how do you deal with pure laziness?

[hso5004]

I just got home from an 11-7 shift and have not been more frustrated with my co-workers. I am fairly new to this position (not a new nurse though) and am the complete opposite of everyone I work with. I am a nurse because I love nursing (most of the time lol) and I feel my coworkers are nurses because they get good money, especially on overtime. The floor we are on is medical, acute and chronic but more of a rehab. Some of the patients really don't belong there but cannot get LTC placement because of lack of insurance. Anyways it's not a super acute medical/surgical floor, yet these nurses think it is soooo busy. Yes we have been short staffed 2 nurses for 21 patients (on night shift) typically with 2 CNAs but is has been do-able, as I mentioned many patients really are just waiting LTC placement. So the nurse I worked with last night, has been there 15 years or so and is always in charge when she works, she was off for a week and last night was her first night back. I was in charge while she was away and told her at the beginning of the shift the week was not bad. She made the assignment and I went on my way. She took 10 patients and I had 11...she took all of the LTC patients and every patient that had no meds to give. Probably the whole night she gave 4 meds, she doesn't even go see patients that don't have meds...that's the culture of nursing there which I 100% do not agree with. One of her patients rang for oxycodone and reglan and 10 minutes later she still had not left her chair...I calmly said "did you need me to get those meds for soandso for you?" which of course she jumped right on, "yes please...this is crazy I can't believe they think this is okay, this is too busy, no way to work like this." At the end of the shift my patient spiked a temp of 102.9 so I told her so she could notify the doctor...her response to me after she looked at the clock..."what am I supposed to do, its almost 7". ughhhh do your job!!!! After I talked to the intern, called respiratory for her prn treatment, she asked me if I was done with my notes,which I was. she replied..."You are the reason they keep leaving only 2 nurses on, you can't keep doing this, they aren't going to see how busy it is if you are always leaving on time or shortly after." REALLLLLYYY?!?! I couldn't believe she had just said that to me. Yea some nights are busy and you don't get a break, but I have worked in much busier places and this is nothing...these nurses want to sit in their chair drink their tea and look at a magazine or surf the internet...don't be a nurse if that's what your goals are and don't criticize me for doing my job correctly.

I have never dealt with staff like this, yes a few nurses here and there throughout my career, but this place everyone has adapted these lazy behaviors. They are not patient focused AT ALL, and the patients recognize that...I can't tell you how many times patients have told me simple things like "you are the only one that asks if I need anything" "you are the only one that comes in right away if my IV is done" "Nobody else brings me my meds on time" This is something that I should NOT be hearing from patients at all...I don't know what to do...I'm the newbie and have a different view on nursing as a whole, I don't feel like I can go to anyone to discuss these issues without being ostracized even more than I already am. Nurses have told me I am "too nice" and that I need to "set boundaries because patients ask for me to be their nurse".

Has anyone else ran into a situation similar to this?? IF so please please please any advice you many have is greatly appreciated. I don't want to leave, I haven't even been there 6 months yet, but I don't know how much more of this I can handle...

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

Nurses have told me ... that I need to "set boundaries because patients ask for me to be their nurse".

This made me laugh out loud! Keep doing what you're doing, and ignore all the rest. You probably wouldn't be able to live with yourself doing any less anyway. :)

As for you, if that's the culture of the hospital/unit, I hate to say that you will have to grin and bear it or leave. If you've worked at multiple places, you know that work culture is hard to change without some major dust-ups from the office types.

Good luck with whatever you decide.