Can you trust your co-workers??

[MA Nurse]

I'm curious to know if nurses here feel you can really trust your fellow nurses at work. I feel I am an honest employee. I am learning over the years, however, it seems as though everyone is only looking out for themselves.

My example: recently I agreed to work for another nurse. I was cancelled by staffing because they said "someone else with more seniority is available to work." This really ****** me off. Do some nurses really examine other nurses' schedules this closely and call staffing to get you bumped off so they can work instead? (After you've already agreed to work for someone and submitted paperwork??) Our contract is not very clear on this and I am not getting any straight answers so far....and this was only for FOUR hours!

I'm not sure if this is the staffing office's problem or are most nurses like this? What is it like where you work? Is there backstabbing like this?

Does seniority rule over your entire schedule? What are the guidelines if you're working for someone?

[THAT Nurse., MSN, RN, APRN]

AFAIK, the nurses on my floor are pretty upstanding. I know some do not like each other, but when it concerns me, I haven't felt any knives in the back. I will note this does not hold true on other floors in my facility.

Seniority means nothing at my place. It is generally based on most recent call, such as who was on call last, made to float last, etc. When it comes to scheduling, you do not mess with another person's schedule w/o their consent.

[wanderlust99]

Nope. There have been a handful of other nurses I trust, but I am a firm believer now (after many backstabbing and let downs) that you can't trust your coworkers.

[MA Nurse]

Nope. There have been a handful of other nurses I trust, but I am a firm believer now (after many backstabbing and let downs) that you can't trust your coworkers.

I'm beginning to agree. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt...but I'm tired of nurses acting nice then turning on you:down:

[caliotter3]

From my experiences, I would say that it is fine to show and tell others that you are trusting, but in reality never turn your back to your coworkers. Have seen too much to reinforce this. I had been taught this little nursism, "I'm going to turn my back to you." This usually occurs at the med cart when an error is found. The second nurse is given the chance to correct an error. If she/he does not recognize the error, the nurse who "turned her/his back" will say out loud what needs attention. Then when the nurse turns around everything is ok. I encountered this twice in my early career. Unfortunately I also saw the dark side to this. The nurse who found the mistake and "turned their back" now has something over the mistaken nurse and that nurse owes them one. Of course, it is supposed to work both ways; but rarely does. So trust no one, not even yourself. Always check your own work and don't rely on others to look out for you. It usually won't happen that way.

[Scrubby]

I trust most people at my work to do the right thing by the patient and other staff.

However there is one senior nurse at my work who myself and others just really can't be trusted and has to be watched constantly. The nurse is really vague and does some really wierd stuff. For example during a case they stuck the stickers you get from the sterilised instrument trays all over the count sheet. I asked for a suture and they refused to get it saying we didn't need this right now when we had a bleed....

This particular nurse has a lot of health issues (quite sad) and is depressed. Personally I think they shouldn't be working on the floor as they can't cope at all. I feel sorry for them but I just feel they can't be trusted right now.

[loriangel14, RN]

I trust my coworkers implicitly.

[sissiesmama, ASN, RN]

Nope. There have been a handful of other nurses I trust, but I am a firm believer now (after many backstabbing and let downs) that you can't trust your coworkers.

Me too, unfortunately. There are some I work with that I trust, but I could probably count them on one hand. It's just a shame, because it doesn't have to be that way. Even a few of the nurses that I have been friends with for a while have still shown their true colors.

And after one too many "friends" stabbed me in the back at work I have come to the sad realization that you just can't open up at all to someone you think you can trust. It comes back to bite you in the butt, most of the time.

Anne, RNC

[NurseCard, ADN]

I'm not sure I understand where you are getting that someone deliberately tried to take your hours from you. It's possible that they were just overstaffed and had someone to work who had been there longer than you have, so they took priority. It happens everywhere.

[NurseCard, ADN]

Oh, and to answer your original question =), I do trust my current coworkers; actually can't think of anyone off of the top of my head that I work with that I really don't feel like I can trust. I'm lucky. =) I have had coworkers that I definately couldn't trust, in the past.

[squirtle]

I'm not sure I understand where you are getting that someone deliberately tried to take your hours from you. It's possible that they were just overstaffed and had someone to work who had been there longer than you have, so they took priority. It happens everywhere.

This is what I was thinking as well. It doesn't make much sense to me that the situation that occurred was the fault of another nurse. Where I work, staffing does all kinds of things on their own accord. With a 4 hour shift, is it possible another nurse was all ready there and they just changed the pt load around to prevent needing you to come in? Unfortunately many places are really looking for ways to cut corners. Seniority doesn't really have much of an affect on our scheduling... Actually, they encourage the new nurses to work as much as possible so they can develop their skills and such. I have felt quite welcomed and have the sense that I can trust my coworkers when it comes to pt care and working together... it seems that everyone looks out for eachother. I like that. I am a new nurse, so it is possible that my judgement just hasn't been corrupted by actually seeing for myself all of the backstabbing and such that I have heard about... I hope it never is.

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

sadly enough, i think true and faithful friendships in the workplace are a thing of the past. especially in a high stress area like we are in.