CRNA Abusive, disruptive HELP!

[Dani T]

THIS IS NOT A BASHING OF CRNAS- this is a very isolated incident

I have been an OR nurse for 30 plus years working in a variety of settings.I work at a small center with a wonderful , experienced nurse manager, an anesthesiologist who understands how hard we work, the fast turn-over, complaints from surgeons acting like jerks..he will help us turn over rooms and has even mopped floors despite being tasked with not only performing anesthesia but doing all the pre and post op checks ,previewing charts, billing, etc. HE treats us so well that it is just awesome All of us except for our CRNA work our butts off as a team.

And we have only ONE CRNA. She is disruptive, will lie to the patients that the cause of their pain or nausea is due the pre-op nurse or the anesthesiologist- even if neither was involved in the case! A new OR nurse started last week and -GOD FORBID! didn't place a "warm enough" blanket on the patient . The new nurse correctly placed the safety belt and did EVERYTHING that she should be done.The blanket came from the warmer ! The CRNA reamed her out in front of the staff, the slightly sedated patient and the surgeon. The anesthesiologist and nurse manager asked her about this and she looked them in the face and lied. She "loses" paperwork, blames us and then- OMG!!! she finds it! But not until she has caused a scene and stomped around and bad-mouthed us. Sadly, there is another RN who likes to stir the pot with her. She is easier to ignore, as she does it behind the scenes

This is just a small example. She will take 30 minute breaks between cases and blame the nurses when speaking to the anesthesiologist, and blame the anesthesiologist ( who SERIOUSLY is on the run the entire day) when the surgeons complain. We are fast-paced!

I am a COMPLETE proponent of CRNAs and all advanced practice nurse professions. This woman reminds us at least twice a week that we are not as smart she is, gossips, is lazy, leaves early, IT is APPALLING!!

We are a tiny center She is not employed by the center, but she and the anesthesiologist are employed by an outside company.

I am embarassed as a nurse that this woman works with us, patients deserve care from a CRNA who is not distracted and disruptive. Our nurse manager and doc have both expressed their concerns about effieciency, patient experience and most of all, about patient safety to the large, external anesthesia provider but the associate assigned to our small center ( we are near Illinois) is herself a CRNA and treats us just as poorly as does the CRNA who is assigned to us. One time a year she visits. The complaints fall on deaf ears.

We had a laundry list several months ago- the abusive CRNA was accusing us of smashing in to her with stretchers, stealing scrubs, eating her lunch, contaminating instruments, etc. She drops items on the floor and demands we pick them up, speaks about the anesthesiologist to the surgeons as though he were an idiot- and many of our patients are not under general in fact 75% of our cases are mild to mod sedation. She also demeans nurses that are not in the room to the surgeons- it is horrible!

We do not want to lose our anesthesiologist but we dont know how much more crap he can take . Our nurse manager has tried to reign this witch in also but has no power- she is not the "boss" - she also wishes to leave and we CANNOT lose her either. Should both or one of them go, the center will most likely close. The owners refuse to pay for locums coverage

We read so much about lateral bullying and physician abuse of nurses- but this CRNA is beyond the pale.

After our collective complaints to the BOSS CRNA 3 months ago , our lives have become absolute heck. There is not a day that one of us does not leave in tears. THe manager and doc have tried speaking to her to no avail. We NEED to work. We used to love our job. But this one individual, who has some sort of personal relationship with her boss ( the other CRNA) is making our lives heck, harassing the one anesthesia provider who actually cares and we have no idea what to do. The facility is owned by a conglomerate- they also give not a rat' behind about us as they view us as their indentured servants.

Any ideas on how to reign this woman in? WE CANNOT DO THIS TO OUR PATIENTS ANYMORE. And, to be frank, we are afraid of her. She has been here for maybe 5 years and is just getting worse. We would have to commute an hour to the nearest metro hospital, take call, etc. That worked when I was young and I loved it. But we collectively want to take care of our town residents.

HELP!! Even links to articles would be appreciated.

Thank you

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

This CRNA needs to hit the streets. This should not be tolerated. She needs to be fired plain and simple. This behavior is dangerous for everyone but most importantly, the safety of the pt.

[offlabel]

With all due respect, what are readers here supposed to do? What you describe seems to be bad. So do something about it. If you've been doing this for 30 years and no one will listen to you at your job, short of sympathizing, no one here can help.

[sevensonnets]

Have any of these incidences been documented? Your manager should present complaints about this person to the outside company she works for.

[ponymom]

Well if you're not all ready to verbally *****-slap the pig right across the face I guess you're all going to continue to be her little band of doormats. She has all of you very well trained. Start calling her out and informing families.

Herd up and march down to the office. Demand the suits do something. No, really demand it. And for Godsakes cut the crying, and make her pick up her own ****. Really, look I know all y'all need your jobs and you're afraid the center may close if God forbid any body tries to reign this pig in, but has the last five years really been worth these conditions?

Pretty soon someone's going to need to call the cops on her and we'll all get to see it on the news. In fact, why doesn't someone leak this to the news somehow.

It's just disturbing to read about professionals bringing each bother to tears (good God).

Fix it. You can.

[Buyer beware, BSN]

This CRNA needs to hit the streets. This should not be tolerated. She needs to be fired plain and simple. This behavior is dangerous for everyone but most importantly, the safety of the pt.

Yes but follow the money. Atilla has been there for 5 years and in that time has probably run off her share of nurses. Someone is supporting this malevolence because she's operating with a "I'm bullet-proof" attitude. She obviously makes someone in power happy and how this is done and to whom is the $64, 000 question.

I have my suspicions but not being there to appreciate the interpersonal dynamics it's hard to tell.

Rest assured there have been half-hearted attempts to reign her in. I wouldn't be surprised if the nurse manager has registered her concerns with Quality and the issue was formally addressed at a meeting of the hospital sponsored Anesthesiologist meeting.

Unfortunately no one cares if the problem is not affecting the hospital, doctors and their respective bottom lines. Nurses have always been expendable.

You know when it comes down to it this CRNA should have become a doctor because she already possesses the requisite miserable cur type personality.