Bustin my hump for ???

[cockynurse80]

I am an RN House Supervisor at an 80 bed skilled-nursing facility. Above me is the DON and the Administrator-we have no ADON. We are short Supervisors-so I normally work 14 hour days and have 1 maybe 2 days off (if Im lucky) every 2 weeks.

I do have the help of 2 PRN supervisors and one of them is VERY nice and competent. The other one-well-shes a different story. She works f/t at a 400 bed VA facility and thinks our Christian-based facility needs to be run like a boot camp. Never does a shift she works go by without her complaining about something to the DON and she'll say-well, "at my other job we do it like this". She thinks her way is the only way-she has only been an RN for a little over a year and she often makes mistakes-will state misinformation (very matter of factly) as if she is right when she's wrong....among other things.

The problems are:

The DON thinks she is Super-RN. In fact, my DON told me that this nurse was the "best RN" she has. Her attitude is terrible towards the staff below her, the patients, and the other RN supervisors.

I take my job very seriously (and myself lightly:D). I understand everyone makes mistakes and when one of my staff make a mistake I do not talk down to them like they are morons; but let them know its ok-it happens to all of us and work with them to find a solution to the "problem" that caused the mistake to happen. Not every mistake is cause for disciplinary action-but every mistake is a learning opportunity. Thats how I view things. If nurses are made to feel appreciated and given the opportunity to learn and grow-it is my opinion that they will stay with the company longer and its then a win-win situation: They learn from their mistakes-grow into excellent nurses and co-workers-stay with the company-save money on new hires and OT to make-up the open positions.

I thank them for coming to work-at random times. I even buy pizza, recognize efforts above and beyond with a "Pat on the Back" form hanging on the wall, and stuff like that just to show them that all of their hard work doesnt go unnoticed. Discipline is awarded when its deserved-Im not that much of a pushover!

I do not like the way the other RN (my staff call her Hitler) talks down to the staff. I have taken this issue to the DON as have other staff members. The result: Retaliation. This chic is constantly trying to find errors I make. She goes as far as to look back in charts and pick apart my documentation for days earlier.

I think what shes doing is absolutely uncalled for. I really do have a great nursing staff: LPNS and STNAs alike. They do not deserve to be treated like idiots. My patients do not deserve to be YELLED at for anything....how I would like to yell at some of the family members at times, tho!

Additionally, as I stated earlier-I work a tremendous amount of hours. I do get paid for all of the hours I put in-but thats about it. Never a thank you-no appreciation-nothing. Well, besides a backlashing for something I could've done differently-according the Hitler, RN.

My DON often questions my integrity, I am constantly forced to prove why I did something as small and insignificant as placing an aide in a specific section for the day. My DON often plays the lets take sides game-she will talk to me about you and talk to you about me-if you get the picture.

I really thought her and I had a good relationship-but it is evident she doesnt trust my judgement or respect/appreciate my efforts.

I love my job, I love the fact that the place is 3 miles from home, as soon as we get more supervisors trained-I will work the perfect hours for my family, and the pay is good. I have sacrificed a lot to get my day shift position and sacrificed much more when it comes to the time lost with my children. I do not want to quit my job-but its getting to a point where I feel as though I am being taken advantage of something terrible. I feel as though Hitler, RN is totally picking on me for whatever reasons and I feel very unappreciated.

I am at my end's wit with this whole situation. I tried to approach my DON about how the way things were going was making me feel and she quickly diverted the conversation. I just have no idea what in the world to do.

Any advice offered would be soooo helpful.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

well, Hitler RN....may be treading on HIPAA violation territory .....if she is searching through charts with no care related reason......if you are corporate, maybe you need to go up the ladder past the DON. i know of a DON something like this, she herself is ex military.....your DON sounds like she is staff splitting in the nth degree....good luck