Constantly Getting Thrown Under The Bus by Fellow Nurse

[shining_star28463]

This is a very long post and I apologize in advance for its length but I have an enormous workplace issue that I need some advice in solving.

I am a new LPN, just graduated in August 2008 and passed my boards in September 2008. I landed my second job (3 weeks in an urgent care was my first) in a new family practice office ran by a family nurse practitioner whom I really enjoy working with. The problem is my co-worker. She is a fellow LPN who came with the family nurse practitioner from the previous practice and has worked with her for two years but I've noticed an on-going theme of throwing me underneath the bus whenever there's an issue and slamming me with work while she manages to "look" busy without completing anything.

Case in point: The practice opened its doors in February. Being a newbie, of course I had no experience doing nursing visits, answering patient phone calls or doing PAs and referrals so I was supposed to work the triage while the other nurse was supposed to do the nursing visits and patient phone calls until we settled in. Somehow the other nurse never managed to clear all of the calls from the telephone during the business hours or get a single PA or referral done and all three of us (including the family nurse practitioner) would have to stay late in the night to get things done while she moaned about not having the time to do anything. I didn't moan one bit about triaging an average of 33 patients a day nor did I ask her for any help. Well, about the third week in February she comes in with this strange "I'm done" attitude and announces just before lunch that she's tired of doing phone calls all day and that's not what she signed up for and she's taking off for an hour to "clear her head" and when she gets back she's not doing the phones. Just like that. So then I'm forced to go to the telephone and try to clear messages and call patients back and do all of this stuff with referrals and PAs that I have no idea how to do because she decided that she was tired of being a "desk nurse" and basically told us what she was and wasn't going to do it. Then she decided that she and I are going to trade triage and telephone duties. My triage days being Monday, Wednesday and Friday which are incidentally our busiest triage days and lightest telephone days and that she wants to leave early every Thursday night so she decided my early day is Tuesday.

A couple of days after this incident when I came in that morning the FNP handed me a patient's file with a sticky note marked do in AM and asks me to get a call done. It was just before opening time and I was settting up for triage duty but if the FNP asks me to do something then it's my responsiblity. Anyway, my co-worked swoops into the triage room where I have a few files stacked up that I've been given to do callbacks on and announces that we don't have time for me to do the callbacks and I need to be getting the patients in because she's not staying there all night. Then she says that she'll do the callbacks and she proceeds to take all of my files. Before she goes I tell her the FNP asked me to do that top file this morning so she needs to go ahead and get that done and she says okay and off she goes into her back office so I naturally assume that she's made the callbacks like she said she was going to. So the next morning when I come in my co-worker runs me down just as I'm turning on our lab equipment and she says, "Oh yeah, the FNP is going to ask you about that telephone call that you were supposed to make yesterday morning because after you left last night she received a call about the patient and they said that you had never called them back about what she'd told you to do." And I say, "Well, you took all of the files off my desk and I told you that the top file was something that needed to be done first thing." She says, "Oh, well I forgot to do it and when the FNP said that she told you to do it I just told her that I took the file." So for the rest of the day I'm feel like crap and like I didn't do my job and I go to the FNP and tell her that from now on when she hands me a file I will do it myself and personally hand it to her so that I know it gets done.

So there have been other incidents here and there where she just sits there shuffling papers all day while looking busy as a bee and getting nothing done while I bust my butt on the floor and then when it's my turn on the phones I'm busting my butt on the phones and doing all the nursing visits and other miscellanous stuff too. She tells the FNP that I agree with her about things like scheduling patients and all this other stuff when she hasn't even talked to me about it and she's constantly being negative in front of me then putting on a fake smile in front of the FNP. The PRN nurse who has been in a lot helping us has noticed it and says that she doesn't know how I deal with my co-worker every day and tells me that I'm crazy to let her keep walking over me adn throwing me under the bus.

So then comes today. She was off yesterday. Supposedly because her eyes are red and that means she has to go to the doctor. She was diagnosed with seasonal allergies and given eyedrops according to her but she certainly didn't have a doctor's note. Did I mention that I have come to work with strep throat, a fever, URI, ruptured right eardrum and N/V? And these were all seperate illness within the first few weeks of working here and I came to work when I could barely stand. The only thing that grounded me for two days was severe vertigo that kept me from driving because my ears were filled with so much fluid. Oh, and now she's decided that we each should have alternating Wednesdays off.

Anyway, today the first thing was an incident with a patient's lab work. I don't do venipunctures because in the state I work in I have to go through hospital training first but my co-worker does. She drew a patient's blood that morning and at the end of the day it was sitting in the machine. I thought that she had spun it down since she was the one who had done the draw and I had no idea what was going on since I was triaging and she was yelling about me keying in the labs before I go home so I grabbed up the blood and keyed in the order and shipped it off to the lab. Well today, the lab calls and says that serum wasn't seperated because the sample hadn't been spun down and the patient has to come back which costs the patient more money. My co-worker immediately says in front of the FNP, "Oh, you didn't spin that blood down before you sent it in. You're always supposed to spin it down." Like I knew that she didn't spin it down before she told me to send it. It had been sitting there all day! So I was put entirely on the spot and I said that I'm sorry that I didn't spin it down and I felt horrible because I feel like now the FNP thinks I'm a slack-off who can't do a job right.

The second thing was that right after closing a telephone call from the pharmacy comes through on my line and there's an incident with a patient and a forged prescription. I get the pharmacist to fax over the prescription and it's one of our pads. So we rush around (the PRN nurse and FNP included) and we pull the patient's chart and are try to figure out how the patient go her hands on one of our prescriptions. So my co-worker pipes up with, "She hasn't been here since the 4th and you had to leave one the presciption pads out and she must have taken it then." So I tell her that after I write prescriptions I put the prescription pad in the top drawer in the triage room and the patient had been there on the 17th to pick up something and maybe she took it then or something. Incidentally the 17th is when I was on the phones and no where near the triage room or prescription pads. But guess who was? Then my co-worker says, "No, you leave the prescription pad out ALL THE TIME." Which is a lie. I will admit that the first couple of days after I started working there in early Feb. I left it on the top of the desk because I wasn't used to writing prescriptions or any of that but when the FNP told me that there are issues with drug-seekers stealing pads I began keeping the pads in the drawer. So then I immediately begin to think "What if I put it in the drawer on the 4th and the women went in the drawer and took it?" even though I can't remember even seeing the woman come in the office because I was on phones the day she came in on the 4th as well and the writing in the patient chart is definitely my co-worker's handwriting. Not to mention the fact that besides my co-worker who has access to script pads there are student nurses (from high-school!) writing up prescriptions all of the time and the many PRN nurses that rotate in and out who leave the pad on the desk and she has a habit of doing this herself. So here I go apologizing again. And my co-worker is all like, "You should think of this as a learning lesson and then you won't do it again and blah-blah-blah." The FNP says that she's going to call the pharmacy and speak to DHEC to put out alerts. So my co-worker just flounces off because she's so perfect and leaves me and the PRN nurse in the room alone. The PRN nurse tells me do not take the blame for that because I am not the only person with access to prescription pads and there are too many people around here who write prescriptions. After about ten minutes the FNP comes in and says that the pharmacist told her that the woman actually soaked an old prescription that she had written a while ago in some type of solvent and changed the medication on it and that a prescription pad had not been stolen.

Anyway, by that time I was pretty upset because it felt like I was just getting hung out to dry and being blamed for everything that goes wrong. I was close to tears. I work my butt off and my co-worker walks around like she's beyond reproach. It was well after 5 pm by this time (we close at 5pm) and I went in the triage room and put my head in my hands because I felt miserable. My co-worker comes in with her fake sympathy and asks what's wrong and I say that I'm just ready to go home and that I'm getting tired of getting blamed for things I don't do and I'm done for the day. She tries to hug me and she says, "Oh, she didn't even steal a prescription pad so it wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. The only perfect being is God." I don't know what she tells the FNP because the next thing I know the FNP comes in to talk to me and she says that it wasn't my fault and there was no harm done and I'm so upset and I just tell her that I need to go home and I'll see her Monday. My big thing is: What if the woman had stolen a prescription pad? All that blame would have been piled on me while Ms. Perfect walks off scot-free.

The thing is that everyone is constantly catering to whatever my co-worker wants. If she wants certain days off then she gets it. If she doesn't want to work telephones then she doesn't have to. She talks to many of the patients like they are crap. She tells the FNP what she will and will not do. The FNP is very sweet and I think that because she worked with my co-worker so long when it was just the two of them she is used to her "Yankeeness" and she generally ignores her but I cannot ignore her any longer. My co-worker will sit there and shuffle papers all day and then I will be in the office half the night trying to finish. Did I mention that I have three young children and a husband that I would like to get home to while all of children are out of the house and she's got "Bible study" every other night that she has to do go?

She's constantly peeking over my shoulder to see what time I clocked in or how many hours I have or when I'm clocking out for lunch and when I'm coming back and constantly turning things that she does wrong back on me. For instance the blood and callbacks. She constantly has an attitude with the patients and then she plays it off by saying it's her "Yankeeness". She's been working with the FNP for 2 years and I because I'm the new girl I think that she expects me to just take it and not say anything but the more I think about it, the more upset I become. I do not want to get fired and I do not want a lot of animosity but I am sick of it. My husband says that everyone just does what my co-worker says including the FNP and it seems to be true. What do I do in this situation?

[caliotter3]

I didn't even get through your entire post and I could see that you are letting this person walk all over you and you don't speak up. Start a notebook. You might want to put the contents of this post in there first. Then date and time everything else. After one week, and not more than two weeks, ask for a meeting with your supervisor and present it. Simple as that. Before your meeting, you need to do some serious thinking about assertiveness training. Get a book on the subject, study it, and start to put it into practice. You are aware that God helps those who help themselves. Good luck.

Alternatively, there is job hunting. But you are sure to run into these problems in the future and you need to learn how to deal with them. Imagine working in a long term care facility where 8 out of 11 coworkers are exactly like this. You would never survive. You have to develop your voice.

[kharing]

If I was in your shoes I would document everything and call a meeting with this woman and management. Make sure you make it clear to your superior/s that you want to develop a better working relationship with your co-worker.

You did a great job detailing the events in this forum, so it shouldn't be too difficult to get the message across that your co-worker is creating a hostile work environment.

You are in a tough spot - but if you don't address this now, you will get set up by this psycho and fired. My first reaction was to tell you to quit, but you will be job hopping for a third time - not a good idea just yet. Work it out, stand your ground and things should hopefully get easier.

[Scrubby]

You need to grow a pair and stick up for yourself. This person is walking all over you and your allowing yourself to get upset and this is giving her power. Don't be a victim to her.

My advice would be to set her up for a big fall. Try and devise a situation where she will be caught out doing what she's doing, this will destroy any credibility she may have with your boss.

Also document everything, make sure you have records to cover yourself.

[collegemom1961]

I agree with the posters above. Who's your boss? The FNP or this co-worker? Do you have a job description? If you don't, I would request a detail of your responsibilities, who you report to, who's responsible for activities on certain days. Once your job is clarified, I would document, document, document.

[Batman24]

She's walking up one side of you and down the other. Want to know why?! You are letting her. You need to start speaking up and sticking up for yourself pronto. Start documenting everything and call a meeting with your manager. If it doesn't get resolved after that I would look for another job. It's not worth it to live with that kind of stress day in and day out. Good luck. :)

[caliotter3]

Who made this person your supervisor? If she is in fact, not your supervisor, but supposedly on an equal footing, then you need to develop a stock phrase for her bossiness, such as, "I'll decide what I'm doing now. I'm following instructions from .... If you need help with your duties, let ..... know that you're having trouble keeping up." Say whatever phrase you devise each and every time, (or a similar version), she tries to boss you. Since things are not getting done anyway, there will be little difference if you don't drop everything to do what miss stab in the back boss is always directing you to do. Another good retort: "I'm sorry. I don't believe you're telling me what to do. I'm already doing my job." Keep on doing this even if she goes to the boss. That is giving her the reverse of her behavior. You really should go to the boss first. Your boss is turning a blind eye to the behavior and needs to be put on notice that you are no longer playing along.

[Batman24]

It sounds like they have the inmate running the asylum. lol

[cingle]

Wow, I guess this does happen everywhere! Something similar went on in the office where I work about 2 years ago.

First of all, you must have a clear, written understanding of who is in charge. Ask for this, in front of everyone, if you don't already have it. Who is your immediate supervisor, who supervises your supervisor and can mediate any conflicts, who has the final say on everything in the office.

Second, after you have that, do your absolute best possible work every single day. Document everything you do. If the FNP asks you to do something, do it without fail no matter what your coworkers may prefer to do. After you've done it and documented it, hand it the the FNP. Don't whine, don't complain about silly things.

Third: Wait for this annoying person to screw up. It's going to happen, guaranteed. Anyone who is that preoccupied with everybody else's business and working that hard to get out of working is BOUND to screw up. Your objective is to be no where around her when it happens so it will be evident that it was all her. Make sure your (and her) supervisor is aware of the screw up and that it is documented.

Fourthly, watch for improvement. Eventually in my case the coworker (who had been there a few years longer than I) messed up. And I got very stressed in having to watch myself so carefully to keep her from blaming me for things. To my credit, patients LOVE me and I always made sure I did an excellent job for the doctors I worked with. I went to the medical director of the clinic (a doctor, rather than the management person who was family to this bad coworker) and told him that I was concerned about her integrity and although I loved my job and our patients, I could not continue to work in an atmosphere where I had to constantly watch my own back. Next thing I knew, she was OUT OF THERE.

[DroogieRN]

...tells me that I'm crazy to let her keep walking over me and throwing me under the bus.

This is what stood out to me. You know this already, don't you? When she first "decided" she wouldn't be working the phones and that you would alternate is when she came to understand she could mold you like clay. I might be inclined to go back to that incident and let her know that is no longer acceptable to you and that you would be working out your original assignment. If that fails, as others have said, get it all down on paper. And do not mince words with this woman: anything other than an outright NO, she will interpret as a yes... If she comes on like gangbusters to take over something you know is your responsibility, you may even have to be rude to get your point across. Furthermore, do not tie up any of her loose ends (ie -- the blood). Let her twist in the wind. She would do the same for you.

Good luck.

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

You need to grow a pair and stick up for yourself. This person is walking all over you and your allowing yourself to get upset and this is giving her power. Don't be a victim to her.

My advice would be to set her up for a big fall. Try and devise a situation where she will be caught out doing what she's doing, this will destroy any credibility she may have with your boss.

Also document everything, make sure you have records to cover yourself.

While I agree that the OP needs to learn to stand up for herself, I seriously disagree that the OP should "set the co-worker up for a big fall". Acting in that manner would make OP no better than the co-worker. I would suggest that instead she has a meeting with the supervisor & include the NP that has been watching & knows what the co-worker is doing. Suggest the supervisor watch her (the co-worker) for a day or two to see for herself what shes up to before they sit down with the co-worker. Lowering yourself to the lower lever of the co-worker will only destroy any credibility you have with the rest of your co-workers & yourself.

[matilda123]

I have to agree, you have allowed this woman to take advantage of you. Not speaking up in the beginning has her thinking that she can do whatever she wants. I would not assume that it is known and o.k. with the FNP, but that this woman tells her that you agreed to all these things. Who knows what lies this woman has told to cover herself. Be a great employee and do a great job, don't let her take advantage, and don't assume that her behavior is o.k. with everyone else. good luck.