Help with difficult co-worker-- Long--Sorry

[rnrn1]

I am a fairly new RN. I graduated school in May and have been working since June. I did very well both academically and clinically in school and have been told by manager/educators I am doing "excellent" at my current job. I don't pretend to know everything, nor am I even slightly over-confident. I honestly just enjoy my career. I work very hard and often spend a lot of time researching various disease processes that my patients had.

My problem is this one co-worker who graduated the semester before me and has been working three months longer than me. This person irritates me as well as the whole staff because he thinks this job is a joke. She consistently makes inappropriate comments about patients including once when a pt. coded and she said well the pt. was 90 anyway. She also leaves the floor to run to the cafeteria at least 5-6 times a shift. She honestly does not know anything related to the field of nursing and always says she does not think that nurses should have as much responsibility as they have so she is not going to stress herself out. The other day, we had a rapid response on the floor which was her patient. She came to the nurses station screaming "HELP" than never went back into the room. The only nurses in the room were myself and the other RN on the floor and it was not even our pt. Subsequently, it was decided that the pt needed an MICU bed but since none were available we would use the SICU. This nurse asked with all seriousness "What is SICU?"

I know that I am new and I know for a fact that management is aware of the issues with this nurse. But my thing is we only have three nurses on the floor per shift and I honestly feel uncomfortable when it is me and this nurse as two of the nurses. I am new and it does not help that this person does not take their job serious. How should I handle this?-- Sorry it was so long

[imanedrn]

First, keep a personal record of everything in writing (whether paper or electronic). I do this with "small" issues that could potentially become "big" in the future. Second, speak to someone you trust about this issue, specifically a charge nurse or supervisor. (Don't talk to another floor nurse because it may be misconstrued as gossip.) By going to a superior, you're affirming that this is a serious issue (which it is!) and something needs to be done about it.

Also, try to pay attention to how other nurses interact and respond to her, without necessarily digging for information. (Again, that's a gray area where you can get into gossip.)

I may be new to nursing, but I've worked in another field long enough to know that it never helps to hold onto a "bad apple" -- even if it's the easier choice. Sadly, I think this happens in nursing far too often -- simply because it is so easy. As long as no one is dying or the hospital isn't being sued r/t her care, then she's ok. Until someone speaks up about the problem that she is, then she's ok.

Use your personal documentation as a foundation for speaking with your supervisor(s). Make sure you always keep copies for yourself though! Also, be careful in your wording if you're giving them copies of your personal documentation. Sometimes, people will turn things around on the person making the complaints (i.e., you're just too sensitive).

I've read a LOT of threads where nurses advocate for just keeping your mouth shut -- as long as patients aren't dying, of course. I'm sure you'll get some of those responses soon enough. Again, I think this is just what nursing has become. We accept that some nurses have issues and don't do anything about them. Clearly, this nurse is bothering you. If you think she could pose a threat to patient safety, then this issue is worth being discussed!

Good luck!

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

You need to bring the incident about the pt in distress to your manager. This person sounds dangerous.

[PsychRNOhio]

make your supervisor aware of the issue.

keep yourself a log--in a bound notebook--take it home with you-do not leave it lying about for anyone to read.

mae sur you keep dats, times, pt identifyers for qi, and to whom you reported a situation. eithe these types weed themselves ot or they're passed along for years making everyone about them anxious an providing mediocre at best care