Aides who go over your head

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm a backup charge nurse in LTC. My shift has a charge nurse, a med tech or nurse, and 2 aides. January was an expensive month for me ( and license renewal), so I picked up some shifts this weekend. I wish I hadn't.

An aide got hurt a few weeks ago (I'll call her Hurt). I found out Friday night that Hurt was coming back Saturday night. That meant 3 aides instead of 2. Usually, the "extra" aide is orienting; having an extra pair of hands that knows the job was fine with me.

The schedule has had some holes lately, for a variety of reasons, including Hurt being hurt. Other aides have been filling those holes. Tonight, one aide was starting a double shift (after doing a double the night before, I'll call her Doubles), another (I'll call her Other) was ending a double. When Doubles and Other found out Hurt had a lot of restrictions, including no pushing wheelchairs or lifting, they were incensed. "It's not fair! We'll have to do everything while she sits around! We're exhausted! We need to call the on-call nurse!" Never mind that they're getting overtime, or that no one forced either of them to work a double shift (or 2 doubles in 2 days). It was time to get the residents for supper, so I said we could discuss it after supper.

Ten minutes later, my portable phone rang. It was the on-call nurse. Doubles had just called her, complained about Hurt, and threatened not to show up if she had to work with Hurt the next day. :madface: I had a revolt on my hands.

I've had problems with Doubles before, and I was ready to tell her to walk. The on-call nurse, who had no clue about Hurt's restrictions, was more worried about my shift being short-staffed the next day. I was worried, too, but I could have dealt with it. In the end, after 20 minutes on the phone, Doubles decided to come to work tomorrow after all, and I'll have to help Hurt with her group.

I am so angry. I was undermined. It has happened before in other jobs, and never ended well (though karma struck nicely in one case). I'm not good at confronting people about bad behavior; it tends to backfire. Next shift, I have to work with Hurt and Doubles. I'm trying to think of a way to tell Doubles that she was out of line without losing my temper or my tires. I was hoping the on-call nurse would say something to her (I don't know if she did).

Any advice? How can I tell Doubles she was out of line without trying to mud-wrestle a pig?

I'm having trouble understanding why you're mad. Because Doubles called another nurse to change the schedule instead of you? Was this the regular charge nurse that she called?

Like someone else said, it sounds like people were just tired and cranky, nothing personal.

"Never mind that they're getting overtime, or that no one forced either of them to work a double shift (or 2 doubles in 2 days)." No one forced you to pick up a shift either and yet you're complaining about it. Maybe they had an expensive month, just like you. They probably make less than half of what you do.

She's upset because they went over her head! Didn't give her a chance to fix it!

To OP: let it go. Be glad the full time nurse took care of it. I think.

It really does sound like much ado about almost nothing, but I do understand why you're upset. But try not to mud wrestle that pig. It just ain't worth it, Girl. You're not paid enough to worry about this stuff. Just do your best and take a rest and whistle while you work. :yeah: Or something like that.

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DogWmn is right. When a staff member is on light or restricted duty, everyone needs to have a clear understanding of their duties and responsibilities. As DogWmn said, this needs to happen at the beginning of the shift. I usually have a plan for this type of situation, but at the beginnig of the shift, I explain the situation to everyone, give them my plan and ask for input. More often than not the CNAs not on any restrictions come up with a better plan than I did, because they know what will be most helpful to them. If there's some complaining, that's ok, we all need to vent and preferably before we take it to the floor. My feeling about calling the on call nurse is this: you can call anyone you like, but as far as I'm concerned the matter is now between you and the person you called and I'm no longer involved. When it comes to threats about calling in it depends, if it's just the frustration coming out I'd validate and say,"you really don't mean that right?" If it's indeed a threat as in,"...if condition xyz is not met, I'm not coming to work tomorrow", you just harm yourself, because now I can no longer accomodate you in any way and you either show up tomorrow or you won't work on my floor again.

I think the OP was not made aware that Hurt was on light duty. So she could not have a meeting about that.

I advise not responding to threats. Just look the person in the eye and say nothing and go on and do your own work. They will soon realize that they need the bucks and will come on in to work, most likely.

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Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.

I did a brief stint ( 2 months) in a LTC as a new LPN charge and one aide was unhappy with a staffing assignment I made. She proceeded to call the DNS at midnight down the hallway on her cell without saying a peep about it to me 1st. Luckily, the DNS backed me up and said to make sure they know I'm in charge and can make the assignment anyway I see fit. So politely and looking all the aides in the eye I made sure we were all on the same page and if they were unhappy they could talk to the DNS in the morning and they needed to run it by me 1st. Ugh there are some who will try and throw the nurse under the bus any chance they get.

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I did a brief stint ( 2 months) in a LTC as a new LPN charge and one aide was unhappy with a staffing assignment I made. She proceeded to call the DNS at midnight down the hallway on her cell without saying a peep about it to me 1st. Luckily, the DNS backed me up and said to make sure they know I'm in charge and can make the assignment anyway I see fit. So politely and looking all the aides in the eye I made sure we were all on the same page and if they were unhappy they could talk to the DNS in the morning and they needed to run it by me 1st. Ugh there are some who will try and throw the nurse under the bus any chance they get.

How is it that all staff seem to have the boss' phone number? I doubt I could reach my boss. I have to live with the Shift Supervisor's decisions, stupid or not. This person is new to the facility, knows very little about how things are done because the ones who trained her showed the same crappy, easy-way-out of problems that they have always used. Only one other SS has tried to show her the right way and, since the right way involves more work than the way the other SS's use, she, being a slug, naturally defaults to the easy ways that are unfair to line staff.

When my rich uncle dies and leaves me his fortune... :rolleyes:. Believe me, I will not be sharing it with any of the terrible bosses I've had in my illustrious career.

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Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.
How is it that all staff seem to have the boss' phone number? I doubt I could reach my boss. I have to live with the Shift Supervisor's decisions, stupid or not. This person is new to the facility, knows very little about how things are done because the ones who trained her showed the same crappy, easy-way-out of problems that they have always used. Only one other SS has tried to show her the right way and, since the right way involves more work than the way the other SS's use, she, being a slug, naturally defaults to the easy ways that are unfair to line staff.

When my rich uncle dies and leaves me his fortune... :rolleyes:. Believe me, I will not be sharing it with any of the terrible bosses I've had in my illustrious career.

Everyone has her # because she put it in the staffing book at the nurses stations! Another instance a cna wanted to call her at 2am because we didn't have any washcloths. I said no but you can go searching for the ones you guys hide in closets and such. So about 20 min later I found a stack of like 50 washclothes on top of the cna who first complained linen cart! I think she had them all along. What a dysfunctional place that was yikes!

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This is my two cents on the opinion. As the nurse there, you were the person who "Doubles" should have approached if she had an issue.

There are two things you need to consider with her behavior.

1. Discuss with her that you understood her resentment about a coworker not being able to do the heavy lifting, but in the future she should talk to the next-in-line up (in this situation, you) before addressing anyone else about the issue. I would do this in a nonconfrontational way at first. If this persists to be a problem, then take disciplinary action. But first approach her respectfully, and explain that by her going above your head, it makes you and her both look unprofessional.

2. Be the person that those "under" you can come and talk to. With all due respect, according to your post atleast, you do not seem to be sympathethic to the plight of Doubles. The fact that she picked up a double the night before? I would only have an issue with this if she was lacking on the next shift or expecting a lighter load because she picked up a double....otherwise the number of shifts she worked isn't a concern of yours. I think all "Doubles" was saying is that while prepared to work, she wasn't necessarily prepared to pick up the slack of another coworker. While this is understandable, it is a byproduct of team work. As a supervisor, or the "next-in-line person" try to be sympathethic. I am not trying to start a flame here...but perhaps "Doubles" didn't come to you because she thought you wouldn't do anything. Assess why you think this happenned. If this is a situation where you have tried, sincerely, on your end and "Doubles" simply cannot be pleased, then acknowledge that as well and just talk to her, give her the benefit of the doubt, but if this keeps happenning then don't hesitate to give disciplinary action.

In this situation, "Doubles" needed to trust you...and you need to be a person (or act like it!) that "Doubles" can trust.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

My issue (which someone else touched on) was that the shift usally had 2 aides. With Hurt, there were 3 aides, meaning Doubles would have had less work to do.

I offered to let Doubles and Other leave early, since they were so tired. They refused, they wanted the money. The way I see it, if you're going to volunteer for 2 double shifts in 2 days, you have no business complaining about being tired.

On top of it all, Hurt may have lied abut her restrictions. :madface:

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I'm not a nurse yet, but isn't the OP these aides authority in some shape or form?

If so, would it really be that wrong for her to sit these aides down for a quick 5 minutes and explain that whenever they have a complaint, they need to first address the nurse on shift (her). Explain that it is unacceptable and unprofessional to call an on-call nurse unless there is an emergency, etc.

Again, I am not a nurse yet..but this just seems so wrong. It seems shady & catty IMO. I hope I am understanding everything correctly.

They sound like children, and I guarantee you can have their positions filled quickly...esp. in this economy. *I* would gladly take their positions.

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