In November, 2006, I made a change at the hospital where I have worked for the past 6 years: I left ICU and took a job in the newly created Chest Pain Center.
I am an experienced critical care nurse but I am having a problem working with one of the other nurses - I work every weekend night.
The woman sleeps on the job - she goes on "break" and returns four hours later (went shopping); at one point, after a very loud argument, she left (I was not aware) - I began looking for her after I discovered she was not in the unit (about an hour). I found out she got in her vehicle and drove home (the security guard had helped her get her vehicle started). I called our immediate supervisor and she got through on the woman's cell phone and insisted she return to the unit (she did) ISN'T THAT ABANDONMENT? She did not tell me she was leaving; nor did she give me report on her two patients... I covered them anyway but I had no idea.
Now the latest mess is the result of her insisting she knew a procedure and attempting it -- it became obvious she did not know what she was doing...she screamed at me when I confronted her.
She will not allow anyone to question her (her background in nursing is thin and in no way in the critical care area) -- she talks loudly over you so that you haven't a prayer of carrying on a professional and adult conversation.
I recently went to the boss above my boss (my boss covers up) and showed him a pic and video on my cell phone which showed this nurse lying on one of our beds, sound asleep with ear phones on. She slept from midnight until 5:45 in the morning. I had a patient; she had none.
I am trying to get back into the ICU unit from where I transferred. I do not think I want to put up with this woman in any form. Another thing she does is call the center to find out if we have patients - if we don't, she comes in anywhere from an hour to two hours later (she says she has our immediate supervisor's permission). She admitted this at a staff meeting!
I realilze it takes writing up someone before they can be let go; however, with all the covering up, I don't think it will ever happen.
