Give 'Em Enough Rope

[Davey Do]

Edgar Cayce said "You can't someone into more trouble than they can get themselves into".

I've found multiple times in my career, and personal life, for this belief to ring true. Recently, a house sup and tech were discussing patients by name in the earshot of a visitor. I alerted them to what they were doing and more or less went about my business.

I heard through the grapevine the tech was terminated this past week for document falsification.

Now, I had no ill feelings toward this tech, not ever working with him much, but knew him to be baically a nice guy who did his job as far as I knew. However, I sensed he did not have good boundaries, in that he didn't seem to take some things seriously.

I have other examples that I may get into.

Have you ever experienced a situation where, metaphorically, enough rope was given that the individual hung themselves?

[bluegeegoo2, LPN]

I had a coworker who was less than useful or effective in her role as a nurse. To top it off, she was incredibly rude to the CNA's, ancillary staff, etc.

She was the type of person that, when I saw her name on the schedule with me on the same unit I would briefly consider turning around and going home.

One evening, I had the "pleasure" of working with her and we had to send someone to the ER. This nurse, for unknown reasons, began yelling at a CNA, in front of EMS no less, so loudly that residents were hitting their lights and were scared. (We worked evenings.)

That was the only time in my career that I have ever had to send a peer home. It was bizarre.

I have no idea what happened to her after that other than she was termed. I was just glad I didn't have to endure her anymore.

[caliotter3]

A night shift CNA consistently hid throughout the building to sleep throughout the shift from the beginning of his employment. This was a topic of conversation throughout the night amongst his peers and the charge nurses. He was an older man who went to a second job in the morning, but no one seemed to think it fair that he sleep at this facility while others did his work. Finally I took the bull by the horns and presented him with a three page written counseling. That was all it took for the DON to lamblast him soon after and terminate him after the tongue lashing.

[Daisy4RN]

reminds me of something I witnessed (way back) in high school....

Our school was in the process of intergrading disabled kids into regular classrooms and would put the disabled kid in the front row. In one class there was a blind kid who sat right in front of the teachers desk, so close that he could actually reach over the desk onto the teachers. This teacher was also a coach and always had candy bars etc for sale on his desk for a fundraiser for the sports team. Students would just go and pick up a candybar etc and leave the money in the box. One day during class a few students (including myself) saw this blind boy reach over and grab some money out of the box, and then he did again! The teacher looked at us, obviously looking very inquisitive at the blind boy and someone motioned to the teacher what happened and sure enough this boy was just sitting there stealing money. I couldn't figure out how he thought he was going to get away with that. He was a very smart kid, just blind. Did it not register for a moment that just because he could not see that others could still see him? Did he think that every student was going to be paying that close of attention to the teacher? Who knows, we were all kinda shocked, and needless to say he was busted. Go figure.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

I worked with a CNA, who was always hard to locate, but would come up with plausible excuses : I was helping Nurse Nancy, I went to staffing to get food for a patient, we were out of pillows so I went to the other unit to get some, etc. We complained, but couldn't catch her actually malingering.

One night near the end of shift we needed her help to transfer a patient, but she was no where to be found. Then she called our unit (on the 4th floor) from the elevator which had broken down between floors. She was on her way out the door, with coat on and bag in hand, meaning to clock out on her way out the door. Nurse manager did an inquiry about where she had be clocking out. Lo and behold, every punch out was on the ground floor nearest the parking lot. She had been skipping out for the last half hour of most shifts, just parked near the door waiting to clock out.

[Davey Do]

22 hours ago, caliotter3 said:

A night shift CNA consistently hid throughout the building to sleep throughout the shift from the beginning of his employment. He was an older man who went to a second job in the morning, but no one seemed to think it fair that he sleep at this facility while others did his work.

There are, like, so many hours in the day, caliotter!

[Davey Do]

20 hours ago, bluegeegoo2 said:

This nurse, for unknown reasons, began yelling at a CNA, in front of EMS no less, so loudly that residents were hitting their lights and were scared.

That was the only time in my career that I have ever had to send a peer home.

It sounds like she didn't draw the lucky card, eh bluegeegoo?

[Davey Do]

12 hours ago, Daisy4RN said:

In one class there was a blind kid who sat right in front of the teachers desk, so close that he could actually reach over the desk onto the teachers. This teacher was also a coach and always had candy bars etc for sale on his desk for a fundraiser for the sports team. Students would just go and pick up a candybar etc and leave the money in the box. One day during class a few students (including myself) saw this blind boy reach over and grab some money out of the box

Oh, man!

Daisy, that's one of my most favorite albums ever and now I know the story behind the name of the band and the album title!

Thanks, Daisy!!!!!!!

[Davey Do]

6 hours ago, nursej22 said:

She had been skipping out for the last half hour of most shifts, just parked near the door waiting to clock out.

I bet it took a lot of brain work to pull off such a diabolical plan!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Hmmmm, are we talking about Clark?

[Sue Damonas, BSN]

When I worked in the hospital one this one unit we would get physician orders sent to us the day before patients were admitted to the unit and a unit secretary was hiding the orders periodically and would do this to certain nurses she didn't like. She also did other things to create problems but nothing could be proved until a security camera was installed and she was caught redhanded. She was also caught in various lies by physicians. She finally got fired.

[TriciaJ, RN]

10 hours ago, Been there,done that said:

Hmmmm, are we talking about Clark?

I wondered that, but Davey said this was basically a nice guy who did his job well. Clark doesn't fit that description.