I'm curious to know if nurses here feel you can really trust your fellow nurses at work. I feel I am an honest employee. I am learning over the years, however, it seems as though everyone is only looking out for themselves.
My example: recently I agreed to work for another nurse. I was cancelled by staffing because they said "someone else with more seniority is available to work." This really ****** me off. Do some nurses really examine other nurses' schedules this closely and call staffing to get you bumped off so they can work instead? (After you've already agreed to work for someone and submitted paperwork??) Our contract is not very clear on this and I am not getting any straight answers so far....and this was only for FOUR hours!
I'm not sure if this is the staffing office's problem or are most nurses like this? What is it like where you work? Is there backstabbing like this?
Does seniority rule over your entire schedule? What are the guidelines if you're working for someone?
Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
I take each person on a one on one basis and I can say I trust 9 out of the ~10 nurses I work with each night. There is one nurse, of whom I do not even trust with her OWN patients.
However, I find I trusted less of my co-workers when I waitressed then I ever have as a nurse.
I am wondering what portion of the job is the trust issue?
* Managing patients while on break?
* Second opinions on patient status/condition?
* Discussions about management/co-workers/policies?
It could be not as diabolical as you descride, actually. Or, it could be that the nurse who took the shift away from you has a husband recently laid off, a mortgage overdue, and a desperate need for hours. Someone in the staffing office might have alerted her to this possiblity for overtime.
That said, I know how you feel, the last place I worked was pretty ruthless about the senority thing, and gloves were off when it came to the schedule, with any pretense of Christian charity out the window...
Yes and No too, there are some I trust and others I observe. I say nothing to anybody that I wont stand by. I learn't at school that if you say something however minor about somebody else you'd better make sure you could say it to that person-I live my life by that rule. I am now in my 40's and I still dont tell anybody apart from my husband and family the whole truth and nothing but the truth because it always comes back a bit like a boomarang, and bites you on the bum.
PS I mean how I really feel about a person I live my life by being honest as you possibly can and not being cruel
Just wanted to clarify: I know for sure there are some nurses who will keep track of your schedule. I was confirmed ahead of time to work for someone, and someone saw the opportunity to take the four hours because they had more sniority. I have a mortgage, too you know. Our staffing office is not that good about keeping track of things like this, our nurses call to alert them about these things.
I guess you have some co-workers who are ruthless about the schedule and seniority Kimbalou. As I said, I experienced that at my last job, it really got old to see people poring over the schedule, using seniority ruthlessly, and so forth. That's why I'm currently working agency, I got tired of all that.
i have never been faced with a situation like this
if we arranged for someone else to cover our shift, that was it, management did not care who was working
however the idea that you were responsibile if the person you told to be there called in or forgot and didn't show then you were still suppose to be there was totally wrong
i got charged with no call/no show because i was out of town [which is why i made the arrangements in the first place]
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i can't help but think there must be more to the story than what you know. or maybe not. but yes, i trust my co-workers, mostly. i know not to trust my lunch around mitch because he'd eat it in a heartbeat, but he'd also have my back if a patient or family member tries to intimidate me. i know not to trust kitty around my husband -- but that's ok since i know i can trust my husband around anyone. i know mary exaggerates, but if she says she'll hang my drip for me, she will. i trust my co-workers; besides, it's too tiring going around looking for the worst from everyone!
I know it's going to sound naive, but it really does surprise me to read the threads/posts about back-stabbing coworkers. I have had a few instances over the years where my manager has pulled me in because a nurse has complained about something about me (which I felt was unfounded, generally) but these instances have been few and far between. For the most part the floor I work on has always been a pretty close-knit group, and while of course not everyone LIKES each other, we all get along. I can not think of any case of a definite rivalry, so to speak.
One situation that I refer to above involved a float nurse that worked on our floor one PM shift that I was in charge (I had a full assignment myself). It was an awful, busy night for EVERYONE. I was in the room with a confused patient who was in a chest restraint, but still combative. It took both my hands to keep him from pulling his IV out; I had twice called to the desk to get someone else in there to help me. In the midst of this, the float RN called me to ask if I could help her get someone up to walk. I told her I could not, I did not go in to WHY, as I was in this patient's room, and his family was in there also (and they were quite upset by his behavior).
She later told my director that I was "not willing to help her." EXCUSE ME? I even explained to her later WHY I could not help her when she asked, but she was just still mad about it. She also said that at 2330 I was on the elevator and out the door, when everyone else was still there charting...I clearly remember that night, and at 2345 I was walking someone who wanted to get up, because the other PM nurses were charting, and night shift was wrapping up report still. I was SO angry with those accusations. Not much I could do, though. I watch myself around her now, but these types of things don't happen often (thankfully!).
barefootlady, ADN, RN
2,174 Posts
Nope, the trust issue went out the door a long time ago for co-workers.