I've been working at my current job for almost 3 months. Just a few week off orientation working independently.
Last night I worked with 2 other nurses. One happened to be another new nurse. The nurse that had been there longer had the nastiest attitude I've ever seen. From the moment she saw the assignment posted on the board you could just tell she was upset. I'm not sure why, maybe because she would be working with the two newest nurses? She complained, rolled her eyes, made us feel like she didn't want us to be working with her, made it clear that a certain area was hers, very unhelpful as well. It was completely unprofessional.
I notified the nurse manager. Apparently they are good friends, so that wasn't very helpful with the plan that the two of them had come up with. So I sent an email to someone one step higher than my nurse manager. We'll find out today if anything has changed. Apparently this wasn't the first time that this has been an issue with this nurse. Almost makes me feel like I found the wrong job because of this one employee. Advice? Opinions? Similar situations? Please share, thank you.
Wouldn't it be physical abuse if people were to go around rolling HER eyes??
Lol I just thought of the old Bill Cosby routine where his wife goes postal on the kids: "Roll your eyes at me? I'll roll your little head on the floor!"
Not that I'm advocating violence toward children, or anyone else, but it was a funny image.
And yes, Bill Cosby may be a serial rapist and all around skeeve, but that's a whole 'nother subject.
After reading another thread by OP, this is clearly something she does often. She reported techs for taking too long on break without talking to them first.
OP, the first step in the chain of command is to talk to the person you have a problem with first, before you go to management. I think it is important for you to learn this before you go running off and tattle on anyone else.
There was good advice in that thread as well that she clearly didn't take. Considering how the manager handled that situation, seems like OP would have known better this time around.
I do think it would have been better for the OP to talk to the "problem" nurse, rather than escalating it to management. (Sometimes folks have a bad day...) We do not work in a perfect world. On the other hand, it is true that eye-rolling and other rude behaviors are not conducive to patient safety, and really have no place in healthcare, but that doesn't mean those behaviors won't occur.
If we hold the best interest of patients at heart, we should strive for a civil workplace. --We all have to work to achieve it.
I would bet the the OP received education in nursing school about civility/rudeness and patient safety. I think some folks who have been working longer have accepted rude behavior in our profession as part of the norm (consider the stress nurses are often under). But, I think we might ask ourselves, if rude behavior is something we should continue to accept, especially when we consider the risks to our patients. --I don't think we are going to erase it from the workplace entirely, but I think we can make a conscious effort to change our culture for the better.
As others have mentioned, it's best to talk to the offender face-to-face. Also watch for patterns...was this just a bad day, or is it a norm for the person. If one must escalate, do so carefully.
You would think someone with 1.5 years of experience would have more common sense about the chain of command.
If only that were true! I worked with someone who ran to the supervisor/charge for every little thing on people she didn't like. She had tons of experience, a veteran nurse. She reported things that weren't on her unit when she didn't know the context of things, she just knew that she hated that one staff. Everyone she reported got pulled aside to be questioned or educated. Our supervisors typically try to address every concern you go to them with. She was a new staff(not younger though) "bullying" the older staff (and not age-wise). It took about a year before she got run off, due to the staff conflict. Nobody liked her but she had the valuable acute medical experience.
She would not "bully" in the manner you guys have described, but she created a very unfriendly work environment. She would directly tell someone "I don't want to work with you" or if you try to give her your opinion, she would condescendingly ask if you're an RN. She reported anyone she didn't like, for any little thing. I kid you not..some things were absurd. I can't disclose what though because it was so absurd that it's easily identifiable. If you look her up on the BON, she also has a bad history.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
If only that were true! I worked with someone who ran to the supervisor/charge for every little thing on people she didn't like. She had tons of experience, a veteran nurse. She reported things that weren't on her unit when she didn't know the context of things, she just knew that she hated that one staff. Everyone she reported got pulled aside to be questioned or educated. Our supervisors typically try to address every concern you go to them with. She was a new staff(not younger though) "bullying" the older staff (and not age-wise). It took about a year before she got run off, due to the staff conflict. Nobody liked her but she had the valuable acute medical experience.
She would not "bully" in the manner you guys have described, but she created a very unfriendly work environment. She would directly tell someone "I don't want to work with you" or if you try to give her your opinion, she would condescendingly ask if you're an RN. She reported anyone she didn't like, for any little thing. I kid you not..some things were absurd. I can't disclose what though because it was so absurd that it's easily identifiable. If you look her up on the BON, she also has a bad history.
I guess I'm a bad girl but I may have rolled my eyes if I had to work with 2 newbies by myself too. Hopefully, I wouldn't have done it in front of you. lol
Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
today's work world seems to have a large preponderance of new nurses/students who feel like it's their God-given duty and/or self-appointed responsibility to the world of nursing to run around pointing their fingers and reporting everyone else to higher up management or to HR/Corporate or to the BON.
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I could go on and on about this! I'll leave that for another time. I'll simply say that I've observed this many many times, as well.
Jensmom7, BSN, RN
1,907 Posts
Lol I just thought of the old Bill Cosby routine where his wife goes postal on the kids: "Roll your eyes at me? I'll roll your little head on the floor!"
Not that I'm advocating violence toward children, or anyone else, but it was a funny image.
And yes, Bill Cosby may be a serial rapist and all around skeeve, but that's a whole 'nother subject.