I am kind of a new nurse only a few months into a job at a busy community hospital ER. It may be busy in part because the senior staff tend to be unfriendly and unhelpful to newbies. That being the case, we lose A LOT of new hires, fast. Lost half a dozen or so in 2 months.
One of the patient care coordinators has taken a disliking to me. She has embellished and even made up half truths about me, trying to make me look bad, then gone to our Unit Manager, whom I very, very rarely see or talk with.
This particular patient care coordinator is supposed to help all staff with the intake of squad patients, and other things, and yet I can't seem to find her when I have a patient(s) coming in by squad. She gets snippy with me, then projects issues on to me (who is calm by nature). She yelled at me, then had the nerve to come back, hours later, and said I seem angry.
I'm quite sure she's emotionally unbalanced. My unit manager is too, and listens to her for some reason and gave me a terrible performance review I surmise largely based on this supervisor's input.
It was a terrible review, out of nowhere, with no suggestions for improvement. Stuff like 'you administer medications safely, but you struggle with iv starts sometimes, so you are not progressing as expected.'
I reported hostility and racial tension/slurs (which make me uncomfortable) and the retort was: you come off as stand-offish.
What should I do? I have another job, I can get by with if need be, but I won't be bringing in the same amount if I quit this place, thereby reducing my hours by that much.
You had received feedback prior to December 8, when you started that last thread, no? That was six weeks ago, and you said you've only been at this job a few months. So it sounds to me like you received feedback very early on in your role there.
True enough. I still feel compelled to point out I hadn't gotten a post orientation, or 90 day review, just to be fair to myself. HR should at least know what's going on in this unit! So many new hires have left, and that leaves us short staffed too often.
True enough. I still feel compelled to point out I hadn't gotten a post orientation, or 90 day review, just to be fair to myself. HR should at least know what's going on in this unit! So many new hires have left, and that leaves us short staffed too often.
HR doesn't care. Trust me. Don't put a bigger target on your back.
I truly see emotionally unbalanced as an imbalance due to say- chronic high stress/ ineffective stress management, unhealthy patterns/relationships, etc. Also, personality issues /disorders / tendencies. Histrionic, for example.
Uhhhh yeah OK. It sounds like you have this all figured out so best of luck to you.
True enough. I still feel compelled to point out I hadn't gotten a post orientation, or 90 day review, just to be fair to myself. HR should at least know what's going on in this unit! So many new hires have left, and that leaves us short staffed too often.
I would guess that HR is quite aware of the revolving door, and from reading things here on AN, that it is like this everywhere. I'm sure that's why they employ full time HR Reps. It's quite clear they don't care. People are just a number-just a warm body. They do what they are told from the higher ups. The suits.
If you're unhappy and feel targeted, I would just move on to something better. Do not nitpick about not getting enough feedback, or meetings, etc. I would try to get to a year, put in your notice, and move on. I wouldn't try to be a change agent if the deck is so hopelessly stacked against you, especially if you're trying to leave. For the people who are not able to leave, or don't want to, it's no fun to hear someone frittering about going "I hate this, this is wrong, this is wrong, also I'm leaving!" I'm not saying that's what you're doing. But if you have something better going for you and you like it, why not just focus on that? I would just finish up at this place and try to leave on good terms.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Soooo, not only the patient care coordinator is emotionally unbalanced, but the unit manager is as well?
There's way more to this story.
And you've already reported racial tension/slurs and hostility?
Your days there are numbered. Might as well start looking for a new place. Try not to burn bridges on your way out, if you haven't already.
I'm thinking there's more to this story. Please take some time to think about whether you are, as Tricia J suggested, bringing your best self to this job. You may have already burned your bridges at this job, try not to do so at the next one.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
This is true. I was thinking about it and still am. There are aspects of this job that I like, but unprofessional/inadequate management makes it tough to stay sometimes. I have made my best efforts. I'm just shocked, because I hadn't received any feedback whatsoever until a few weeks ago. Ironic, because that's when I told a few co-workers I started a second job.
It wasn't to get away from this job per se, it was to have additional employment. Many have changed their attitude toward me since then, even if slightly, and I don't see why it's perceived as so wrong to get a second job in another nursing specialty. If someone told me they'd gotten a second job I'd say 'oh, cool. how do you like it?'
When you're starting out, it's best to stick with just one job and concentrate on getting it right. I can see where your colleagues would start wondering about you if you suddenly announced that you have a second job. That's kind of a danger sign.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
True enough. I still feel compelled to point out I hadn't gotten a post orientation, or 90 day review, just to be fair to myself. HR should at least know what's going on in this unit! So many new hires have left, and that leaves us short staffed too often.
Going to HR is a bad idea. You'll burn your bridges at this facility. And nothing I've seen in this thread convinces me that it's the fault of the facility or your colleagues and not at least partially on you.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I reported hostility and racial tension/slurs (which make me uncomfortable) and the retort was: you come off as stand-offish.
Unfortunately, newly hired employees who report wrongdoings so early into their new roles are perceived negatively. I will conjecture that you have unknowingly cultivated a reputation as a goodie two-shoes.
Your supervisor has a positive rapport with management, regardless of how emotionally unbalanced she might be. This may be unfair, but a newer employee who creates waves is not going to change the current workplace culture.
In future jobs, you may wish to establish camaraderie with coworkers and wait at least a year before reporting people. If you continue to do this as a new hire, you will come across as a tattletale and continue to receive poor performance reviews.
In other words, wait before making waves. Enacting change is about timing the situation correctly and walking the political tightrope without falling over the edge.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Uhhhh yeah OK. It sounds like you have this all figured out so best of luck to you.
Yeah, that deeply offends me as a nurse and as someone who suffers from mental health issues. I *love* psych & what the OP said is not true at all. That statement was painful for me to read.
I feel like things are being left out.
OP I wouldn't be making sweeping accusations about your coworkers/boss. You don't really know them & even admitted you very rarely see your manager. Just because they don't like you doesn't mean they are mentally unstable.
Your employer has a policy on handling grievances... it may be called "problem resolution" or some other term. Follow that policy. It will include the chain of command you should follow. I would urge you to discuss this with your immediate supervisor first before going up the chain. It probably isn't going to make a difference in your current situation, but HR may be able to facilitate a transfer to a different department.
If you truly feel as though you are being subjected to discrimination or harassment of any kind, please take action. Be sure you have all your facts straight and avoid subjectivity (opinions and feelings) in your claim. If you don't stand up for yourself, no one else will either. The worst outcome? You'll discover that your perception is not reality & end up being fired, leaving a permanent negative blotch on your employment record. Even if your perception is accurate, it may still not end well. Just be prepared to deal with the consequences.
Cola89
316 Posts
You would be incorrect.