Big issues with the charge RN.. what to do?

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Specializes in Telemetry.

So last night was the very last straw for me. I am a new RN, been working for 5 months now. I get along great with everyone, except for this one particular charge nurse. Everyone I've talked to holds the same opinion of her as me. She is known for being rude, condescending, treating people like they are dumb, lazy etc, making a huge issue and freaking out over EVERYTHING, being high strung.

I've been told she tends to target people.. and I guess I'm her new pick.. which I absolutely hate to go there, but several other nurses have told me they think she has it out for me, and I've had so many say they were completely willing to stand up for me if it comes down to it.

I love my job. I love the unit I work on, as long as she isn't there. Its like a completely different place to work when she is... the environment is tense, and stressful, whereas when she isn't and someone else is charge (or the other charge nurse is there) it can actually be fun.. we all get along, everyone has a great sense of humor, we laugh together and joke around all night (while getting our work done) help each other out and support each other.

I've tried to just stay away from this particular nurse. I don't talk to her, if I have questions I find someone else, I take a ship and chart back in a corner to avoid her, and basically just spend the shift trying to avoid her in every way possible. Last night at shift change I was supposed to be getting a transfer as part of my assignment. Sometimes they take awhile to come so I went about my business, doing my assessments and passing meds for my other patients (I had 3 others plus the transfer, and the other nurses had 4 each with a couple who went home early in the night... so a couple of nurses were sitting at 3 also.) As far as I knew we only had one admit come, because I honestly don't pay attention unless they tell me I'm getting one, or if it seems really busy. We may have had two. Either way, on the board, it didn't look like I was getting skipped over for an admit, it just didn't look like it was my turn yet. So about 8 pm rolls around, no transfer yet. I asked a couple of the other nurses if I was supposed to call about it, or if they call when they are ready to bring the pt out. The other nurses said that the unit would call when they were ready to bring out the patient, and not to worry about it. I figured the charge knew the transfer hadn't come yet because there was no telemetry on the monitor where we'd put the pt's name in and all of that. So I went about my business again, passing my 8pm meds, charting etc. At about 1045pm I noticed on the tele monitor that they'd discharged the pt out. I figured charge did it, since the pt never came. So I go out for my break, and come back to find the charge nurse all kinds of mad and chewing me out at the nurse's station about sitting with 3 patients since shift change. I told her I thought she knew, and she went on and on, and then told me then I could be the one to go home. Ok, fine with me, I guess, even though I know it wasn't my turn as I just went home early because of low census last week. So I finish my stuff up as she is sitting there giving me dirty looks, and shaking her head. Like I purposely sat there all night with my 3 so I could avoid admits. You know what? If she was any one else, I probably would have said something about the transfer not coming, but she is so totally unapproachable that I just flat out don't talk to her unless absolutely necessary. And if I had gone to her and said "oh hey, btw, my tsf. hasn't come out yet" I guarantee you she would have totally freaked out and somehow I would have been made out to be doing something wrong, and it would be something that she'd act like it needed immediate attention and take up a ton of my time when I needed to be taking care of my other patients. And you know what, if everyone was busy and we were getting admits left and right, or if it looked like I had been skipped over for an admit I would have brought it to her attention. But we weren't busy. Everyone was caught up and just kind of hanging around on some downtime.

Another nurse pulled me aside before I left and told me that she went around to every single person there and went on and on about how I had only had 3 patients since shift change, and how she was going to write me up etc.

Or like the other day, when she made me out to be an idiot and slacking off because I was off for 6 days and when I came back we had some new skin protocol thing going on that I had no idea about. She was so condescending, telling me "oh yeah, you had something in your box telling you about it and that there was an online learning thing to do. Don't you check your box? You should have known about this already." I said I didn't have anything in my box, and that I didn't know anything about it." To which she rolled her eyes and acted like I was completely full of crap. Guess what happens through the rest of the night? EVERY other nurse came to it on the charting and every one of them said "what the heck is this?? When did we start new skin protocol and charting??"

I am to the point of refusing to work with her. I'm going to talk to the dept manager on Monday. I will not deal with this woman any more. Either they can schedule me so I work nights she doesn't, or I can transfer to another floor, or just quit and go to a different hospital. This is totally ridiculous. I go to work and work my butt off all night. I dont slack, I don't take shortcuts, I ask questions when I'm unsure, I'm learning still, but I haven't made any huge errors, and I'm catching on at an appropriate rate. I don't leave stuff for the oncoming shift, I get along with ALL of the staff (except for this one), I help out the other nurses even when I don't have the time, I don't complain about getting admits, or scheduling or whatever, and my patients have for the most part been complimentary etc.

Thoughts?

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Specializes in Telemetry.

Also wanted to add.. shes basically like the workplace bully. I may be a new nurse, but I'm not new to working and in all of my years of working, I've NEVER encountered anything anywhere close to what she is like. Its absolutely unacceptable. She has no business being in any kind of leadership role.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

The Joint Commission is taking a stand against workplace bullying, so if I were you I would document all of these instances, then make an official complaint to your manager.

I had a charge nurse on my first hospital job that was, maybe not as bad as you described, but did put certain new people through this type of initiation hell. Bottom line, this sort of behavior is counter productive to safe patient care.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

i would keep record of everything and bring them to your nurse manager. request a meeting with her, the nurse manager and a non-bias HR person present to ask her exactly, in a diplomatic way, what her issue is with you. i'm sure your NM can pull your charting and see you were doing what you were supposed to, and NM's have a sneaky way of asking around to staff how they think you're doing as a newbie.

you shouldn't have to work in that kind of environment, and you shouldn't have to transfer or leave because she has her panties in a knot all the time.

i wish you the best. :)

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I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. I am even more sorry because I know exactly how you feel. I found myself in an eerily similar situation over a year ago when I was a tech. I was bullied on by a nurse for a very, very long time. She totally had it out for me. I documented everything she did to me and flooded my manager's email, sending her something almost daily. I even filed a letter of harassment because it was out of control. That brought attention to the situation. My coworkers vouched for me, I met several times with this nurse and my managers, but nothing ever changed. She was unable to be around anyone on our unit and caused trouble with everyone. Finally, she was asked to leave - she was clearly mentally unstable.

Please just hang in there. Document what happens, make sure your manager is in the know. If something big happens and your other coworkers are around, ask them to send an email and document the events. If things continue to worsen, go beyond your manager - follow the chain of command. Most workplaces offer a service where you can file inappropriate work behaviors/harassment in the workplace. No one deserves to go to work and be in the situation that you are in.

Let us know if things get better.

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I'm sorry. Bring examples of what has been happening into the meeting. Stay calm and collected while meeting with the NM as well. Simply state what has been happening and that this is a hostile work environment and it needs to be rectified immediately. Don't let anyone minimize the situation. Stick to your guns in a firm yet respectful way.

If she wants to set up a meeting with you and the CN be sure to have your manager as well as a union rep if you are in one or an impartial party such as a HR rep. Good luck.

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Specializes in psych,maternity, ltc, clinic.

I would think it would have been this charge nurses responsibility to be aware of the census and what each nurses assignment was, not for you to walk around telling God and all you only have 3 patients.

It is amazing that ONE person can destroy the morale of an entire unit and it is allowed to go on. Go talk to HR or the NM.....it wont be the first time they hear it. Maybe they will actually do something about it now!

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The Joint Commission is taking a stand against workplace bullying, so if I were you I would document all of these instances, then make an official complaint to your manager.

I had a charge nurse on my first hospital job that was, maybe not as bad as you described, but did put certain new people through this type of initiation hell. Bottom line, this sort of behavior is counter productive to safe patient care.

Excellent advice.

Bullies like this are used to no one every complaining or standing up. I encountered one like this, but she had never encountered anyone like me. :D (Let's just say I won.) Document, document, document. Approach you manager and use words/phrases like "harassment" and "hostile work environment.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

Just wanted to echo everything that has been said. Document everything. You should NOT be having to put up with this. I'm sorry you are going through all of this.

Most hospitals have some sort of hotline in place that you can go through to report harrassment such as this. Maybe check with your HR department. Good luck.

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I feel for you. I have had to drink Alka-Seltzer and carry Tums just to go to work, I've had to work with some horrible people. It is such a relief when they leave.

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What a rotten charge nurse! You should PM me your unit's number, and the shift she will be working. I will call her (anonymously) and let her know what a mean, unpleasant bully she is.

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