I work in a sub-acute unit at a physical rehabilitation center. It's my first job as an RN and I have been there for 7 months. I recently had 2 patients complain to me about how they were treated by a particular nurse on the weekend. I have never had a patient complain before for so I asked the DON what to do and was told to fill out a form. I filled out the form and turned it in as I was told to do. The next day I was called in to the office and was written up. I was accused of talking about another nurse on night shift to my patients which never happened!!! I find it very convenient that this happens to me after I report a nurse that has been there for 7 years. I thought we were supposed to advocate for our patients??? How am I wrong for following a policy that they put in place?
As frustrating as this is I will have to start looking for another job. They called the write up a class 3 so it is my first and final warning. Any insight on this would be appreciated.
Ahhh, poitics and nursing..... Many pts will complain about nurses and they will complain even about you one day. How do you want your coworker to handle it? Do you want them to write you up or run to the DON to ask about policy when P&P's are required to be available to staff? It is a slippery slope. I've been a pt and boy you have a ton of time to have a favorite nurse and a few you don't like. Rarely do pts realize that you have many other pts and that many are more medically compromised.
So going the route you went didn't go so well. Next time how are you going to handle it? Figuring it out now will make you a much happier nurse as the years go by.
Nobody likes to have a fellow coworker running to management!
please give your coworkers benefit of doubt. You all know how crazy people can be. Unless it is a serious offense, i wouldnt say anything. Many patients can be manipulative and put staff against each other. My best response to a negative comment regarding the care received from a coworker to my patient is to say, "Is there anything I can do for you right now as your nurse ?
that response softly implies that I cannot control what happened to you in the past. All i can do is take care of u now.
Whenever a patient complains about another nurse, the meals, the noise......I politely stop the patient and say "I would like to go and get my charge nurse so that you can have this conversation with her/him." By advocating for a patient, you are putting them in direct contact with a person who has the authority and policy knowledge to take it from there.
With all the added responsibilities of charge nurses on top of their own patient assignments at some places, some probably would jump off the bridge if you brought up complaints of food and noise. LOL!
I only address issues that appears to be a potential for disaster.
With all the added responsibilities of charge nurses on top of their own patient assignments at some places, some probably would jump off the bridge if you brought up complaints of food and noise. LOL!
I only address issues that appears to be a potential for disaster.
And unfortunetely, the "my nurse on days was really mean...." USUALLY comes with and the food is BAD, gives me agita, and I couldn't nap because the Price is Right was blaring, which by the way I do NOT watch now that Bob Barker is off the show....And I do like Judge Judy, and when I ring the bell for the girl to come and put it on for me, you all are SLOW.....In my day........."
That is what the charge nurse needs to in part do....deal with patient complaints. The staff nurses may have the finesse (
And unfortunetely, the "my nurse on days was really mean...." USUALLY comes with and the food is BAD, gives me agita, and I couldn't nap because the Price is Right was blaring, which by the way I do NOT watch now that Bob Barker is off the show....And I do like Judge Judy, and when I ring the bell for the girl to come and put it on for me, you all are SLOW.....In my day........."
I think that a lot of times these complaints about "that other nurse" are just manipulations. Can't say how many times I've gotten the, "That nurse was horrible, not like you." Then the next nurse gets told how horrible I was, not like them.
That is what the charge nurse needs to in part do....deal with patient complaints. The staff nurses may have the finesse (
I think the power dynamic varies by facility. What I do like about the, "Let me get the charge nurse" line is that it makes the patient feel like they're being heard by someone that can/will do something. Doing relief charge for most of my career, I don't generally have any more power on the shifts that I'm in charge than the ones that I'm not. But when "the charge nurse" comes in the room, the patient thinks they're being listened to, even if the charge nurse is ignoring the ridiculous complaint just as much as the staff nurse is. It's all about customer service psychology.
And unfortunetely, the "my nurse on days was really mean...." USUALLY comes with and the food is BAD, gives me agita, and I couldn't nap because the Price is Right was blaring, which by the way I do NOT watch now that Bob Barker is off the show....And I do like Judge Judy, and when I ring the bell for the girl to come and put it on for me, you all are SLOW.....In my day........."
That is what the charge nurse needs to in part do....deal with patient complaints. The staff nurses may have the finesse (
"Only the charge nurse has power to do (
Oh, really? I have yet to see a charge nurse go down to the kitchen and whip up something special for the patient to eat.
And to prevent myself from wasting more time by coming up with more scenarios to prove my reasoning just, i will just state that I don't know one (fill in the blank) that has a time machine.
Charge nurses are resources that must be utilized intelligently.
chevyv, BSN, RN
1,679 Posts
Ahhh, poitics and nursing..... Many pts will complain about nurses and they will complain even about you one day. How do you want your coworker to handle it? Do you want them to write you up or run to the DON to ask about policy when P&P's are required to be available to staff? It is a slippery slope. I've been a pt and boy you have a ton of time to have a favorite nurse and a few you don't like. Rarely do pts realize that you have many other pts and that many are more medically compromised.
So going the route you went didn't go so well. Next time how are you going to handle it? Figuring it out now will make you a much happier nurse as the years go by.
Nobody likes to have a fellow coworker running to management!