Overheard coworkers complaining about me....feeling bad

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Specializes in Trauma/Tele/Surgery/SICU.

Had a very crazy shift the other night. I had 8 patients, fresh post-ops, most of whom were trainwrecks. One very confused gentlemen who was stripping naked, trying to get out of bed (very unsteady) and constantly unhooking his mediport ALL night long. Was in the room almost every 5 minutes trying to calm him down, couldn't get a sitter from the doc ending up having to put him in mittens. Pts. with BP issues, output issues, just multiple multiple issues all night. I never sat down once. I ran like crazy. 2 float techs who were overwhelmed with our floor and unable to complete I's/O's, blood sugars etc. A bad, bad night.

So i stay 20 minutes over my shift and left a few things undone. 1 pt. who needed an iv restart and an NG dropped, another who needed some supplies I could not find on NOC's despite calling every one under the sun in the hospital I could think of. I apologized to oncoming shift. The response I got was its ok we understand you had 8 patients (they have 4). Another of my coworkers took my sheet to copy while I was giving report to another RN, when I was ready to give report to her she said, I got what I need off your sheets, go home. I gave her a few things I learned form the small amount of time I had to go through his chart (admitted from SI, extubated that day etc. etc.)

Finish report, go to my locker, realize I left my jacket at desk. As I am walking back I overhear 2 of the dayshift RN's complaining about all the "crap" I had left them and now they have to deal with it, etc. etc. I pretend like I didn't hear them, grab my coat and walk back to my locker almost in tears.

Friend of mine was in that night, getting report from the RN who just copied my sheets and said she didn't need anything else. She goes to give my friend report and says " I got a really ******* report on this pt. today from the NOC RN. Then tells her he has some skin issues but she didnt really look at him, just got it from his chart.

I got that pt. at 2400 (not my admit) I did not do a complete skin assessment on him because admitting RN said she did and no issues. Now our unit gets credit for undocumented pressure ulcers and I am feeling quite bad right now. Apparently this is my fault. The dayshift RN admitted to my friend that she didn't really look at this guys skin either. This was one of the patients who was having issues for me and quite frankly skin was not my top priority as he was not very stable when I got him.

My feelings are a little hurt because one of the complaining RN's was my preceptor for a while and someone I felt I could go to and trust. The one who complained about my crappy report is notorious on our unit for giving horrible reports and leaving out necessary info. In fact it is pretty much my practice to get report from her and then go straight to chart to get the real history and real background info. I did not do this with the 3 extra pts. I picked up at 2400 because I did not have time. I do not "call out" others when they give me incomplete report because I figure they were busy and didn't have time to go through the chart. I am really angry that this particular nurse felt the need to make sure everyone knew she got bad report from me. It is ok for her to say "no one told me about that" but I guess not ok for me.

What I do not understand is why they would be all nice to me in report and then turn around and ***** after I leave. If there was an issue they should have said something then. Nursing is 24/7 and at some point you have to stop or else you would be there forever!!!! I don't complain when I come in and have to do a million things left over from day shift.

I am not a passive aggressive person and believe in confronting problems head on. Apparently this is not the way you do things in nursing.

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

All I can say is I am very sorry that you had a bad night and very sorry you had to bear hearing people talking about you after that.

:icon-hug:

tait

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Specializes in MSP, Informatics.

we can all be *******, and ******. I have had that happen to me... had to walk back to get my stethescope, and they were talking about me. But on the flip side, I have been the one dishing it out--venting-- and had the poor nurse I was ranting about come round the corner.

Its a hard stressful job. there are some people that wouldn't be happy if everything was done, and you gave an perfect report...they would probably ***** about the report running long, and their coffee getting cold!

(oops! guess the B word gets the big ***** treatment!) :imdbb:

new years resolution...watch my potty-mouth!!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Peds, Pediatraic Home Care, Infusion.

Take a big, deep breath as you walk to your car and as that air leaves your lungs let go of all those awful experiences with your co-workers. This is one of those sad things that goes with nursing that adds so much stress to an already stressful day------lack of support of one another.

You already got the most important part down, you know that, or assume it and it is best to assume, that the nurse was so over whelmed from an already too busy day to get EVERYTHING done that needed to be done or she would have done EVERYTHING. Good for you. We need to respect and support each other.

No matter who did the admit, or what they say, you have to do an assessment--------they may not------sorry but you will see charting that is just not true--------no need to go on with what "they" are doing--------Lesson learned, let this go now so you can leave it as you blow out that breath.

You need to be gentle with yourself.

At the end of a shift I ask myself what kind of nurse I was for my patients and did I give the best I could for my patients and that is the end of the story. That is all the matters because all the crap between shifts just goes on and we can only fix our own little self not others. Just evaluate yourself as the nurse you are with the patients you were responsible for. You are the only one in your shoes. And give yourself a big hug.

Those nurses you gave report to have to be very unhappy people. Do not become one.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Peds, Pediatraic Home Care, Infusion.

I've had those shifts that were so crazy and with the short staffing and patients that just kept coming and the acuity out of control and people around me behaving badly that I really thought someone was going to step over to me and say "We're just kidding" as the film crew surrounded me and everyone burst out in laughter. Unfortunately that never happened and was all real.

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Specializes in telemetry, ICU, cardiac rehab, education.

Unfortunately I think we have all had days like that and we aren't always are supportive to each other as we should/could be.

In the end if you gave your patients the best care you could, you should feel great! Pat yourself on the back.

Lastly remember we all may have a bad day and gripe about stuff we wouldn't usually, maybe that was true for those co-workers of yours.

I, for one, am impressed by what you had to go through that shift whew...:yeah:hang in there

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Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

Let me start out by saying I am sorry you had such a bad night. You have gotten some good advice so far.

Speaking as a days shift nurse who has had stuff left over from other shifts it is frustrating. However, I am not usually frustrated at at the other nurse so much as frustrated at the situation. I know the other nurse had a horrible night, but I am looking at the work piling up on me. I see no end and I do not know how it will all get done. I know there will be new orders to get done also. However, at the end of the day it all gets done (or not then it gets passed on) and it all is not such a big deal.

Try not to let what those other nurses say get to you and remember tomorrow is a new day.

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You have already gotten good advice here. In the future I would not hesitate to ask the nurses if they had something they wanted to discuss with me. If they are going to talk about you behind your back, then they can own it and discuss the same issues with you to your face. It may make them think before they complain. I am always very careful not to criticize or say things about my co-workers that I would be afraid to say to their faces, it's only being professional.

Everyone forgets things or leaves things undone from time to time, it's why there is more than one shift and it's our responsibility to pick up and finish what the previous shift didn't. IMHO it only becomes a problem when it becomes a pattern.

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I am also sorry for the shift that you had and the sick in your stomach feeling of the co-worker talking about you. It was so unnecessary, especially after you're communicating to them about the situation. It hurts.

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You have already gotten good advice here. In the future I would not hesitate to ask the nurses if they had something they wanted to discuss with me. If they are going to talk about you behind your back, then they can own it and discuss the same issues with you to your face. It may make them think before they complain. I am always very careful not to criticize or say things about my co-workers that I would be afraid to say to their faces, it's only being professional.

Everyone forgets things or leaves things undone from time to time, it's why there is more than one shift and it's our responsibility to pick up and finish what the previous shift didn't. IMHO it only becomes a problem when it becomes a pattern.

Perfectly stated!! Ditto.

To the OP, not everyone is like Dee, however; as you have seen. This kind of talking behind someone's back happens and is very hurtful if overheard . . . but, just forget it, you did a great job in the situation:yeah:! This day shift/night shift, ICU/stepdown, stepdown/medsurg kvetching occurs all the time, always will.

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Had a very crazy shift the other night. I had 8 patients, fresh post-ops, most of whom were trainwrecks. One very confused gentlemen who was stripping naked, trying to get out of bed (very unsteady) and constantly unhooking his mediport ALL night long. Was in the room almost every 5 minutes trying to calm him down, couldn't get a sitter from the doc ending up having to put him in mittens. Pts. with BP issues, output issues, just multiple multiple issues all night. I never sat down once. I ran like crazy. 2 float techs who were overwhelmed with our floor and unable to complete I's/O's, blood sugars etc. A bad, bad night.

This is insane. Where is your charge nurse, supervisor and your TEAM when something like this happens? This does not sound like teamwork. When you are in over your head there should be some help for you. Working night shift is difficult enough, but your workload for that shift was not safe.

Shifts tend to complain against each other, blame and blame again anyone they can. This is a dysfunctional unit and the coworkers talking about you should be punished. In the time they were talking about you, they could have been going into action to assist with the problem. Shame on them. You deserve a better job, manager and coworkers.

Just staying on duty and attempting to get all of that done was an act of bravery far beyond the call of duty.

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Specializes in Chiropractic assistant, CNA in LTC, RN.

Unfortunately I heard this crap when I worked as a CNA, when I did clinicals, and I'm sure I'll hear it once I start working as an RN. I've said this a million times "healthcare is the ONE area we truly need to work as a team and it is the ONE area where teamwork seems to be a foreign word." I am really sick of it and am wondering if I made a mistake choosing this field. It sure doesn't seem to be getting any better.

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