Some people just don't know when to quit or they just won't quit. The facility can't force you to retire, so then what? Do you just let someone work until they collapse on the unit or make a major mistake? Family members can't convince mom it's time to leave so do you just put up with her? I am now working on a new unit which I love, but it seems that my co worker should be a resident on this unit. No one wants to work with her. She is forgetful, very suspicious of management in that they are all out to get her. Our shift ends at 8am, but I hear she stays until noon sometimes checking and rechecking things she did or didn't do all night. Sometimes she does overtime four and five days in a row and then she's exhausted!...not good for an elderly person. She tells stories of how "before I leave, people will know how this place is really run!" She spends more time talking of how, and I quote, "It's an unregulated gang who flourish with the absence of authority." This one is a liar, that one in no good, She is an evil person, and THAT one needs to have her license taken away. I try to break away from her, but she seeks you out. I've worked with this person about five or six years ago and she was NEVER like this, always so sweet and kind. Other people who have worked with her have told me that once you get on her bad side watch out, she'll write you up for everything. Bad side? I asked. They replied, "If you don't agree with things she talks about, (ie) mismanagement, poor attitudes of others, she thinks you are like "them" and looks for ways to try and do you in." Well, thanks for the info, but now I have to deal with her. She repeats things over and over, she falls asleep during report and the other nurses tell her, "Wake up and pay attention!" There's a smoke alarm on the ceiling by the nurses station and she thinks it's some kind of recording device that records every word you say for management to hear. PaRaNoIa will destroy ya! I keep a little book of any incidents that I think need to be remembered... just in case. I jot down the date, time, incident and if any, those involved. One never knows when I may have to recall something. Take using the narcotics for instance. We only had 0.5mg tabs of Clonazapine and the resident needed 0.25mg. She asked me earlier if I would witness and sign that she wasted half a tablet. I walked into the med room which the door was wide opened and she had a 0.25mg tab laying on the counter sitting in the bubble pack, the narcotic box was wide opened, and she was no where to be seen and all at the change of shift. I closed the narc box couldn't lock it b/c she had the keys, then locked the med room door. I wasn't going to be a witness and sign that she wasted the other half of the Clonazapine if I didn't see it and where was the OTHER half of the tablet, and where was she? Here comes the day nurse on duty. I told her to count narcs with the other nurse b/c I have no idea what she's doing in there and explained the situation. My coworker said to me, "Why don't we go to the HN and see if we can schedule the same days off together." :stone I {{{cringed}}} at the thought but told her, "Well I like having every other weekend off."...I need four nights away from her...my two nights and her two. I feel sorry for her because anyone who's ever had an encounter with her and that's just about everyone including management is so nasty towards her. She's getting old for cripe's sake, but she doesn't need everyone treating her like dirt either. It's really time for her to retire with whatever dignity she has left, but she says, "I'm not going anywhere until my story is told." Good luck I say to her. I'm afraid that one night I'll go around the corner and find her sprawled flat out on the floor, or she becomes so senile that she doesn't know her name. Where does that leave me or anyone else that has to work with her? I mean if she does something wrong could we be held accountable? Management knows how she is, but I think they're only interested in coverage of the unit, doesn't matter if the staff can function or not! I think someone needs to put their foot down and either convince her or make her retire... who should that person be? Family? Management? When do we, the staff take a stand if we're allowed to take one at all or do we wait for her to make a major mistake at the cost of maybe someone's life? So I ask all of you, "How old is too old to be working?", and any ideas on how I'm supposed to deal with this situation?
