Just want to throw an incident out there to get some feedback on whether or not I am over reacting...
This hospital I am working at staffs 1 L&D nurse, 1 nursery nurse and 1 PP nurse on nights. Days has 3 L&D nurses and the rest of the staff the same. They have one dayshift nurse that comes in at 0530, I thought to help get the inductions ready. Here is the situation... I had one patient all night, then at 0430 primip comes in huffing and a blowing, doing great! 0500 I am trying to get IV, table, ya know, all the goodies ready for her. The day shift nurse comes in at 0500, and two inductions start rolling in the door at 0530. Prior to them getting there I had pulled all the papers, prenatal, filled out as much as I could with the info on the prenatal, started the delivery papers, etc and put them all inside a chart (not in the brackets) I had also pulled all the things for each ones IV, catheter, fluid, etc and had the rooms set and ready. SSSOOOO>>> I am kinda busy with this one that walked in in labor and the day nurse is sitting right in the middle of the nurses station and says to me...you know...you should have had these IV's spiked and primed, Pit mixed and spiked and primed and everything hanging in the room so all I had to do was go in ans start the IV." Later I found out that she had said to the PP nurse that the admission papers should have been more completely filled out with all the papers in their respective dividers. When she made the comment to me I could feel my blood start to boil. All I could say to her was "I'll do what I can" I felt like the NERVE of her, here I am trying to get things ready for this delivery and she says something like that. I told her I didn't routinely mix up meds for a pt. that wasn't here yet and I walked off. She had also said to the PP nurse "I wonder what {the director} would think...two agency nurses here all night doing nothing" (the PP nurse is also agency) I had pretty much done all I felt I could do for these patients seeing that they weren't even here yet. She routinely gets a pat on the back for being so quick in getting the inductions started. Now I know how she does it. She has the other nurses so afraid of her rath that they fill out all the papers and I mean everything on the admission down to "lungs clear to auscultation bilatarelly"!!!! before the patient even arrives! I have a real problem with that. My dileema is now Do I confront her about it now that my blood is only simmering? Also, her comments have made me not want to do a gosh darn thing before the pt gets there. SO... do I continue and do the things that I can do or do I go above and beyond and do what SHE expects? I don't have a problem doing what I am able to do but if I have someone in labor they do take precedence over an elective induction. Part of me thinks ya know, I am not gonna do s%#t for her, then the other part says, you really need this contract don't blow it suck it up and do it
One tidbit... I know of a nurse who was fired for filling out a patient assessment before the patient arrived on the floor. Fired period with no chance of keeping her job. She also was labeled as a "No Re-Hire" person for anyone calling the hospital Human Resources department for a reference on her. This occurred in Georgia.
Good luck dealing with this workplace bully. I agree your manager should be aware of this horrible woman's tactics. Unfortunately, the manager sounds desperate for employees and may not have the backbone necessary to correct the situation. If you can stand your ground with her, you could mention this all when your contract ends. Your agency needs to be aware of this too before they send other nurses to work there.
Sounds like some very good and sound advice on line. By all means "call her bluff" nurses like this we can all do without. Let her know that while you do what you can to ease the shift transition you are not there to do her job and yours too, since you only get paid for the one. She may be a major reason this facility is having to utilize so many travelers (not that travelers aren't a valuable asset). When a unit has a bully that person is usually the major complainer, whinner, and traditionally least motivated staffer. You know the type who works harder at trying to get out of work than doing the work. If noone ever says anything to her nothing will change and she will continue to bully and get the glory of being miss efficient - never giving credit to those who deserve it. And most importantly make an appointment with the nurse manager and assistant nurse manager to voice your "concerns" for their unit and facility in view of the questionable nursing practices you have observed. Trust me as the assistant nurse manager of an OB/GYN unit they will be most appreciative for the "heads-up." GOOD LUCK!!!!
You are both agency nurses, form the same agency by chance? A chat with the unit manager might be in order, ask her to define the job requirements for each person who arrives are each given time, or call an assassin, your choice. (sorry has been a bad few days)
I had pulled all the papers, prenatal, filled out as much as I could with the info on the prenatal, started the delivery papers, etc and put them all inside a chart (not in the brackets) I had also pulled all the things for each ones IV, catheter, fluid, etc and had the rooms set and ready. ... the day nurse is sitting right in the middle of the nurses station and says to me...you know...you should have had these IV's spiked and primed, Pit mixed and spiked and primed and everything hanging in the room so all I had to do was go in ans start the IV." Later I found out that she had said to the PP nurse that the admission papers should have been more completely filled out with all the papers in their respective dividers..... I had pretty much done all I felt I could do for these patients seeing that they weren't even here yet.
She has the other nurses so afraid of her rath that they fill out all the papers and I mean everything on the admission down to "lungs clear to auscultation bilatarelly"!!!! before the patient even arrives!
PLEASE HELP
Falsifying documentation ie filling out assessments before a patient arrives is a great way to lose your nursing license. I am pretty sure it is somewhere in the guidelines of your board of nursing that falsifying records is grounds to revoke.
This is indeed a difficult situation to be in. Ask the nurse manager to set up a meeting to include you, the offending nurse and any other nurses that are familiar with her behaviour. That way you have someone to back you up. This person is obviously a bully and will continue to run over you and anyone else who gets in her way unless something is done.
Just want to add that I would love to be the nurse following you on the next shift! What you are doing is a great courtesy and plenty! She can mix and hang her own meds. That is her job and would be a fool to not insist on mixing her own meds. I dispise nurse bullies! Stand up to her or she'll just keep on adding to her demands, assuming you aren't confident enough to say anything to her.
she needs a confrontation with a trustworthy witness. no harsh words, just professionally said and to the point (even if boiling inside). if she would like to take further, be ready. it needs to come to an end...
Here's a heads up, folks. This thread is nearly four years old. The OP hasn't posted on the board in 3 1/2 years. Comment on the topic if you want. Just know that any kind of follow-up is unlikely.
Tiki_Torch
208 Posts
Many wonderful posts to this thread!!!
One tidbit... I know of a nurse who was fired for filling out a patient assessment before the patient arrived on the floor. Fired period with no chance of keeping her job. She also was labeled as a "No Re-Hire" person for anyone calling the hospital Human Resources department for a reference on her. This occurred in Georgia.
Good luck dealing with this workplace bully. I agree your manager should be aware of this horrible woman's tactics. Unfortunately, the manager sounds desperate for employees and may not have the backbone necessary to correct the situation. If you can stand your ground with her, you could mention this all when your contract ends. Your agency needs to be aware of this too before they send other nurses to work there.
Big Sigh:rolleyes: