Worried that experienced nurse may know nothing

Nurses General Nursing

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We have hired a nurse with 10 yrs experience where I work. I orientated her last week (atleast I tried too). During my first med pass all she did was sit at the nurses station and read a book. She kept disappearing and such. I went to her and said, "don't you want to come with me on these rounds so that you can learn who the kids are and about their meds and such and what you can and can not do?" She said, "nah, I'll do it second med pass." :nono: Well during second med pass I caught her on several med errors (now keep in mind, I've only been a nurse 3 months) that involved seriously needed meds. (Seizure)(Narcotic) Well, I found out last night that when she trained with another nurse the night before she did the same thing. Well, tonight she is back and she's on her own. We (the other nurse) are freaking scared to death for our kids. Her comment was "I've been doing this for 10 yrs!" In my opinion, "WHO FREAKING CARES!!!! " She don't know these kids. She's never worked with kids that can go from stable to 'DEAD' in the blink of an eye. No one will be able to watch her tonight. What if she forgets their sz meds again? There are sooooo many things that can go wrong in a heartbeat. I've been there 3 months and I still worry something will happen with my kiddos. Are we justified in being concerned? :uhoh21:

We new nurses use this site as a resource for ideas and information that I for one find extremely useful. When your new it is very easy to be caught up in dramatics. The OP did not mention any names on her post.

I would like to hear some constructive answers to the posters question regarding documentation. When do you suggest keeping a seperate notebook? Do you copy anything you write up and turn in? etc. I think new nurses could find this type of info to the poster useful.

melissa

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

You've been given good advice here. I guess my question is, why on earth did they have you, as a new nurse, orienting anyone? I don't say that as a reflection on your skills; I'm sure you are a fine new nurse. You're still learning the ropes yourself, though. This was an unfair responsibility to place upon you. Having accepted it, I hope you take the steps that have been recommended. You want to be covering YOA and more importantly, the needs of those kids.

And as far as the OP being overzealous? Maybe, maybe not. It is hard to say without having witnessed the actions of the nurse in question. However, that speaks even louder to the inadvisability of using a new nurse in an orientation capacity (lol, at first I wrote "oriental" capacity- it's late and I'm tired, so it took me a second to figure out why that looked so wrong) It is unrealistic, and unfair, to expect her to determine whether there is a need for concern here.

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You have only been a nurse for 3 months and you are orientating?!?! Nothing against you or your skills, but I would think that you would still be on orientation, not the one orientating someone else!!!! I definitely would have declined.

:balloons: Jaime

Tell me about it...I hate orientating. I don't even know what I'm doing half the time..

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Not to mention that it would be more appropriate for an RN to orient another RN.

She's LVN

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One question: did you make a few mistakes when you started this job?? Many people do. Could it be that you are overly concerned with this issue? I just can't help but note the title of your thread here, and how exaggerated it is.

Your feelings and fears have little to do with this. Document mistakes when you find them (if you find any more) and trust your manager to deal with things.

I can't help but feel this may be a case of a new nurse eating an experienced nurse..

JMHO.

Not at all..actually, I was hoping to learn something from her since she is more experienced. She just absolutely did not want to do rounds with ANY of us during her orientation. I wasn't the only one she did this too. Another nurse who is alot more experienced than I am orientated her also, and she did the same thing to her. That's why we reported it.

No jealousy here...no need for it.

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We have hired a nurse with 10 yrs experience where I work. I orientated her last week (atleast I tried too). During my first med pass all she did was sit at the nurses station and read a book. She kept disappearing and such. I went to her and said, "don't you want to come with me on these rounds so that you can learn who the kids are and about their meds and such and what you can and can not do?" She said, "nah, I'll do it second med pass."

I think there is more to this story than is being said here....

It sounds like perhaps this RN resents being "oriented" by a new LVN and wants to do things "her own way"......

Isn't there an RN who can orient her?

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Well, first off let me say, thank you all for the advice. I logged on for a sec while at work and read the post. I did take your advice. Let me tell you about the night. Oh, and by the way, I completely understand the hesitation by some to believe that's all there is to this story. We can't even believe it ourselves. I asked for ya'll opinion and you honestly gave it to me, and i truly respect that.

Our med pass starts at dinner (around 6 or 6:30). We have 2. 1900 and 2300. By 2000 we should be through with the 1st med pass and starting on our paperwork (doesn't always happen, especially when you're new) We try to start our 2nd by 2230. At 2230 she was only 1/2 way throught her 1st med pass. She had only done 8 people. She finished her 1st one around 0130. She never starts her 2nd one. This is our question, and this is why a report is being given to the DON T-O-D-A-Y. If she didn't make her 2nd med pass...was she giving all of the meds at once, which is very dangerous, because some of them don't react well together, or they get 2 or 3 different Narcs twice a night, or did she not give the 2nd ones and just waste them? That's when we all got upset and said, okay, this is definately being reported to the DON. Everytime a monitor or vent alarm went off one of us would quickly go check the kid.

Well, she made the comment that she was going to ask the nurse who had that section and orientated her on it the other night how she got through with her med pass so quick. The funny thing is, is that that same nurse was upset with her that night because she wouldn't stay with her while she did her meds to learn the stuff and she kept disappearing. (So, it's not just me that this happened with) Oh, and she was asking the aides at the table how so and so took their meds. (she would have known this if she had done the med pass with the nurse the other day), plus it says it right there on the MAR (Crushed, PO with pudding) or (pgt) They told me that they didn't know what to tell her and I told them that it was not in their scope of practice to answer that question so they didn't need to tell her anything since they didn't know themselves.

I am the last one on this earth to be saying that someone is not doing their job since I am a new nurse myself, BUT, from a new nurse's eyeview, it doesn't look right. I mean, if there is another perfectly good explanation then I think me and the other nurses would feel better. Honestly, I hope their is. I don't like feeling this way, because I always get along with everyone I work with, I'm upfront and honest with folks, and I just try to be the best person I know how.

Who knows...maybe there's a huge explanation to all of this and I will owe her and you all a big apology for wasting your time with this post. Anyways, gonna hit the sak. Gotta be back at 5. Again, thanks for all of ya'lls honest opinions. Have a good day.

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were you not asked for anyfeedback from your manager for the shifts you orinted this person for???

if not i would have volunteered it anyway.

go to your manager and express your concerns before someone gets hurt.

"ditto!" i would definitely go to your manager. she is a recipe for disaster!

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Is this a peds unit???

I've seen nurse just like her as you explained her. When I was an aide, I've been asked by lots of pool or new nurses as to how the resident takes their meds. I just tell her the resident's diet consistency. But then again, food is different from meds. I don't need to explain because "all should" know.

I know at the hospital during my clinical rotation, I notice a folder on the wall with papers in it. It's a risk managment safety thing where an employee can fill one out and send it to some higher-up (not only for the environment but employees aswell). Perhaps they should have something in your workplace or something like this can be recommended.

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This is a long term facility that caters to medically fragile children.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
Well, first off let me say, thank you all for the advice. I logged on for a sec while at work and read the post. I did take your advice. Let me tell you about the night. Oh, and by the way, I completely understand the hesitation by some to believe that's all there is to this story. We can't even believe it ourselves. I asked for ya'll opinion and you honestly gave it to me, and i truly respect that.

Our med pass starts at dinner (around 6 or 6:30). We have 2. 1900 and 2300. By 2000 we should be through with the 1st med pass and starting on our paperwork (doesn't always happen, especially when you're new) We try to start our 2nd by 2230. At 2230 she was only 1/2 way throught her 1st med pass. She had only done 8 people. She finished her 1st one around 0130. She never starts her 2nd one. This is our question, and this is why a report is being given to the DON T-O-D-A-Y. If she didn't make her 2nd med pass...was she giving all of the meds at once, which is very dangerous, because some of them don't react well together, or they get 2 or 3 different Narcs twice a night, or did she not give the 2nd ones and just waste them? That's when we all got upset and said, okay, this is definately being reported to the DON. Everytime a monitor or vent alarm went off one of us would quickly go check the kid.

Well, she made the comment that she was going to ask the nurse who had that section and orientated her on it the other night how she got through with her med pass so quick. The funny thing is, is that that same nurse was upset with her that night because she wouldn't stay with her while she did her meds to learn the stuff and she kept disappearing. (So, it's not just me that this happened with) Oh, and she was asking the aides at the table how so and so took their meds. (she would have known this if she had done the med pass with the nurse the other day), plus it says it right there on the MAR (Crushed, PO with pudding) or (pgt) They told me that they didn't know what to tell her and I told them that it was not in their scope of practice to answer that question so they didn't need to tell her anything since they didn't know themselves.

I am the last one on this earth to be saying that someone is not doing their job since I am a new nurse myself, BUT, from a new nurse's eyeview, it doesn't look right. I mean, if there is another perfectly good explanation then I think me and the other nurses would feel better. Honestly, I hope their is. I don't like feeling this way, because I always get along with everyone I work with, I'm upfront and honest with folks, and I just try to be the best person I know how.

Who knows...maybe there's a huge explanation to all of this and I will owe her and you all a big apology for wasting your time with this post. Anyways, gonna hit the sak. Gotta be back at 5. Again, thanks for all of ya'lls honest opinions. Have a good day.

I have to say it. If that was me orienting to a new place, I'd be driving you crazy following you around and trying to get to know the patients.

So yeah, I have to admit it, even though I'm usually the first to advocate giving the benefit of the doubt--this does sound really odd. In fact, now that I think about it, the only time I've ever had someone act like this is when they didn't really want to be there in the first place and they didn't stay.

Good luck and stay safe.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

You're doing the right thing.

30 years ago I worked in a nursing home where one of the 3-11 nurses gave all her medications at one med pass and that was around the dinner time. She then sat back and made personal phone calls until the end of the shift. She would scold the aides if they came to her with a patient problem. If she had to give a PRN med she took her time and gave the patient a lot of attitude. The rest of us nurses heard about this time and again from the aides who were looking for someone to do something about this. The DON told us that since this nurse was black and had been working there for more than 7 years there was no way she could get her out of there without the fear of her filing a lawsuit for discrimination. What a bunch of silliness, I thought. This kind of thing just pushed me on to get into positions of authority and learn how to clear deadwood like this out of nursing. You can't be timid about these things. It is a time when you have to be courageous, stand your ground and fight.

I have been hopeful that most of this deadwood has been cleared out of the profession, but it always upsets me to hear it happen. It is so much harder to collect evidence on them when they are working on their own, so you people who are precepting them have a great responsibility. It seems like these lazy nincompoops show up in LTC and residential care facilites a lot more than in the acute hospitals. I think that part of the reason is because there just are not as many staff around as there is in an acute hospital to observe and review what a person is doing. It is so easy to be lazy and get away with just what this nurse is trying to do in LTC. And, the thing of it is that these nincompoops usually have some intelligence. It takes some intelligence and thought to figure out how to get around rules and policies. This lady, however, seems particularly stupid to show her colors to you guys who are orienting her. This obvious defiance makes her all the more dangerous. Doesn't it just make your head reel?

Well, I've said my peace. I've gone back to nursing homes a number of times over my career and feel like I did my part to run off nurses like this, but it takes a lot out you. As I said, the work involved in caring for the patients tires you enough without the added burden of dealing with nurses like this. Whatever you and your co-worker can do to get this lady out of your facility will be a great service to patients every where and to the public.

Remember to put things in writing and save them. Reason: if management doesn't do anything about this lady, you'll have some documentation to sent off with a complaint to the BON. (It's sad, but you have to think that way. It also requires courage to stand up to management if they don't do their part. Somehow, I think you have the right stuff in you to carry this through.)

Keep us updated, won't you?

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