explosive co-worker

[espinoza]

Hi everyone. I need help. I have a co-worker who has severe anger management issues. We work in a phone bank and he sits next to me. I hear him yelling at patients on the phone and also at other professionals such as pharmacists. After hanging up the phone he will say things like "you lying sack of ****" about the patient. He also indicates that he drinks heavily at night. I have to sit next to him all day at work and it is terrifying.

Management assures me they are "working on it."

I want to report him to the board of nursing in our state.

What do I need to do to report him? I know I can't get legal advice here but I was hoping for some encouragement or hope. I am scared that he will retaliate.

Please help.

[himilayaneyes]

If you think that he is dangerous to patients or impaired at work, you have every right to report him. Always use your chain of command...in your case, the supervisor...but if they haven't done anything..then by all means report him. I believe you can do so anonymously...but check with your BON.

[espinoza]

I know he has been reported to the supervisor and I believe HR also but I don't want to get in trouble with my manager either. If I can report anonymously I will try to do that. Thank you.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

If this person is yelling at people on the phone, and yelling at pharmacists and the like, I am sure that someone may have complained already. However, I would go back to your supervisor, state that you understand they are "working" on a solution, however, the behavior is getting out of hand.

You can also call the ethics line of your parent company--that is anonymous. If there is any reporting mechanism you have available to you (incident reports, QA reporting) I would use that as well. Just site specifics (Rn was yelling loudly into the phone, using inappropriate language, had an angry and demonstrative outburst) And you can also state to your manager that the quality of your calls is difficult--IF you are finding this is the case--as I would think that unless your area is private, the people you have on the phone may be able to overhear these displays.

His behavior needs to be addressed, and he needs to be held accountable. When it becomes a determent to your quality, then that is an issue that you should bring up.

[suanna]

"Working on it"??? I have been told I have some anger issues and need to "work on it" but I have never raised my voice to a patient. I can't imagine "telling off" a co-worker. I get chastised if I ask other departments to please do thier job without offering compliments on what a wonderful job they have done so far. Where do you work? They seem very tolerant! I could make "employee of the mos" working there.

As to your co-worker. This behavior could be described as creating a "hostile work enviornment" and as such, places your employer at a high degree of liability. I hate to see a nurse lose thier job, but WOW, this guy seems ready to blow a fuse and become dangerous- not just offensive. If your employer dosen't act very soon, then the BON can force the establishment of a recovery plan that may help your co-worker become a better nurse and, by side effect, a happier person. I don't know how much you have to be involved with the reporting and documentation- my guess is quite a lot. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to work where this was an acceptable image for the Nursing Department. His behavior reflects on the profession as a whole and needs to stop.