Belligerent Coworker

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2008

It's the truth folks.....some jobs have horrible workers and people with no work ethic....yesterday, the hours called for no techs on my floor...I went to another floor, came down at 9.(4 hrs into shift), and discovered the nurses doing all tech work, secretary work, having to check off ALL orders!, having to do their job, and they were just ragged.....NM that days got 1 aide for the whole day, and the day nurses did NOTHING in terms of orders, and also left RIGHT....at 5:30...including the aide, didn't even offer to help get VS or anything....It makes me remember that as I get my RN, to never overlook the value of techs...

And if you do, heaven help ya.

You handled it well, OP, and GL on the job search...sometimes bad workers can ruin even the best jobs....

NewTravelingNurse · Jan 21, 2008

You put your 'blood sweat and tears' into gettin' your license. Are you willing to lose it for this person?

There are many places for the people that are the caring ones...

vamedic4, EMT-P · Jan 21, 2008

To the OP, I'm so very sorry you had to endure this type of treatment. Sounds like it's not just a problem with the individual staff member - sounds as if your management staff needs a good swift kick in the @ss too. No one should have to put up with that. I've had managers here that would have let her go for her performance alone...add the attitude and that's a guaranteed ticket to the unemployment line.

Keep your distance from her, keep it professional...and leave a paper trail of any problems with this person. Perhaps one day she'll get what she's due.

So sorry she's the reason you have to find another job. Seems your organization would do anything to keep a nurse but then again...

Best of luck.

vamedic4

PN143 · Jan 21, 2008

I just graduated from LPN school and have just started my first job in a cardiologist's office. So far, it is going well. I don't think I ever want to work in a hospital or to further my education in the nursing field. Unfortunately, my clinical experiences with other nurses and CNAs left me wishing that I had chosen another field. Some people are just hateful.

End Game RN, RN · Jan 21, 2008

Have an ongoing situation for years now. Nothing can be done.

A male nurse went postal after sticking himself with a needle used to draw blood on a full blown AIDS patient in our unit. After some issues with immediate supervisors, this person began to be verbally abusive to other staff. He wanted us to side with him in his dispute with our ICU management.

I was in charge one day when this same nurse, with a furious expression was storming down the hallway of our unit He asked me to lay down on the floor when I see him coming with a gun, he'll try to remember not to kill me. He said he would kill everyone on our floor. Some visitors witnessed this and were appalled but also refused to get involved.

Needless to say I was stunned. Some of our residents heard this, they simply packed up and moved to the other side of our ICU. Later some of them told me that there was nothing we could do and if we did do something..and nothing happened to address this issue, they believed this nurse would come back and kill someone.

I reported the incident, called the AIC, my head nurse and spoke with other staff who witnessed this incident. No one wanted to deal with this. It did get as far as our director of nursing..he was placed on administrative leave for several months..getting paid. This nurse was referred for a psychiatric evaluation which apparently he aced, came back with more rage than before. This time he focused on me. He knew how to behave in front of other men and other female staff members who stayed out of this. Classic sociopath. I can make this nursing diagnoses since there are things about this ongoing incident that would frighten some of you out there and I cannot write about. I have not been forbidden to do so..but there are some people who enjoy fanning the flames of conflict. and would be thrilled to relay this post to him. These are the same people who for some reason thought this would be funny, letting him know where I am and my medical issues.

He got hired to another ICU .since there were others who protected him, stating that we had not handled the situation with the needle stick in a reasonable manner

which caused him to "loose it" He became the "victim". I had not been aware of why he went postal, I found out about the needle stick weeks later. He was able to "poison" others in the new ICU. I found out because some of the staff in the other ICU were hostile when they ran into me around campus. Later things went back to normal when they realized this guy really was unstable.

He told one of our staff members, who still is working in our unit to this day, that "one day, she won't know where or when, but I will shoot her in the head and kill her"

This staff member told me this, only warning me to watch my back..she refused to go to administration or file an incident report. She said she was afraid of him, felt that he would be protected again by administration and if she got involved, she believed he would kill her tooo. Many of us feared legal repercussions if our concerns were blown off again.

Years later, one year when I had a bone tumor..some of their people went out of their way to tell me that he was telling people that he hoped it was malignant and that I would die horribly...Hello...

One time with a mrsa infection in my right hand and arm, I was placed on a floor right above this ICU where he worked. I asked to be made a "security" patient. Someone later informed him (not my people) I was there and was a security patient..this was done knowing the history of this ongoing situation. He informed them that he could care less that I was there, and if he wanted to get to me he could.

Hmmm

This past week I see him waiting in line at an on campus bank, at the window. He looks at me with a poisonous expression, seems to breathe harder. He stares at me without blinking and does not look away. These interactions occur on a regular basis, at the bank in the parking garage, by the Cuban place..at the window, I found him directly behind me. I looked at him, and he did his staring, unblinking routine. Normally at this window, a second customer would come up to the window at the same time. He kept a 5 or 6 foot distance from me, causing others in the line behind him to stay at a significant distance from the window.

He was in a small room, sitting next to me waiting for lab work as I was. He sat in his chair rigidly, upright and breathing hard..his facial expression was angry..remember, this is YEARS later. He got up and pulled out his wallet to show pictures of his "family" to the receptionist. I was called for my lab work to be done and did not see him again.

Several of these "small" interactions, would be regarded by hospital administration as minor. He functions in the ICU where he is still working. He is a very bright person with a memory that is spooky. He remembers minute details of just about everything.

So we are at a standstill in this "game" that is played out every time we run into each other (few and far between). Both knowing neither of us can move forward. Neither of us will give up and leave. So we remain in this stalemate with no hope of resolving this conflict.

I know there is nothing that can be done and frankly I don't care. It has become boring, repetitious and childish. If he does act out his threats I know that there are those who will act "surprised". My family and friends know this history, but the entire history, not just what I have revealed here. Many of our staff members in our unit, the senior staff, know this history. One of my former students moved to this unit to expand her horizons..he told her that he knew she was my friend and then tried to give his side of an old event that had nothing to do with her orientation in this new unit. She blew him off and told me that he was still really p----d.

And no one can say anything, no one will admit to knowing about his obsession with me. No one will get involved because they know they could be next.

Whatever.

By the way, I'm not leaving!!!!!!!!!!!!!

End Game RN

Ruper · Jan 21, 2008

We had one of "those" in school, cussed other students, rude, it was horrible. Nothing was ever done, even with complaints. Fortunatly it was school and there would be a day I would never have to see her again. Yeah, that day was December 20, 2007.

Good luck to you!

End Game RN, RN · Jan 21, 2008

....and I am not afraid of him.

So..fight. don't cave in to bullies, those who are jealous, racists or just those who go out of their way to wage war with people they perceive as weaker than they are. When these unstable staff win..you lose and you lose big. So does your entire staff.

My personal situation will go on ad infinitum. I'm O.K with this.

End Game RN

calliesue · Jan 21, 2008

Sorry for your troubles at work.

I myself have always wondered if someone will talk to a coworker like that, how do they treat their patients?

especially the confused ones who can't take up for themselves.

I would leave and ask for an exit interview with Hr or maybe call the corporate hotline if they have one.

Good Luck

mollasas · Jan 21, 2008

Hi I sympathize with this type of situation as well I've been on this particular job for month, an this one nurse seems to have total dependancy, always needing to ask how to do, or I don't won't to do. She is white and I am black, she has gone out of her way and beyond always asking me about personal things to the point of watching everything I do and now she has buddied up with another nurse who knows everything I mean everything and very bossey and is always trying to direct all of my conversations and very overbaring, I'm not sure what to do they have slandered me right at the nurses station, I am going to speak with the DON but feel very uncomfortable about it, but will speak with her anyway, this one particular has never said anything good about anybody and loves to gossip, some advice please:uhoh3: janice

EmmaG, RN · Jan 21, 2008

Thankyou all for your support. I have been feeling so alone about this job situation. Seems no matter who I talk to at work, nobody wants to get involved etc.. I can't tell you how your kind and supportive words have encouraged me. I am afraid of what might happen next with this coworker.. who knows what she is capable of doing. Someone told me she has thrown things at nurses.. and I just can't believe she has gotten away with this behavior.. I dont know how Texas laws somehow do not apply to employees inside this hospital. I am looking for new work this week.. I have a job interview tomorrow. Thanks for understanding and giving me encouragment. God Bless...

Good luck on your interview.

Give your notice and work it out and then please request an exit interview with your hospital's HR rep and nurse recruiter. Tell them you do not want a phone interview (some hospitals use outside contractors for their exit interviews), but that you want to speak to these people in person.

Tell them exactly why you are leaving. When they see they are losing good nurses because of this type of behaviour (and your manager's lack of cojones to handle the situation) they will sit up and take notice.