Survey: Are you confident that your nursing colleagues are competent?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Here are the results of last months survey question

Are you confident that your nursing colleagues are competent? :

surveyresults9-02.gif

Please feel free to read and post any comments that you have right here in this discussion thread by clicking the "Post Reply" button.

Thanks

Well, I see a few glaring problems with alan's extremely sweeping generalization.

I don't believe Brian meant to address merely "new" or young nurses. What if the nurses who are incompetent are OLDER than you and have been nurses longer? I have worked with a number of older nurses who, believe me, would not have taken kindly to any suggestion or hint that they didn't know what they were doing. I have even seen one nurse with very scary infection control techniques continue with her practices even after being 1)confronted, 2)reinstructed and 3)finally warned that she would be written up if she continued to use gloves incorrectly and neglect handwashing.

I have seen nurses treat patients like pieces of meat that they had to baste and turn every 2 hours. I have seen nurses with huge gaps in their pharmacological knowledge who routinely gave drugs without looking them up if they were unfamiliar with them.

What, exactly, are you supposed to do at that point? They're already licensed and have been practicing this way for many years. Maybe they've injured patients, maybe they've been lucky and haven't. Either way, it's not practical or possible for a colleague to rehab their entire knowledge base and practice experience.

ITS NURSES LIKE YOU THAT GIVE US ALL A BAD NAME.

On the contrary, it's nurses like THIS who give the profession a bad name.

p.s. Posts in all-caps are really hard to read.

sorry alan, it's a no go here w/ your point. i work w/ a couple of maginally competent people and one complete total fool. cranial x-ray would show empty space on that chick. i can't fix her problems be they genetic or poor education. i try to babysit her, but when i have my own work and i am not getting paid to do her job too...well you know the deal. she is very SCARY and although i do try to supervise her and answer her questions, she does a lot of stupid stuff on her own. she lamented to me she had 6 INCIDENT REPORTS IN ONE MONTH> i haven't had that many in 15 years. that was several months ago and i know there have been more, but i don't know how many. management doesn't care. they've been approached numerous times by practically the entire rest of the staff and several drs., but she is a warm bod w/ rn behind her name (she passed boards on the third try!). i'd eat her just to get her out of the way, but i'm sure she'd cause extreme gastric distress!

Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.
Originally posted by alansmith52

ANYONE WHO VOTED NO ON THIS SUBJECT IS GUILTY OF EATING THEIR YOUNG. AND GUILTY OF BRINGING THE PROFESSOIN DOWN.

ITS NURSES LIKE YOU THAT GIVE US ALL A BAD NAME.

IF YOUR NOT CONFIDENT IT IS YOUR RESPOSIBLILITY TO HELP THEM.!!!!!!!!!

I, too, have to diagree with the generalization in the above statements. If people are willing to learn, then they can be helped; if they are not, then they need to be "coached" or "couseled" or whatever the current mgt buzzword is for reprimanding and if they STILL don't learn, then they need to be canned.

The suggestion that we should protect people who are incompetent and lack motivation to change "brings down the profession."

Specializes in Everything except surgery.

I must agree with the disagreeers! If a nurse isn't competent...it is not my responsibility to help them, when they won't help themselves! And it's not "I" who should get out of the profession...but those who are scary! If they put pts. in harms way, by their lack of knowledge, and their unwillingness to get help or ask for help....then they shouldn't be a nurse or any health professional. Everyone knows that there are those who shouldn't be in this profession...and that includes MD's, nurses, and others! If they don't have the sense to get out...then they should be forced out! :cool:

Specializes in Everything except surgery.
Originally posted by P_RN

For the most part I must say yes.

HOWEVER:

Had a guy infuse 250 cc of Dopamine as a minibag over an hour's time.....he was the "RN Owner" of one of the Nsg Agencies & couldn't find a nurse so he took the shift. He didn't know what dopamine was.

Geeze P_RN...I think I know who you're talking about!!!:eek:. This person worked as an ICU/CCU nurse, was male, and also had a nursing agency. Lord I had thought this agency had went by the wayside....but maybe it was resurrected...Oh MY!

For the most part I work with some pretty good nurses that I would trust myself as a pt. in their hands and then some others, :eek: :uhoh3: I wouldn't trust with my pet fish. One of them asked me one day what HS meant, they thought to give a pt. Ambien 10mg every hr until they were asleep!!!!:eek: :eek: :eek: . I have never worked with that nurse again, and I quickly advised her to not give Amien QHr. I advised the charge nurse to watch her because I already had 12 pt.'s of my own to take care for and to dispense meds for. I also advised the nurse to learn her abbreviations ASAP and that she should have already known them. Makes you wonder what they are teaching the students these days???

____________________________________________________

alansmith52

ANYONE WHO VOTED NO ON THIS SUBJECT IS GUILTY OF EATING THEIR YOUNG. AND GUILTY OF BRINGING THE PROFESSOIN DOWN.

ITS NURSES LIKE YOU THAT GIVE US ALL A BAD NAME.

IF YOUR NOT CONFIDENT IT IS YOUR RESPOSIBLILITY TO HELP THEM.!!!!!!!!!

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sorry havent got a handle on this quote bit yet

but I have to disagree I voted no but feel I have to qualify that.

The majority of the nurses are briliant I would put my life or the life of a lived one in there hands BUT none of us is perfect and ther are times when inexeperienced staff have been expected to work in situations they are not qualified to handle simply because "THERE IS NO ONE ELSE" (I have complained to the manager and tried to suport them the best way I can to) most will ask for help (this is not a major problem just very stressful for all of us) but some just soidier on regardless (now that is very very scary). I love teaching and having new members of staff and students working with me (a number of staff don't) and when quiet I have let them take charge or vented babes under supervision.

I had a particular problem when I have tried to suport a member of staff in this situation but when she turned down assistance and was then arguing with a Dr about something and didn't seem to have a clue about the significance of the event. I basicly elbowed my way in and sorted it (cos a babies life was at risk) and then I went the the manager and have had to make a formal statment this I did with great reluctance (felt I was telling tales) but as she wasn't taking advice from me or the Dr I had no chioce but to take this course of action. I still feel guilty but know it was the right thing to do.

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

For the most part, this is a very sad thread. The problem does not seem to be so much that some fellow nurses are incompetent, but that management does nothing about them.

In one facility where I worked, a nurse OD'd on the job (not quite dying), and was shortly after recovering, given a supervisory job in another nursing department. I guess they figured that if he OD'd again, at least patients wouldn't see him (and sue the facility).

of course you all disagree. look at the state of nursing. It is not regarded as a profession and probably due to the fact that you are all soo back biting. to your co-workers. take some pride. I hope your not going out into the public telling all your neighbors that you think nurses are incompetent. that would sure explain alot.

well then don't help them. just grin and bare it. change will only come with poor outcomes. we know this.

Originally posted by alansmith52

of course you all disagree. look at the state of nursing. It is not regarded as a profession and probably due to the fact that you are all soo back biting. to your co-workers. take some pride. I hope your not going out into the public telling all your neighbors that you think nurses are incompetent. that would sure explain alot.

The nursing shortage cannot be explained away this simplistically. And anyone who thinks that going to school and passing boards means you are a good nurse is delusional. In any profession, there are some who don't belong. I know a few physicians who are incompetent as well. For that matter, there are lawyers, engineers, and architects who do poor work. I have been served by some terrible waitresses, and have had my hair ruined by an incompetent stylist. Nursing is no different. There are nurses who are in the field for the wrong reasons, or who have burned out and no longer care. There are also nurses who do not have the critical thinking skills or knowledge to do a good job. Because we are patient advocates, and are willing to speak up about incompetent coworkers, we are accused of eating our young. If the nurse is new, and simply needs mentoring, I will do everything I can to help her. But, if she is lazy, uncaring, or incompetent in any other way, then I will document whatever she does that may bring harm to a patient. I would rather have an incompetent nurse removed from her position than see a patient harmed because I refused to speak up.

RNinICU

Could not have said it better. If only speaking up were effective in this regard. It has been my experience that the "back biting and back stabbing" comments made by colleagues can be effective in the intent of the perpetrator, but an honest, professional report to the supervisor will cause trouble for the honest, professional individual.

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