Charge nurse issues

Nurses General Nursing

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My charge nurse is driving me nuts to the point I want to go against my own ethics and just leave. Please give me your feedback.

This is my first nursing job in a very very small OR unit. It's been difficult because it's such little experience. I have been here 9 months now.

The last 4 months I get called off all the time. I went to my manager and explained to her that I am looking for anther jobs because I have student loans. I did this in a professional way and she understood that I'm a single mom with bills. She became worried but it took her almost a month to get me working at a partner hospital. In that time I applied, interviewed and was offered a new position. It was a hard deciding but I accepted that position. Gave my 3 weeks notice and even said that I can remain prn.

So now it's my last week of work. I have been given so much crap from the charge nurse. This is someone who personally told me that I need to do what I need to do. Last week I was LCA 3 straight days. While a prn nurse worked!!! She gave me excuses about the reasons. She also yelled at me in front of the entire nursing/tech team. Telling me I needed to complete another nurses charting. It was just ridiculous and embarrassed me because it's not my responsibility when I wasn't even in the room to chart for that patient.

There's so many other petty things. I am just done. Would it be completely unethical to just call off my last 2 days of work? I really wanted to remain prn. It would have been a little extra money in my pocket. But I feel miserable when I go there now. I don't know who I can trust because as a charge nurse she gossips about everyone. Calling me off while having a prn nurse work is completely against policy and I've brought all of this up to the manager. The manager even said it sounds like bullying to her because of some of the things she has done. We were supposed to have a meeting today but that never took place. I just feel like I'm done. I don't want it to impact my future though

Specializes in ICU, ER, NURSING EDUCATION.

Here's my advice: Start your new job and keep the per diem job just in case. Bills are bills and you never know when you might need those extra $$$.

As for crazy charge nurse- here's my advice: be professional, don't respond to her jibes and digs. Then she wins.

Say hello, goodbye, answer questions related to work, be polite and nothing more! No personal information or gossipy chit-chat with her. Be all about the patients. Do your job and do it well, it's just per diem hours. You can do it and hopefully the hourly rate is good.

Now hang in there and good luck!

P.S. Maybe you can have a month or so before you start per diem as you will be orienting to your new job. That will give you a little break and time to gain some perspective on nurse ratchett.

Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

Stick it out - don't burn your bridges. You've gone this long!

Specializes in Med Surg/ICU/Psych/Emergency/CEN/retired.
Here's my advice: Start your new job and keep the per diem job just in case. Bills are bills and you never know when you might need those extra $$$.

As for crazy charge nurse- here's my advice: be professional, don't respond to her jibes and digs. Then she wins.

Say hello, goodbye, answer questions related to work, be polite and nothing more! No personal information or gossipy chit-chat with her. Be all about the patients. Do your job and do it well, it's just per diem hours. You can do it and hopefully the hourly rate is good.

Now hang in there and good luck!

P.S. Maybe you can have a month or so before you start per diem as you will be orienting to your new job. That will give you a little break and time to gain some perspective on nurse ratchett.

Good advice and doable. This too shall pass. If the per diem becomes unbearable, you can bow out. And you never know...that CN, whom you don't like, may be gone in the future. You just never know how it will all play out.

Thanks... Apart of me thinks, don't let her win because this is clearly what she wants. But to me thats just sick to think like that and I've worked so hard the last 9 months. I don't need to suck up to anybody or feel threatened by them. But then I also need any extra money too. I hope I don't cave and just stick it through the next few days

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