Advice Please! A cna spread a rumor about me.

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Greetings All,

I've never started a thread, but this is a doozey, and wanted adivice. I am an older last year RN student. In my clinicals I slightly stuck myself while giving an insulin shot. I reported it immediately. The next day in class, a 2nd year student says the first year students were "buzzing" about how I messed up, i.e., the lights were too dim in the room, I didn't have my teacher right there, etc. I determined the source of the story, a cna who was working on the same patient. I called her and said I was doing her a favor by calling her instead of reporting her. I basically told her she's shouldn't be talking about things that go on in the hospital. She then called my clinical instructor, whom she knows, and told her to tell me she was going to complain to the school that I "harassed" her. What a joke! To add insult to injury, my clinical instructor told me I should swallow my pride and APOLOGIZE to this girl. Unreal. I refused to do so, as it was she, and no I who violated the privacy statement we must sign to work in the hospital. I am tempted now to report her. Advice please! (I'm a little upset my clinical instructor, who is a dear person, seemed more concerned about the cna than me - the patient has MRAS and VRE, and I'm going through the blood tests, etc.)

Diahni

not harrassment....that would req repitiveness....and in my personal, not paricuolarly prof opinion, the little twerp ought learn to keep her mouth shut.....and no, not every mistake becomes the talk of the floor, or hospital...we were taught that only those who had a prof/legal need to know were to be informed of any error..EVER......if nothin else she has violated prof ethics..and unless every word that she stated was true, she has lied and maligned you.... i would guess this not not new behavior for her, and she is used to getting her own way....the instructors need to rein her in, or can her

Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.
I think you should count your blessings. If I stuck myself in clinical, I'd have been kicked out of the program, no exceptions.

Are you serious? Who penalizes students for accidents?

Specializes in cardiac.
Are you serious? Who penalizes students for accidents?

Unfortunatley this happens at some nursing schools.

God says, that when you are in the right, you should apologize first. Even though you have despise for this CNA you will need to come to standards with this problem. I have had to suck it up and do the right thing even though the other person is in the wrong. Your apology should also be one that to my opinion be in front of other's or someone that can over hear your apology to her, and you need to say it some how that people knows that she is in the wrong. Don't make it an angry one but one that states that you are disappointed that she would a fellow collegue would do that. I think she is jealous of you because she is only an CNA and you are working on to be an RN, and that you might just one day be her boss looking over her. She has done a no no :nono: Good luck with your career.

Specializes in OR.

I can see why you were aggravated with this CNA/fellow student..It's obvious that once she becomes a nurse, she's going to be a gossiper. Also, she evidently thinks she is perfect but she'll mess up someday. I also don't think you should have to apologize. Who really needs the thicker skin here? She got upset because someone actually called her on her inappropriate, mean spirited behavior. Students are routinely thought of as "guests" but they do the grunt work for free- the hospital I did clinical for in my last semester, the CNA's would disappear if they knew their patient had a student. You evidently have a backbone and that's good- you'll need it in this profession! Your instructor is behaving unprofessionally also, I think you're getting the short end of the stick, because she knows this person. Maybe the one think I would have done differently was not go to the hospital-I would have complained to your Dean of Nursing.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Just because people talk doesn't mean that they should.

I agree. Any needlestick i've dealt with (2 suture sticks so far) was kept private, as it should be.

I don't believe she was out of line in confronting this CNA in what ever capacity she was in when this incident took place.

It's not the matter of confronting her that i see the problem with, it's the matter that she called her at home to do so.

Specializes in Utilization Management.
Are you serious? Who penalizes students for accidents?

Of course I'm serious! Those were the rules at that time--no needlesticks, no med errors, no IV pushes, no giving meds without the instructor present.

No exceptions.

They figured if you, a student, are being as careful as can be and this stuff happens in a monitored clinical settting, what'll happen when you're on your own?

Like I said in my earlier post, things have obviously changed since I was in school.

Specializes in OB, ortho/neuro, home care, office.

I think if it were me - I'd put aside my pride and apologize. You are in nursing school. It is a dog eat dog world that doesn't take much to lose your place. In the end by putting up an arguement about this you are pulling much attention to a subject that is sensitive in nature and should not be allowed to continue because if it does you will get 'labeled' as a problem child.

You don't want that label in nursing school because after that - the wrong move will send you out of the school. Instructors talk - trust me it's a fact. You need to put this behind you - whether you were right or not - and move on. Dragging this out is only detrimental to you - and your school.

So put your pride aside and do what must be done - or risk the consequences.

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Hello All,

Thanks so much for all the feedback. Can anyone tell me...

1. Can you grow "thick skin"? The personal qualities required for a nurse are a real conundrum - nurses should be very sensitive to the needs of patients, and overlook some real nasty stuff thrown at us.

2. I thought "harrassment" means "the repeated taunting" of another person.

About gossip - I thought the privacy agreement we all have to sign is as important as HIPPA, though it is not a federal mandate.

Some pals who are nurses at the hospital told me I oughta report her, but I chose to contact her directly. I just don't see how it is harassment.

Diahni

You called her at home and threatened her-what don't you get? She should have kept her mouthshut but you never should have called her at home.As others have said you need to let it go.Be the bigger person,suck it up and apologize.But remember -in any facility you work in the future whenever you make a mistake people are going to talk. posts show that you are not ready or willing to learn from this experience.I think you need to mature as a nurse....good luck

Specializes in Med/Surg, Postpartum.

The CNA was out of line. You became a patient the minute that you got stuck. SHE violated HIPPA, I would report her. The fact that you were used as the "joke of the day" and that the instructors did not squash this from the minute that they became aware of it happening tells me that both the staff and instructors are not being positive role models for the nursing students. Your "mistake" can have life-long health issue implications for you. Where is the compassion shown to you, their fellow nurse? The instructor could have turned this incident into a "what NOT to do if this happens", all of us nurses are vulnerable to an accidental needle stick.

I would not apologize to the CNA, her insensitivity to you is an example of what kind of nurse she will become. Ignore the request to apologize, and as you continue in clinicals remember that the power of gossip only has power over you if you allow it to.

Good Luck to you and I pray that you stay well!

Avelinne

Specializes in cardiac, psychiatric emergency, rehab.

Review the words of Eleanor Roosevelt:

Great people talk about ideas

Good people talk about things

Others talk about people.

You cannot control what others do; you can only control your response.!! Believe me, I know this well! Try not to allow other people's need to avoid their own inadequacies infiltrate your soul.

Both of you deserve a dose of discipline.

Act like professionals.

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