Nurses aggravating my patients.

[WittySarcasm]

Maybe rant-y but I need to get this out there. Sorry if it annoys you.

So, this has happened several times by the same nurse and I need ideas now. Going to the manager doesn't work- several have tried to no avail.

Anyways this one nurse tends to say/do stuff to purposefully make patients mad or annoyed or complain. I, along with others, tend to keep her out of our patient rooms- even rushing to lights to get there before she does. Normally it works, but sometimes something happens and you're unable to. Today was that day, I was busy labeling blood that I had drawn and marking the IV blood pressure med I had given when a patient's call light went off. She jumped up to get the light. I had casually said that if it was pain meds she still had longer.

I guess this nurse proceeded to tell the patient that I had told her she couldn't have pain meds and that she needed to wait- instead of asking the patient what she needed. The patient proceeded to cry when I later got her light, explaining she needed the meds- that she isn't drug seeking, and so on. She's upset to know that we are talking about her like that. And now refuses the pain meds she needs. Normally I would suggest she talks to the manager. But I know my name will come up. It'll be me that did wrong. And it frustrates me that I work so hard to keep them safe and happy and healthy just for 5 minutes to ruin it.

The problem is there's no confrontating the nurse. Again others have tried- multiple times and result is always the same; she will lie, turn it around to where she is the innocent victim. I bend over backwards to make my patients happy for the 12 hours I have them. And it annoys me that I have to deal with this constantly.

Any ideas on what can be done about this, besides shaking her and screaming endlessly. Or if nothing else thanks for the rant.

[AnnieNP, MSN, NP]

I understand this example is not the strongest but it was more the latest moment I've had with her (mainly because I race for the lights).

I had her once answer my call light, while I was in another room. The patient in question was a set up transfer (and truthfully she could have asked him or me) and he needed the bathroom. She proceedes to come to me and tell me the patient is demanding pain medications. Something that surprised me since his last 3 weeks here he never needed pain meds so I 'sped walked' to his room, only to see him half out bed. He tells me that 'I told the nurse that I needed to use the bathroom. She said ok and turned the light off and left.' I'd went back- after helping the patient and apologizing- and had her repeat what the patient needed (again she swore he wanted pain meds) which I had to explain the real reason. This is just another in a huge list of stuff she's done.

Then there was the fiasco of when she was charge RN and refused to call a rapid response for me, refused to have the other nurse call it for me. And proceeded to LIE to me for over 20 minutes saying "they're on the way" when she NEVER called them. While I was with my patient who was on 6 liters of O2 and barely keeping 80%. While I tried to not cry she sat and lied to me multiple times. Which I didn't find out about the lie until I got another nurse to stay with my patient so I could call them.

Not to add fuel to the fire, but refusing to call a rapid response sounds criminal!!!

[cleback]

I understand this example is not the strongest but it was more the latest moment I've had with her (mainly because I race for the lights).

I had her once answer my call light, while I was in another room. The patient in question was a set up transfer (and truthfully she could have asked him or me) and he needed the bathroom. She proceedes to come to me and tell me the patient is demanding pain medications. Something that surprised me since his last 3 weeks here he never needed pain meds so I 'sped walked' to his room, only to see him half out bed. He tells me that 'I told the nurse that I needed to use the bathroom. She said ok and turned the light off and left.' I'd went back- after helping the patient and apologizing- and had her repeat what the patient needed (again she swore he wanted pain meds) which I had to explain the real reason. This is just another in a huge list of stuff she's done.

Then there was the fiasco of when she was charge RN and refused to call a rapid response for me, refused to have the other nurse call it for me. And proceeded to LIE to me for over 20 minutes saying "they're on the way" when she NEVER called them. While I was with my patient who was on 6 liters of O2 and barely keeping 80%. While I tried to not cry she sat and lied to me multiple times. Which I didn't find out about the lie until I got another nurse to stay with my patient so I could call them.

Yeah, yikes... wow. I'd be livid. Use that example with the manager. S/he should know that happened.

[Swellz]

Please tell me you reported the rapid response issue as soon as it happened.

[TriciaJ, RN]

I understand this example is not the strongest but it was more the latest moment I've had with her (mainly because I race for the lights).

I had her once answer my call light, while I was in another room. The patient in question was a set up transfer (and truthfully she could have asked him or me) and he needed the bathroom. She proceedes to come to me and tell me the patient is demanding pain medications. Something that surprised me since his last 3 weeks here he never needed pain meds so I 'sped walked' to his room, only to see him half out bed. He tells me that 'I told the nurse that I needed to use the bathroom. She said ok and turned the light off and left.' I'd went back- after helping the patient and apologizing- and had her repeat what the patient needed (again she swore he wanted pain meds) which I had to explain the real reason. This is just another in a huge list of stuff she's done.

Then there was the fiasco of when she was charge RN and refused to call a rapid response for me, refused to have the other nurse call it for me. And proceeded to LIE to me for over 20 minutes saying "they're on the way" when she NEVER called them. While I was with my patient who was on 6 liters of O2 and barely keeping 80%. While I tried to not cry she sat and lied to me multiple times. Which I didn't find out about the lie until I got another nurse to stay with my patient so I could call them.

Lying about calling a rapid response needs a big-@$$ write-up. It's probably too late now but if anyone does that to you again write an incident report. The hospital risk manager needs to get involved when that happens.

[Have Nurse, ADN, RN]

Maybe rant-y but I need to get this out there. Sorry if it annoys you.

So, this has happened several times by the same nurse and I need ideas now. Going to the manager doesn't work- several have tried to no avail.

Anyways this one nurse tends to say/do stuff to purposefully make patients mad or annoyed or complain. I, along with others, tend to keep her out of our patient rooms- even rushing to lights to get there before she does. Normally it works, but sometimes something happens and you're unable to. Today was that day, I was busy labeling blood that I had drawn and marking the IV blood pressure med I had given when a patient's call light went off. She jumped up to get the light. I had casually said that if it was pain meds she still had longer.

I guess this nurse proceeded to tell the patient that I had told her she couldn't have pain meds and that she needed to wait- instead of asking the patient what she needed. The patient proceeded to cry when I later got her light, explaining she needed the meds- that she isn't drug seeking, and so on. She's upset to know that we are talking about her like that. And now refuses the pain meds she needs. Normally I would suggest she talks to the manager. But I know my name will come up. It'll be me that did wrong. And it frustrates me that I work so hard to keep them safe and happy and healthy just for 5 minutes to ruin it.

The problem is there's no confrontating the nurse. Again others have tried- multiple times and result is always the same; she will lie, turn it around to where she is the innocent victim. I bend over backwards to make my patients happy for the 12 hours I have them. And it annoys me that I have to deal with this constantly.

Any ideas on what can be done about this, besides shaking her and screaming endlessly. Or if nothing else thanks for the rant.

Time to consult the Patient Representative or the Administrator.

[NurseSince2014]

I understand this example is not the strongest but it was more the latest moment I've had with her (mainly because I race for the lights).

I had her once answer my call light, while I was in another room. The patient in question was a set up transfer (and truthfully she could have asked him or me) and he needed the bathroom. She proceedes to come to me and tell me the patient is demanding pain medications. Something that surprised me since his last 3 weeks here he never needed pain meds so I 'sped walked' to his room, only to see him half out bed. He tells me that 'I told the nurse that I needed to use the bathroom. She said ok and turned the light off and left.' I'd went back- after helping the patient and apologizing- and had her repeat what the patient needed (again she swore he wanted pain meds) which I had to explain the real reason. This is just another in a huge list of stuff she's done.

Then there was the fiasco of when she was charge RN and refused to call a rapid response for me, refused to have the other nurse call it for me. And proceeded to LIE to me for over 20 minutes saying "they're on the way" when she NEVER called them. While I was with my patient who was on 6 liters of O2 and barely keeping 80%. While I tried to not cry she sat and lied to me multiple times. Which I didn't find out about the lie until I got another nurse to stay with my patient so I could call them.

Ok, this is completely different. I understand you now. This nurse is totally in the wrong.

[Have Nurse, ADN, RN]

You could report her to the Patient Rep.  That would give it some "teeth".