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

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Sep 13, 2002

Most of the nurses I've worked with in my career have been wonderful, but there have been a few who I think might have gotten their licenses out of a gumball machine!! Tops on the list is the one at my last nursing facility who couldn't organize a trip to the toilet, let alone manage 35 residents....and the owner/administrator made her a resident care manager. The woman was completely nuts---spent half her time outside smoking and the other half on her cell phone. That, of course, was when she wasn't *****ing about her co-workers, running to the owner when things didn't go her way, gulping down coffee and Xanax, talking about her sex life in Technicolor detail, and whining about not having custody of her kids. (Ya THINK?!) I have never met anyone so loud, profane, uncouth, sloppy, and just plain rude in my life. Even worse, I was the other RCM, and I figured if the owner thought she was so terrific he sure as hell didn't need me, so I left. Last I heard, he'd promoted her to DNS. Sure glad I don't work there anymore........

Youda · Sep 13, 2002

Originally posted by mjlrn97
Even worse, I was the other RCM, and I figured if the owner thought she was so terrific he sure as hell didn't need me, so I left. Last I heard, he'd promoted her to DNS. Sure glad I don't work there anymore........

I just loved this! :chuckle

I think this is pretty much how most management get their jobs! (My apologies to managers who are truly good and caring), but this is a perfect example of the principle that people will rise to their level of incompetence!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Sep 14, 2002

Then you'll love this, Youda: I have it on good authority that the crazy b**** got fired a couple of days ago, by a new administrator who told her to pack her stuff and get the #@^*!! out of her building, NOW. I guess there is justice in the world after all. :-) (I also heard that they want ME to come back and be DNS, but I think they know better than to approach me about it---I made no secret of my contempt for the upper management when I left.)

rncopper · Sep 17, 2002

After reading all the posts, some comments:

1. alansmith52 - PLEASE, PLEASE don't care for me, or my family when we get sick! And, I REALLY DON'T care to work with you, either!! If you would "side" with a colleague instead of putting a patient first - well, many, many previous people have stated it eloquently!!!

2. I HOPE we eat our incompetent young!! I am not bothered or scared by the nurse, new or old, who asks questions. I am terrified at the 1 nurse who asks NONE!!

3. Unfortunately, with the nursing shortage, people have gotten those initials "RN" behind their name, but, as was told me when I graduated that it meant "REAL NURSE", it does not necessarily mean that they are competent! Nursing has come a long way it terms of technology. We don't just take vitals, "wipe butts", and sit dressed in all whites and a cap!! We need critical thinking skills, time management skills, interpersonal skills, computer skills, problem-solving skills, good memory, inquisitive mind, and....I could go on and on. I am proud that I can do these things. But I have met some "RN's" who could find their way out of a bathroom with the door open!! They scare me!!!

HooperRN · Sep 17, 2002

I couldn't have said it better myself!!!

"REAL NURSE", it does not necessarily mean that they are competent!

If we all thought that we wouldn't need to be worried about the respect we got as nurses!!!

mrs. cynical · Sep 17, 2002

I have read alot of your opinions, but the common thread, if I understand it correctly, is that alot of you think the people you work with on your shift are competent. What about the other shifts? Health care is a 24-hour operation. We may have good members on a team, but do we have a good team? I think not. It's like MollyMo said, it's all about the numbers. (I was in administration for a short while, saw enough to know. It's ALL about the numbers. If there is a bad nurse, but her co-workers don't give written examples of whatever behavior is in question, not much can be done until she kills or almost kills someone). We nurses are good at that, we like to *****, "eat our own", but do nothing about it!

I'm all for education, helping, training, or whatever else you want to call it. When my co-workers come to me with questions or need help with a procedure--I'm there. But it's the ones that don't ask questions that I'm afraid of. I don't care how great all of you say your co-workers are--I'm worried about the team.

silentone · Sep 17, 2002

I've worked years in many areas as an LPN.I have worked with

wonderful RNs & LPNs who taught me alot but have also worked with horrible nurses...drug addicted, patient abuse, etc...and reported them. I think a big problem is due to the shortage...I have returned to school part time(due to my kids) and schools are allowing student through that shouldn't. One student made it into clinicals after flunking the first anatomy/Physio twice plus rarely turned in homework, has bad attitude, no experience. I didn't make it to clinicals 'cause under advice, I finished all classes before applying (with straight A's) and was told I had to wait two years for clinicals. The other girl had applied before starting any classes. With all classes done, I've decided the heck with it. I saw many such incidents of students being slid through, not knowing the material and it makes it scary what the future holds. If we feel theres a lot of incompetence now, it's going to get much worse!

RNed · Sep 17, 2002

I'm not sure we are the best ones to make or pass judgement on our co-workers and co-workers on other shifts. Yes, we should file and report errors and potential errors, concerns regarding safe practice and nurses, docs and other heatlhcare workers.

However, unless we are the ones with the authority, responsibility, skill and training to investigate, evaluate and analysis nursing care, we should probably stick to reporting our concerns and leave the investigations to those responsible for that aspect of nursing.

To often, I hear nurses make derogatory remarks of care that was provided by so and so. It is suprising how frequently these nurses can instantly assess the appropriateness of care 5 minutes after they arrive to start their shift. These truely are the "SPECIAL" nurses because to listen to them they know absolutely everything that went on that night and yet they did not work that shift. Therefore, they must be "special".

We need to provide the best possible care to our patient during our shift and we need to report our concerns. It is not our job and we do a disservice to our co-workers when we say so and so is a bad nurse. Report your findings, not your assumptions, that is part of the job.

Now - if you are the boss, that is different, you are special !!

Youda · Sep 17, 2002

Originally posted by RNed
However, unless we are the ones with the authority, responsibility, skill and training to investigate, evaluate and analysis nursing care, we should probably stick to reporting our concerns and leave the investigations to those responsible for that aspect of nursing.
Report your findings, not your assumptions, that is part of the job.

Excellent, excellent advice! Can I come work for you?:)

silentone · Sep 17, 2002

RN'ed you're right, we shouldn't pass judgement on other shifts if we were no there to witness it. When I reported, I was on the same shift and saw it happen along with other staff. I'm low key...I don't get into reporting unless it's serious stuff. But you missed my point...if nursing schools are not expecting the best, and let their standards down, it's going to put some bad nurses out there.

deespoohbear · Sep 17, 2002

Almost all of my co-workers (on all shifts) are truly competent nurses who want the best for their patients. There are a couple that I wouldn't let take care of my dead dog, but fortunately they are few and far between. Like another poster stated, I have seen more than my fair share of doctors who are incompetent than incompetent nurses. Only two times in 7 years have I ever flat out stated to upper management that I thought a nurse was jeopardizing a pt's health due to incompetency. (Laziness is whole other thread). And both times the situation was addressed appropriately. Doctors though seem to be like telefon when competency is addressed. At our small hospital, we have 4 doctors that hell would be in a deep freeze before I would let them treat me or my family. That is scary.

texoradon · Sep 19, 2002

I work with a nurse ..has been a nurse for 8 years, she came and asked me to help her with a patient that was dying and had copd..first of all she had the O2@ 6 liters...yikes!!! Then she asked me while she was taking the O2 reading "which is the pulse and which reading is his O2)??? I am pretty sure my head spun around a few times ........