Anyone else share this pet peeve?

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

Ok, I never come to this site to vent, but this morning I just needed to.

Does anyone else but me find the following two qualities in a lazy nurse particularly INFURIATING?

1.) Getting out of doing work by playing "dumb," i.e., pretending you forgot until it's the moment before you go home and you ask someone else to do a task, telling me something I'm fairly confident you just made up on the spot but I have no way of proving, hemming and hawing during report, "Oh, wait, did I do that? Let me see..." We both know you didn't do it, my friend. No need to play games and take 10 minutes to break the news to me. I'm smarter than a 5th grader and I can read you pretty easily.

2.) (and this is the most annoying for me) Trying so hard to get out of doing work that they actually CREATE MORE WORK FOR THEMSELVES (and by themselves, I really mean others) than they had in the first place.

Example: when you came in at 12 a.m. and you picked up one of my patients, I told you she likes her pain meds on schedule, as soon as she can get them. Yes, the meds are PRN, but when she's ASKED REPEATEDLY for the meds just to be brought in as soon as they can be given, please just do it without making her wait, and then call when she's REALLY hurting. She had a c-section and she hasn't had great pain control, among many other problems, so maybe you could do her a solid and just try to stay on top of the pain issue. But no, you refuse to do this and have her call each time for meds. Additionally, when she last got 2 Percs at 3:15, she could have gotten them at 7:15, but you didn't offer them to her then, or at any time before you left at 8 a.m. Guess how this scenario plays out? Yup, you guessed it! In the middle of report, patient's husband comes to nurses' station and angrily requests 2 Percocets for his wife, who's "way overdue." Instead of stopping a problem before it starts, you created more work and hassle for all involved EXCEPT FOR: oh right, you! You get to waltz out the door at 8 a.m. because that's what you do.

Thanks for putting up with my vent. Anyone else have to deal with this nonsense?

[shhhh]

I'd be VERY surprised if you got a response like this:

"No, I haven't ever! You're just WAY too sensitive. Gosh!"

The upside to the situation that you described is that you're most likely that patient's favorite nurse (not that you wouldn't be otherwise- you sound like a great, considerate nurse), and they'll be a good patient for you. :)

[rachelshusband]

These are likely nurses that snuck into thier position politically or were able to throw up smokescreens so others that interviewed after them wouldn't get hired. I've tried explaining this to others on here, that these are the type of teammates we shouldn't want. But I get the typical "fairness police" or "bad economy means get the job anyway you can" type of answers. Which leads me to believe that those people turn out to be the type of teammates that you are describing.

[Isabelle49]

Yes, I've known a few nurses just like the one you described. BTW, have you noticed that they do hardly any work at all and just watch others go by? I don't work in hospitals anymore, too much politics and not enough patient care. Never will work in one again.

[79Tango]

I call those types "the Flinestones" because as soon as the whistle blows they RUN for the door.. Which is fine. My problem is they do the exact opposite when its time to report. Typically showing up 5-10 minutes late every day.

[systoly]

I'd be VERY surprised if you got a response like this:

"No, I haven't ever! You're just WAY too sensitive. Gosh!"

The upside to the situation that you described is that you're most likely that patient's favorite nurse (not that you wouldn't be otherwise- you sound like a great, considerate nurse), and they'll be a good patient for you. :)

The downside is that patients and family members save all their requests for you, because they know you'll get it done.

[belgarion]

Along the same lines is the nurse who tells you during report that Mr. TweedleDee's IV was leaking earlier but "I worked on it and taped it down real good so it should be okay." Care to guess what I find when I walk into the room a few minutes later? This has happened so many times that when I hear this one I just go ahead, save time, and grab the IV tray on my way to the room.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

I think we've all encounterd these people. I wish I had the nerve to just say "oh..do you mind doing that before you leave?" or..."I'll count with you after you finish xyz"

[leslie :-D]

well, you can't make a nurse give prn meds until they're scheduled (get dr to change order?).

still, keep a 'diary' of tasks this nurse "forgets", until you feel there's enough to show nm.

next time she's giving report and starts her bs, interrupt her and politely tell her to "save it" and ask her to continue with report (again, only if this is habitual vs here and there).

yes, it's annoying because she's passing the buck, shirking her duties, and most annoying, is disregarding pt needs.

just keep on taking the high road.

in the end, it shows your integrity and her lack.

leslie

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

These are likely nurses that snuck into thier position politically or were able to throw up smokescreens so others that interviewed after them wouldn't get hired. I've tried explaining this to others on here, that these are the type of teammates we shouldn't want. But I get the typical "fairness police" or "bad economy means get the job anyway you can" type of answers. Which leads me to believe that those people turn out to be the type of teammates that you are describing.

Yes, she is definitely still in this position for political reasons. I think she has been on the unit way too long and she's just only satisfied with patients who want to sleep all night and not bother her, and send the baby to the nursery for the night to be bottle fed. Anything else seems to be a major inconvenience to her. Need help breastfeeding? Good luck!

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

Yes, I've known a few nurses just like the one you described. BTW, have you noticed that they do hardly any work at all and just watch others go by? I don't work in hospitals anymore, too much politics and not enough patient care. Never will work in one again.

Yes, I literally see her sitting down looking at her Kardexes doing nothing. But she is more or less grandfathered into her job and would have to do something extreme to lose it.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

The downside is that patients and family members save all their requests for you, because they know you'll get it done.

Exactly my point. In avoiding work, she creates more work. People learn to ask other nurses for what they need, such as breastfeeding help, because she says things like, "Oh, you're doing fine," and leaves.