Bullied in Report

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I need some advice. I work nights and the nurse on one unit doesn't take Report well. Suddenly I feel like I'm not in Report; it's The Inquisition. I feel bullied by this nurse. Other nurses have said the same to me. So I tried 1) ignoring it *she acted like that was permission to continue*, 2) making lighthearted jokes such as offering to switch shifts with her *she was nice to me that time for 3 days*, 3) standing my ground calmly *but breathing smoke for the next 6 hours* 4) yelling back *she escalated* and 5) going to the Unit Manager *who told me that I should confront the offending nurse, i.e., she's not responsibility/sides.*

I don't have this problem with any of the other nurses. I dread giving information to this nurse because she uses it to attack me. Should I change units, talk to her about this directly, or simply insist on leaving a written report for her and getting out of the building before she gets there?

I looked in the Personnel manual and there is absolutely nothing that outlines proper behavior for 2 RN's toward each other except to "treat coworkers with respect."

I would love it if she would change, but I seriously doubt that "a talk"--especially from me--would do it.

I would appreciate some advice on the matter; I'm sure I haven't thought of every option.

Thanks, S.

Hi- I'm going to play Devil's advocate here. It is impossible to tell from your post if she is merely attacking you, or if she is pointing out legitimate problems in a way that makes you uncomfortable.

In my first job as an RN, I often dreaded giving report. Nurses who followed me often asked why I hadn't done things in a way that made me feel inadequate. I often felt close to tears. However, I learned a tremendous amount about how to be a better nurse from these questions. I actually wish that I got that kind of feedback now!

Perhaps her behavior is a mixture of inappropriate personal attacks/focusing on trivial issues and real, appropriate criticism. The other people who have responded have given excellent suggestions for dealing with harassment. And, I agree, noone should point out errors or ways you could improve in a mean way.But, maybe , in her own nasty way, she can help you become a better nurse. If so, profit from this opportunity!

:(

Hi,

Here are the "Top Ten Reasons *****- Nurses Eat Their Young":

********

10. Their low self-esteem isn't low enough yet.

9. The dewey dumpster was empty when they got up to eat breakfast.

8. They haven't had a good "f" in a gazilliion years.

7. They are on day number 8, without a BM.

6. They have a terminal wedgie, for which there is no cure.

5. They were all court-ordered to become "nurses."

4. Their Proctologist called and said: "I've got good news, I found your brain."

3. When God gave out noses, they thought he said "roses", and asked Him to give them a BIG one.

2. Their spaceship was bound for Ur-orifice, and they got off on the wrong planet!

1. They think their own s--- doesn't stink, and they're out to prove it.

***********

Print this list out........next time she gets in your face.....give her the list and don't say a word.

I have yet to be a nurse....I'm soon to be a student...but - I have worked with dreadfully awful people in my life. Read the book "How to Cope with Difficult People". It's a thin paperback that's loaded with information. The next step is to USE the information included in there - it works! Good luck with that nasty nurse...

Sleepy I know what you are saying, but I am beginning to wonder if it is an 11-7 Vs 7-3 thing?

At the hospital I work at we have preprinted Kardexs and Census which have patient name, age, and history....what happens 7-3 won't use the census and demands we give them the info which is printed there. I don't mind giving them a history, but when the patient has had his/her tonsils out at age 5 and they are 80 years old what is the purpose, considering they are in because they are in congestive failure?

Here is the problem I have had. One of the nurses who is a preceptor on 7-3 will tell me that such and such test CAN'T be correct. She then leaves report and looks up what the Doc ordered the night before. She comes back into report and tells her orientee Doc just order such and such. Durn I just told her the same thing and never once has she said, "You were right the order said...."

Another one will quiz me about what size IV cath is in, problem, she was the one who put it in and did not write it down in Nurse's notes. And with all of this I am lucky to get off the floor by 8 AM!

I have 15 patients a night, most are stable, but some are real handfuls and if your unit is like mine patient care is only part of the job. There are MARS to verify, 24 hour chart checks, updating Kardex, meds to pass, admitting patients, Preop Check list, Consent Forms, plus anything else the nurse and unit secretary does on 7-3!

I for one am going to take the advice of some of these wonderful people on this board, Feb. 1st I am going to transfer out of this mess!

That's ridiculous for you to have to put up with a bully just because you manager is being a non-manager. Submit your concerns in writing to your manager, and tell her you're sending a copy to the HR dept. and to the your manager's superior. Be "nice" about it, ie. I just don't know what to do, etc. Employees will sometimes act out until they're clearly told what is expected. This certainly falls under "treating your co-workers with respect."

no disrespect to my current manager, because you can only manage as good as the system allows you too!!!!! but

:rolleyes: why shouldn't professional, (we are that) get along?????:rolleyes: :mad: :(

check above posts, WRITE STUFF, right on!!!!!!!

I WISH FOR A DAY WHEN WE CAN GIVE AS MUCH SUPPORT TO EACH OTHER AS WE TRULY MEAN AND DO 99.9% GIVE TO OUR PATIENTS AND FAMILIES!!!!!

we are really truly special people, to give so much.........

just micro:p :p :p

Writestuff, YOU SAID IT!!!!! I love it!!!!

which state are you from? i am guessing california, mass., or texas...just curious

I've had to deal with this. My prior job the Mn. nurses were horrible. They were constantly going to supervisor's saying we give bad report's. (we included too much info.) I basically ignored them...as did the supervisor.

Than my next job the same thing. I worked MN. and come 7 A.M. day shift were asking 100 questions....why didn't you do this and that. The last day I worked MN. one of the R.N's made me set up a patient for defibrillation, even though the patient was in NSR. I said," he's been out of atrial fibrillation all night." She said the Dr. will be up at 7 A.M. it's your responsibilty. UGH!!! I was naive and didn't put up a fight. I stayed on the unit got everything set. The Dr. came to the unit 15 minutes later and said he's in NSR....just monitor him. The day nurse had to put everything away.

Now I'm on afternoon's day's give me report. I'll tell you the nurse's that complained about my report....they are the lazy one's. (for the most part....they didn't do 1/2 the stuff they should've)

:eek: :eek: :eek: OH, NO IT IS REPORT TIME!!!!! AAARRRGGGH!!!:confused: :confused: :confused:

To me, just another version of why can't we all get along!!!!!

REPORTS, however have a flavour all to their own.

I remember way back when when I was a new grad and wanted to give a way too long and too detailed report and the great nurses I had worked with me and taught me to only give the specifics and any changes in conditions. So in my nursing hx, that is what I have attempted to do!!!!!

Recently, it is like a no win situation.........some people seem to want every detail, including how much capillary refill was and vs even if they were wnl which I had already told them.....

So, then in trying to please the ??????? I tried changing how I gave report and giving more detail.........then

I got officially turned in for being to lengthy and giving nonessential details in report.........

AAAARRRRGGGHH!!!!!!!!!

oh, well.........I go on vacation in just about a week and I don't care!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol to all,

micro:p :p :p

YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE, YOU CAN ONLY PLEASE YOURSELF

LMAO

you got written up for giving too long a report...wow

sorry but thats so petty.

this is something someone should have told you about personally if they felt that way. more fun to write you up tho i guess. where DO they find the time?

i can remember being "*****ed" at because i forgot to tell a nurse about the pt having an aka. i forgot about that completely. since he was unconscious, unresponsive and bedridden, this old amputation just escaped me. she told me about it in report the next day.

i wanted to ask her how her not knowing about his aka affected the care she was to give but then thought why bother. all i said was..oh, sorry.

im still not that great at report. one thing that helped me was watching how everyone else gave report. i try to customize my reports for the individual nurses im giving it to. not always possible but it helps.

Sometimes the unit is so busy, I just tell the nurse to give me the "highlights", especially if I had the same group the day before. Makes life so much easier. I don't go into history either. I always try to tell them about br so, bo so, significant orders, abnormal labs, edema, LOC, last time pain medication was given. I would never let a nurse belittle me in report. I have had a couple of nurses that have told me "I wouldn't have done it that way" and my response is "Well, I did it my way, take it or leave it." When I first started working at the hospital I am at now, there was a night nurse from 11-7 who was a bear. She was an LPN and I think she thought we looked down on her for not being an RN. I didn't look down on her for being a LPN, I looked down on her for the crappy way she treated her fellow co-workers. I actually thought her nursing skills were pretty darn good, it was her personality that ruined everything else. If she could have improved her inter personal skills she would have been just fine. Hang in there.

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