Issues @ work with coworker

Nurses Relations

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Hi! I'm currently working a case f/t. We have a new nurse that I oriented that is new to private duty. I spent a few days with her teaching her about trachs, feeding tubes, and all the basics about private duty. A few weeks later she has decided to bring politics in to a case that never had it before. It was a quiet, mostly drama-free case until she came in. She has hospital experience and I guess she thought she would have to bring the politics with her. I gave her every tool I could to help her succeed. Even gave her my cell number so she could call/text me with any questions when I went on vacation or was off. She turned around and started playing games. I was the one that got her on the case to begin with as the mother wanted my opinion on who to put on the case. At first I thought that other than lack of experience with trachs, that she was great. Then all of the sudden she sent me a text asking me why I backstabbed her. I never did a thing except tell the supervisor what a pleasure it was to work with her. Then she took a day of mine by manipulation. So the office called me and told me that they were putting her on a day and pulling me off because I had OT. But I was scheduled!! The office told me during that call that they had already talked to this nurse and she would be working that day. So next thing I know the nurse texted me asking "Who is working tomorrow". Even though she knew...she was playing around. So then she started politics with the parent trying to make me look bad. Well now the parent has been "cold" to me the past couple of weeks. Well last week the nurse got a DWI and I had to cover her shift for her while she was in jail. Well that gave me more OT and the agency pulled another day from me and she got her hours back as she had been scheduled. The agency didn't and doesn't know about the DWI....the agency will shoot the messenger!! So basically I lost OT for covering for her and keeping my mouth shut while she got her hours back. Well I went back to work after a day off and see that this nurse has decorated the patients casts....thats great, except on the underside where its hard to see she wrote "my best nurse is, (nursesname)". Excuse me?!?! Really?!?! So tonight I see that she has friended the parent on facebook. So then I see that the mom had something nasty to say about me because I did my job like I'm supposed to and she didn't like it. Unfortunately, there are no other cases with work available right now. I'd ask the agency to put me on another case or at least move some of my hours to another case. I can't afford to lose any hours. But I don't want any trouble by staying on the case either.

This other nurse is wrong on soooo many levels. What do I do?

Specializes in CTICU.
I'm so sorry you are having such a bad day and feel the need to stir up something. However, I have enough sense not to come on a board like this without having my facts straight. BTW, I did verify on the courts website all the info. It shows her court date and her charges.

I don't feel the need to stir anything up. However, I'm pretty sure that if asked to your co-worker, we would have a different story. I'm sorry if you were expecting everyone agreeing. It seems to me that if you were doing your job and worrying less

about who's friend with who in facebook and looking up court days maybe you had time to work in your case and be a nurse.

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Specializes in PICU, ICU, Hospice, Mgmt, DON.
I don't feel the need to stir anything up. However, I'm pretty sure that if asked to your co-worker, we would have a different story. I'm sorry if you were expecting everyone agreeing. It seems to me that if you were doing your job and worrying less

about who's friend with who in facebook and looking up court days maybe you had time to work in your case and be a nurse.

Well, it seems like that the nurse in question does not have a lot of time to be a nurse either...with all of the facebooking...getting felony convictons for drugs...and DWIs... while she back stabs this nurse to the parents...I think it's reasonable for this nurse to be concerned.

and me thinks you doth protest a little too much.....

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Specializes in CTICU.
Well, it seems like that the nurse in question does not have a lot of time to be a nurse either...with all of the facebooking...getting felony convictons for drugs...and DWIs... while she back stabs this nurse to the parents...I think it's reasonable for this nurse to be concerned.

and me thinks you doth protest a little too much.....[/QI

it's called expressing your ideas not protesting but I understand and I accept your point of view. :yeah: thank you so much for not protesting. :D

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

RN-logic has gotten the attention s/he was looking for. Lets move on.

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Keep your nose out of it. No no no no. If we are professionals, with a duty to ourselves and our clients, we would not adopt a head in the sand approach. A coworker with potential substance abuse issues and boundary issues needs to be checked. These rules were not in place by the BON to only apply if the employer stumbled across the information. We are not being snitches by reporting it (we are not snitching, we are being accountable). To suggest a shut up and mind your own bees wax policy is detrimental to nursing and this woman's sense of fair play. No boundaries and substance issues? Bad combination. Best to anonymously pass along info to correct BON and hope for the best. And yes- even the employer, if only at the national level, outside of the local chapter. Put a little more objectivity on this situation. Certainly this company at least pays lip service to the idea of accountability and professionalism in nursing. Clip this policy to the information/factual account and send it along to the national nursing adivisor or whoever.

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She couldve done any # of things to hide or cover up her background.. You can tell if its the same person by comparing the birthday on public record & seeing if its relatively close to your "friends" age.

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To those nurses out there working home care or private duty is this jockying for position with the patients and family a common problem among coworkers?

The other day I had a patient that let me know she wanted a different nurse who wasn't on that night because she had given her a long neck and back rub. I didn't feel very wanted, and I'm just not a touchy-feely kind of person to give out back rubs, not to mention I was much too busy anyway. Funny patient was complaining she had no one to help her at home, but admitted she was estranged from her family for being unkind back when she was healthy and independent.

We did eventually hit it off and she was talking my ear off and making me laugh in the end. She did have quite a sense of humor after all!

Sometimes you feel like work is a popularity contest with the patients, but I know my fellow coworker didn't set out to do this. She is just a new overachieving RN, but it sure does take the wind out of your sails when a patient lets you know they prefer someone else!

Careful! This patient is manipulative. She will be saying something to the other nurse to see if she will try to win her favor by "doing what the other nurse" does for her. It's helpful to smile blandly and say "well isn't that nice of her." "or I'll make sure to tell her you complimented her when I see her next."

I find it amazing how many people and patients are experts at splitting and stirring the pot.

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Actually, if the drug charges were 10 years ago, she could have been in a program and completed it, it's usually around 5years..so that may be irrelavent now, but still, the DUI is a big thing. She certainly should not be taking care of little kids in their homes without supervision...(she needs the supervision)...

It's not a DUI, it's a DWI which means a lower level of alcohol in the blood (driving while impaired, vs. driving under the influence. It's a lesser offense. I can't imagine the BON would ignore a DWI. Common opinion among drug/alcohol rehab people is that by the time you are driving impaired, you've been drinking a long time and have a problem with alcohol. I am an idiot so I would tell the Nurse she could self report, which is looked on more favorably by the Board, or you will tell them. Give her overnight to think about it. I do know all the Boards say trying to hide something from them will be met with the worst consequences. If you can't be honest about that, what are you doing at work?

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

I did choose to say something to my supervisors after getting a nasty note from this nurse. The nurse accused me of not training her on something....funny thing that it took weeks for her to mention it when its done every shift. Another funny thing, she signed off saying I trained her on it! Either way, I'm now the bad guy and they want to talk to me. How do people like this get away with so much? I go in and almost never call out and give 100% effort. If I find a way to go above and beyond, I will. I'm not perfect, but I sure don't have a drink and get behind the wheel or do other illegal activities. But yet I'm the bad guy?

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Specializes in PICU, ICU, Hospice, Mgmt, DON.

According to my research the DWI is the more important offense...however, the state I live in doesn't really differentiate...they are equally serious and referred to as DUIs....and by the way OP...you are NOT the bad guy here...she is grasping at straws. I can't believe how brazen this chick is!

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