodyguard, or anything else. Just do what is appropriate and others will have to deal with the issues. Whatever they are.:smokin:

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When I was in nursing school..one of my instructors previous job was for the BON of my state. She told us a little story. There is no limit to how many times someone can take the NCLEX in my state. A nurse from a different state applied for a license because she failed the NCLEX numerous times, and finally passed, but her home state had a limit on how many times one can take the NCLEX. So she applied for licensure in my state, and became a RN. She met the requirements, and was licensed. Scary thought.

I really have never understood why there are individual BONs...if the same NCLEX is used in all 50 states, what would the problem be to have a national license? It would even things out, limit the bottom limits, and make it easier to work wherever we want- or where the jobs are. :)

We have state drivers' licenses' but they're recognized immediately in all 50 states; one passport... it's just another way to have states make income (that they misuse anyway).

IDK... just a thought.....

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Specializes in LTC, MDS, plasmapheresis.

Find the number of licensed nurses in your state. Multiply by the fee required to renew. There. All done. That's also why stupid things like massage are also licensed. Next question- why do some states renew every two years vs every five? Do the same math.

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Find the number of licensed nurses in your state. Multiply by the fee required to renew. There. All done. That's also why stupid things like massage are also licensed. Next question- why do some states renew every two years vs every five? Do the same math.

Maybe because of close physical contact with other humans??? :)

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