Getting rewarded for backstabbing???

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Specializes in pediatric ER.

I work in a pediatric ER. Our ER shares a lounge with the Adult ER that is much larger, more poorly staffed, and much busier than the pediatric ER. (Kinda glad I don't work there, actually.)

Recently, the Adult ER started a program with six different categories of "great nurses" or something to that effect. They've divided up the staff into these categories to form teams. Now, GET THIS, I overhear one of the nurses talking in the lounge about how they will be REWARDED for telling on staff members making mistakes in other groups! What in the world is THAT about???

I mean, I know that the adult ER has had issues with people stealing supplies/food/etc. and that they have really been trying to crack down on it... But TEAMS to basically keep an "eye out" for this behavior? Unacceptable in my opinion! I mean, come on, we are all adults here.

What do you think??

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Sounds like a terrible place to work. We all have worked with "snitches", but I wonder just how far this unit is willing to go to be a good nurse. I do not think informing on a drug stealer is snitching, but according to the offense, informing on coworkers can lead to larger problems.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I think it is always important to point out mistakes because they could lead to injury of a client. But many mistakes could be pointed out privately so the person could correct themselves without authoritative reprimanding. Unless some one is blatantly doing something wrong or repeatedly doing something that could lead to another's harm (or doing something that does harm some one that they should know not to do) I think many things can be handled one on one. In my family, some times the tattle tales get in trouble (so and so took my toy, so and so is staring at me!) I think that rewarding for "tattle telling" is only going to make a bad environment with people looking out only for some one else to slip up. Yes be accountable to each other, but this is ridiculous

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Are we in Kindergarten or are we adults? Nice to know that others are watching you to get you into trouble? Now I understand telling about big problems, but whatever happened to just quietly pulling someone aside et talking with them personally?

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We have the same things at work, like auditing charts. You suppose to look over paperwork, making sure nothing is omitted. And if it is, you suppose to document the nurse's name for the purposes of reprimanding. I guess, it's their way of "quality improvement". Once I found a mistake and told the nurse responsible so she can go ahead and fix it without me "telling" on her. The other time, it was a nurse who is for whatever reason is hostile toward me. Well, I put her name down, as I supposed to. See where it can lead people?

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Specializes in pediatric ER.

It doesn't surprise me that this unit has a high turnover rate with nurses, a lot of young nurses, despite it being a very prestigious level 1 trauma center. A little sad, really.

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Are we in Kindergarten or are we adults? Nice to know that others are watching you to get you into trouble? Now I understand telling about big problems, but whatever happened to just quietly pulling someone aside et talking with them personally?

Reminds me of a song that says we'll be watching you, no matter what you do, and you can do your part by watching others, too.

Really stinks.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Sounds like they are trying to keep things under control by dividing and hence conquering.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Backstabbing, unfortunately is a practice with nurses, from what I see. Rather than work together, you have people trying to outdo each other for brownie points, and to me, it isn't worth it.

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