How much trouble am I ? Scale: 1 to super fired

Nurses Relations

Published

Soo quick back story- I work 2 casual jobs one I love and a bedside one that pays for childcare, keeps my skills up, and gives me insite for my side gig nursing lobbying/activism ( Not joking, this is my true true passion!)

I am an experienced critical care nurse +3 years, came from an academic medical center..recently I started working at communitry hospital

The floor is not what Im use to, staffing is junk, 6 to 1, no CNAs, no unit clerk, and just 2-3 nurses. The doctors have you do everything for them (orders, consults, med recs, everything, etc ) and they very are disrepsectful.

Soooo a few days ago, Im at work, everyone was as mean as a snake. I got called stupid 5 times by 3 different doctors ( for not consulting fast enough, not knowing a patient's 5 year medical history blah blah blah). My patients and families were upset about various things out of my control- nursing home placement, garbage, poor prognosis etc.

I had 7 patients no CNA no clerk.

So I'm trying to get this patient a tray before it's too late and the computer deleted her. I made some calls and kept getting transfered around and around to different departments, until I reach a very mean person on the other end who would not listen to my question, I literally couldn't get a word out.

The person on the other end did not introduce themselves, and just kept telling me you need to call someone else over and over and over again. THATS IT, no other words.

So after a day of harrassment I finally decided to stick up for myself- I said:

"Ok I'll try elsewhere but can you take that tone out of your voice"

Person on the other end? A nursing director.

She of course got really really really angry. Stunned- I said Im sorry but you were really mean.

Once I hung up the phone, another nurse said " Oh her, she always sounds like that, but she's a director- I guess the truth hurt her feelings"

I immediately called back the administrator/house supervisor and explained I thought I was talking to a peer.

Then I called the director: apologized and said I was mortified/embarrassed and thought she was a peer and that I would never speak that way to a director, however I did feel attacked.

She of course then tore me apart, telling me I should be embarrassed and to "watch it."

who did I think I was.

I then called my manager, explained the situation, and asked if I was fired. She said yeah ***** does sound like that, thats just her personality. I asked if I was fired- she said no, just be more careful.

But for real, am I fired? I left feeling awful- and of course I keep going over my work from the day and thinking about how they can pluck apart my charting and fire me for something I missed or did.

What to do next? Resign cause she is going to be out for me? Just keep quiet and stay until 3 am charting to be perfect? Go to HR for lateral violence?

I don't need this job at all but I have quit another job previously for poor working conditions ( previous post: Pregnant and harrassed by management ). and I don't really want to make it a habit. I am also starting to think nursing is this way at 90% of places.

Oh my record- clean, no write ups. No previous occurances, at any hospital.

Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

I am glad you told her to take her tone out of her voice. Who cares if she's always like that....she probably needed to hear it anyways.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

So I'm trying to get this patient a tray before it's too late and the computer deleted her. I made some calls and kept getting transfered around and around to different departments, until I reach a very mean person on the other end who would not listen to my question, I literally couldn't get a word out.

The person on the other end did not introduce themselves, and just kept telling me you need to call someone else over and over and over again. THATS IT, no other words.

So after a day of harrassment I finally decided to stick up for myself- I said:

"Ok I'll try elsewhere but can you take that tone out of your voice"

Person on the other end? A nursing director.

She of course got really really really angry. Stunned- I said Im sorry but you were really mean.

Once I hung up the phone, another nurse said " Oh her, she always sounds like that, but she's a director- I guess the truth hurt her feelings"

.

I'm sorry but I laughed...she deserved it. If she wants people to "know who she is" She should start by answering the phone properly.

Not a great place by far....Start looking for another position.

Specializes in Rehab, Med-surg, Neuroscience.

When she told you that you should "watch out" it sounds like a borderline threat!!! I would get as far from that place as possible and never look back!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

First of all if they were to fire you for that mild statement then they would have to fire everyone else for yelling at you all day long and being so rude. Secondly, it sounds like you're too nice for your own good. You were very gracious in calling back just to apologize.

Your coworkers regardless of what level of coworker that they are should be acting like professionals not like schoolyard bullies.

If anyone should get fired it should be the nursing director seeing as how she has a reputation for being rude which means that she's consistently rude/mean to people.

Specializes in Psych, Substance Abuse.

The director probably has more respect for you because you stood up to her.

Specializes in OR.

Haven't quite read all the comments, but when does rank give license to be "mean"? Then she ripped you a new one when you apologized (which I wouldn't have done, btw...).

In the language of pack and herd animals, you've just told her, by your behavior, that you agree with how she's treating you. You've acquiesced, consented, submitted. I think that the only valid reason to submit to that treatment is because you don't have options and _do_ have mouths to feed/bills to pay. You've already stated you have other income. Whether it's enough or not is up to you to decide. One of the things I've heard frequently in nursing is that the fish rots from the head down. Bad leaders lead to bad business and you've described a pretty bad one. Get thee on the next train to gone.

I worked as unit clerk for awhile and we had a really grumpy surgeon who grumbled at me one day.

I asked him if he needed a hug.

BAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Excuse me while I wipe the coffee off my computer screen......

OP, one other thought I had.

If you endeavor to become an activist/voice for others, and the treatment of others, know that you will--more than likely on a daily (hourly) basis encounter people who don't like what you have to say, respond defensively to what you have to say, or treat your thought processes as ineffective, rude or garbage.

The key to all of this is to not personalize to a point where you state "watch your tone". (Now being called stupid is a story for another thread, however...)Not focusing on task that you are seeking to fix, general comments such as this to anyone does nothing but set up a defensive wall. More effective? "I find this conversation going in a direction it was not intended. Are you able to give me the name or department that I need to contact to resolve the issue I have with the computer?" "No, ok, I will continue my search". End of story.

That someone peed in the director's cheerios is not your issue. That is on her. ("Always acts like that" ?!?!?! Indeed.)

My point is that in order to be a voice, you need to communicate effectively and without personal emotion. This way, your own personal views don't muck up the works for being someone else's voice--even if you don't necessarily agree with the point.

Now would be the time I would seriously look at organizing for some drastic changes in the culture of this organization. If you do not have a union, perhaps now is the time to look at getting one on board.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I have only read the OP, but I wanted to comment on this:

Then I called the director: apologized and said I was mortified/embarrassed and thought she was a peer and that I would never speak that way to a director, however I did feel attacked.

No, that's the wrong attitude. NOBODY should speak to anyone that way, it doesn't matter if they're the CEO or the housekeeper. Further, that director shouldn't be telling anyone "Sorry, not my job" - if I were that director's boss, I would fire her.

Hospital culture comes from the top down.

But I did not see anywhere in your post where lateral violence occurred. First, it's not lateral if she's 3 rungs above you. Secondly, there was no violence. There was a grumpy, unhelpful person on the other end of the phone.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
The director probably has more respect for you because you stood up to her.

Doubtful. Mean people don't usually work that way in real life.

+ Add a Comment