Help!!

[b eyes]

I am having a problem. Recently I was asked by our DON to make transfer packets and admission packets in the ER to the nurses being pulled there so that things are easier for them. OK I did that. Asked an ER nurse waht she thought of it and she completely tore me apart. she didn't like it, it didn't need to be done, she is tired of conforming to everybody who just walks in here. Mind you she has been there 15 years and I have been in the ER 1 year. Well, I told her that I would leave things seperate for her however packts would still be together for the other nurses not familiar with the ER. Next day, DON comes and asks how the packets are going, I tell her the nurses frustration with them, but not to worry it was all taken care of. The next day, the nurse gets called into her office and gets a royal butt chewing. I am not sure of the conversation, but I feel terrible. That is not what the DON should have done. I feel she should have left it alone. Do you agree? And now I feel as if I am going to be labeled a tattle tale, unprofessional, and anything else you wuld think if this happened to you. I am not sure how to bring this up to the nurse when I have to see her tomorrow. I plan on explaining myself to her, but If you knew her, you wuld understand that would not be good enough. any ideas?

b eyes

[pkapple]

Leave it alone..if she starts in on you then don't apologize just tell her the DON asked and you said it was working out and leave it at that.

Ive been on both sides of this...any 15 year nurse can handle herself with the DON.

[CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN]

IMO i would let the person know how you respect her feelings and that knowing how many years she's been in this profession, she can smell a BS task from a mile away no matter what. She may not be an ideal "teacher" nurse which is probably your strong suit, but may be an absolutely wonderful cut to chase problem solver when the patient is crashing miserably. So tell her that you made an honest mistake and ask for her forgiveness, what good is it to hold grudges at work, you'll be left holding the bag when your patient's crashing and she, the experienced problem solver,hesitates to help you out because of unresolved issues.

[jill48, ASN, RN]

Sucks to be put in that position, but I do feel that the supervisor did the right thing.

[Gromit]

yeah, I do too. this is a no-win, however.

[TrudyRN]

I don't understand why she would not want packets available to help floaters. Is she wanting them to stumble/suffer/grope? Does she think the packets might not contain everything? I would like to know her reasoning.

I don't think you owe her an apology at all, nor should you ask her forgiveness. She owes you one for yelling at you. But don't demand it or expect it. She sounds like a nut case.

Next time, it might be best not to tell the DON what someone else said. DON's are usually people who can't stand to have to justify or explain themselves when dealing with subordinates. Nor do they appreciate challenges to or protests against their orders. Hell, it's hard to have a calm discussion on a mature adult level with them. Some just have serious ego problems. Or lack of confidence that manifests as arrogance.

[Gromit]

I've always thought that their attitude problem stemmed from their need to justify their existance. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, they really are nothing more than yet one more level of beaurocracy -when you boil it all down, that is.