my coworker is trying to micromanage me!

[andsoitis]

There is a nurse on my floor who is trying to micromanage me and I absolutely dread working with her. She's been on light duty for several months and is auditing people's charts . I was supposed to get a post-op patient up twice on the night shift and I was so busy I forgot and only did it once. She confronted me and I apologized and said I would be on top of it tonight. I was on top of it and, even took him for a walk. I charted 15 minutes before my shift ended but she apparently was digging in my charts prior to that and pulled me aside although it was still in front of everyone to tell me how disappointed she was in me for failing to take his second vitals and getting him up. I told her I did and she asked if I really did and I said YES!. Then yesterday I ask her a simple question of who to call regarding a question a pt had and she gives me the answer but then goes off topic and asks me if I'd done this and this yet. And I Said yes. And she said you did? ANd againI Said yes! I'm a new grad and obviously I make mistakes and have questions but I still feel like overall I do a good job and I just feel like she is micromanaging me and now whenever I say hi to her she give me a cold hi and doesn't look me in the face. And she's micromanaged me in a similar way couple other times I've worked with her. She's been there for several years so maybe she thinks she high and mighty but I've caught her not knowing the answer to basic things, too. How do I deal w/ her? Has anyone had this happen?

[Nccity2002, MSN, RN]

I will be the devil's advocate here...

To the OP, would you rather her to go directly to your manager with these "issues", rather than address them with you, first?

Because, honestly that is probably what will happen if you confront her and she takes it the wrong way.

As many noted earlier, respectfully accept the feedback and move on with your day (Obvioulsly some things are being missed, if she keep coming back to you) .

[gcupid]

She's auditing charts, she told you about your late VS entry (you said that you are inputing VS 15 min before shift change. IDK about your unit but if this is a regular floor VS is every four hours meaning if you are day shift that's 0800, 1200, 1600 and you're inputing a 1600 VS at 1845).

Don't be patronizing, acting as if nothing is wrong and all is wonderful is just disrespectful and will just get you more unwanted attention later on. You don't want to be targeted and be labeled as "that" new grad. Instead, go up to her directly and ask her what she thinks is lacking in your performance. Something like, "I know I'm a new grad and you have been observing me a lot. I want to be good at my job, is there something you think I need to work on?"

Be straight to the point but respectful. If this is a hospital you want to work for, you need to learn how to handle this situation by being tactful and assertive (never passive-aggressive or just plain aggressive). She already earned her stripes, you haven't... yet.

Please don't play that role OP. The only person she should ask for critiques is her preceptor/nurse educator/manager/supervisor. Humility goes a long way in certain areas but not all the time. She earned her stripes when she passed the NCLEX. They can label her as "that new grad" as long as at the end of the day she gets her paycheck and doesn't kill anyone.

The micromanager is all ready telling her in front of everybody what she feels she needs to work on so there's no need to ask. As oppose to having someone on light duty auditing charts how about getting a staff member that's fully capable of helping out and decreasing the workload by taking patients so that the op actually has her documentation charted in a timely matter...

[gcupid]

I will be the devil's advocate here...

To the OP, would you rather her to go directly to your manager with these "issues", rather than address them with you, first?

Because, honestly that is probably what will happen if you confront her and she takes it the wrong way.

As many noted earlier, respectfully accept the feedback and move on with your day (Obvioulsly some things are being missed, if she keep coming back to you) .

I'm sort of different i guess bc After the first couple of critiques I'd rather her go to my manager. Don't stress me out and micromanage me. I got enough going on during the shift between patient's needs, md orders, and family member requests, I don't need another whining voice.