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?
I have some coworkers whom I trust as people and love like sisters and brothers but I do not trust their skills. On nights we are only 3 everyone must work together but when some nurse is giving my patients abx by IVP or pushing propofol for concious sedation (It is only for intubation in my facillity) or is giving 10x the dose of decadron to a child or give repeat doses of betablockers IV under 15 minutes (it was clearly documented that it was given) in an effort to help me(truly the orders were written by an intern or resident but the nurse either did not know the policy or the correct dosage and its treatment or were afraid to confront the MD which makes them dangerous). The only reason they do not get in trouble is I am ever vigilent a catch them before they kill my pt and say nothing to anyone else. If I ever reported them since I am not a longtimer I would be deemed a rat and blackballed. Do they learn from there mistakes NOPE but they at least stop what they are doing when I say so thank god. They are wonderful people but they are either new nurses or new to the ED and truthfully should not be here unsupervised.
There are other coworkers whom have decent skills but I would not trust them for anything in fact their lifes ambition is to write you up or report you, back stab any chance they get and they pull the seniority card every chance they get. They refuse to help you when you are swamped but they run to the charge nurse who tells you to help them when they get more then 2 patients.
I think every place pretty much has at least one of each
It's not that I dislike them, or feel they're intentionally going to do anything wrong to me -- it's just that with the constant influx and deflux of travelers on our unit that I even know many of my co-workers well enough to know if I can trust them or not.
I just do my own thing, verify my own stuff, verify what I can of others, and try to do and leave the best situation I can to the oncoming nurse. I hope they will do the same, but often I find myself rectifying things that were overlooked or missed, or who knows -- intentionally just blown off -- it's hard to say when everyone is so overtaxed and stressed on a busy unit.
Our unit is still in the growing stages, so it's hard to know who to trust yet, and I am still very new.
As I've stated in other posts, this is where the "nurses eat their young" statement comes from. It is condoned and encouraged from Administration on down. Those nurses who are "tattle tales" or always kissing butts don't care about anyone but themselves. Your nurse manager doesn't think of anyone but herself either - if it comes down to paying you overtime and someone who may make less than you do, chances are, the person who makes the least will get the OT - or the part timer to which OT isn't given.
It's all a way of saying "you're not important" and it brings moral down.
Nope. There have been a handful of other nurses I trust, but I am a firm believer now (after many backstabbing and let downs) that you can't trust your coworkers.
Totally QT. Live and learn. Wish it were different, but it's not, and that is the reality. If you want to become sneaky backstabbers like so many do, fine. Eventually it will come back to you. Very sad, messed up, insecure nurses--mostly female--and they rationalize their behaviors over and over and over. Some of them totally talk themselves into believing their are right or justified for their cutthroat antics. Deep down inside, they know the truth. The fact that they can live with both amazes and saddens me.
Wow, the post is over a year old. I agree with a lot of the sentiments. Our latest nurse manager was a former co-worker, a butt kisser. When she got her "promotion" it brought down the morale of most of the unit. There are some nurses who opposed her promotion now kissing her butt. I opposed, I don't kiss her butt and I know she does not like me. I think she earned her points with management by being a rat. She has her favorites and it is obvious she forgets being a staff nurse. She has fake nails now so therefore does not pitch in. There are a lot of us interested in extra time but she is booking per diems now and altering the schedules of "regular" staff. However, for switches, generally the shift goes to the person that made the switch. In our unit though there are BFFs that give away extra shifts to their friends and that is not right.
jschut, BSN, RN
2,743 Posts
There are a couple I trust, but for the most part.... nope!
Caught a couple of "administration" in lies.... just can't deal with that!