Help!!!

Published

I am a new nurse (I just passed my boards on 9/6) and I have been having somewhat of a problem with one the nurses that I work with. I work in an observation unit in the ER. I worked in the unit for two years while I was in nursing school as a tech before transitioning to an RN. This one particular nurse who did not have much respect for me as a tech seems to be having a really hard time coming to grips with the fact that I am now her equal. Today I had an expierence with her that I feel was harmful to my patient and I am afraid of what may come.

here it goes...

This morning, halloween, she came to me for report at about ten minutes till 7. I explained to her that I wanted to give report ASAP because my son was having a halloween parade at his preschool and I wanted to be there. She said she had to go to the bathroom and she disappeared. finally at 20 minutes after 7 she pops back up for report, telling me that she had to go look up info on all the patients. She preceeded to drill me in her normal fashion, asking me every obscure detail on every patient, three of which she had the day before. long story short it was 7:45 when I left when I should have been out of there with at 7:15 with all of the other night shift nurses. and to top it all off, my son was late for school and missed the parade. that after noon when I got back to work I went to her to get report back from her on the patients who were still the same. I get to work 10-15 minutes early just to get prepared. she came to me as soon as I walked into the door and said "Ive got to run, there is no changes witth the patients and the lady in 52 need you" and she left out the door before 7:00. I went into room 52, who was a very pleasently confused lady the night before to find her crying and coverd in stool. I cleaned her up immediately but it took me hours to get her calmed back down to where she was not crying anymore. I dont know what happend during the day but if how she treats me is any indication, I can only imagine how she would treat a little old demented lady. and I have no idea how long she had been lying in her stool.

today has been a breaking point for me but I do not know what to do. any advice would be helpful.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Hi there,

I feel your pain. I have been a nurse since May of this year, and have had real problems with one nurse who takes forever to get report. I was really getting frustrated with this because she did not follow our units protocol for report, but would do it her way. This sometimes left me waiting on her for over 45 minutes. I finally asked other nurses about this and found that they were just as frustrated as I was, but noone seemed to think that complaining would do any good since she had been there so long. Well, I have no problem saying what I think, and went to the clinII with the problem. Almost immediately, the problem was solved, since they have to pay us OT to wait on her.

I would recommend trying to go to your supervisor with th eproblem, and see if they can help.

As far as the report you got in turn, plus being left with a pt who was upset and covered in stool, if this happened at my unit, that person would have been written up at the least. In my opinion, if it happens on your shift, you stay to take care of it. For example if I am busy, and have new admits, and don't get all the admission ppwk done, I never pass it off to the next person. The same with other aspects of pt care. I would never hand off a pt covered in stool, with an infiltrated IV, etc. I will always stay to take care of these issues. "There are no changes." is not acceptable. Even if I have had the pts before, I want to know about what was done on the previous shift, etc. I would be willing to bet that if you told your supervisor about this "report" they would be very unhappy with that nurse.

I know it is hard to speak up when you are new, but I have found that if I do, changes are made. Your supervisors don't always know whats going on unless you tell them.

Amy

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Peds/O.R./Legal/cardiology.

Gaylord, I am SO SORRY that your son missed the parade :madface:. I would print out an exact copy of your post and give it to your supervisor and department head. This seems to me to be pure spite on the part of the other nurse. I would also want a complete explanation of why the patient in "52" was left in such a condition. Don't let this go!! Again, I am so sorry that your son missed such a fun time for kids. That really makes me mad!

ebear

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You should follow the chain of command, report her to the manager or better yet discuss the situation with her and take it from there.

Good Luck,

PS there are these types of people everywhere, you just have to learn a way to NOT ALLOW them to get to you!!

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

You have pts that spend 3 days in the ER??? Wow,.I thought my ER was overcrowded and understaffed!!! Did I miss something??

Sorry about your experience with this nurse,...unfortunately being a nurse doesn't equal being a kind, compassionate, responsible person. You will find this type of person in all professions though,..usually with enough rope these people eventually hang themselves. Do your job,.chart, chart and chart again!

Best of luck to you!!

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It is an observation/decision unit within the ER. technically we are only supposed to keep people here for 24 hours and then they are either admitted or they go home. unfortunately we have a few patients now and again who slip through the cracks and end up spending a few days here. It gets worse this time of year now that our tourist season is kicking in to gear. the good thing about it is they have a private room while they are here but unfortunately our rooms dont have bathrooms:lol2:

By the way, my son did not care about missing his parade, he is only 1 1/2. my wife and I were the ones who were disappointed, but we got to hang out with him a while and help eat candy!!

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Specializes in Med/surg,Tele,PACU,ER,ICU,LTAC,HH,Neuro.
Gaylord, I am SO SORRY that your son missed the parade :madface:. I would print out an exact copy of your post and give it to your supervisor and department head. This seems to me to be pure spite on the part of the other nurse. I would also want a complete explanation of why the patient in "52" was left in such a condition. Don't let this go!! Again, I am so sorry that your son missed such a fun time for kids. That really makes me mad!

ebear

I completely agree with this and could not have said it better.:balloons:

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

First, congratulations on passing boards.

Her passive-agressive behavior needs attention. If you choose to ignore it, you are giving her permission.

I am a fan of direct confrontation first before going to management. Read the book "Crucical Confrontations" for help. However, I also think you need to make management aware with documentation. So as suggested write this up much as you told us here, present it to management, telling them you'd first like to speak with the nurse herself, perhaps in the presense of management, but you want written documentation of your concerns.

Then you follow up and call her on each and every behavior that is wrong, nipping it in the bud with a consistency that will drive her mad, but lets her know you're not giving her permission to behave this way. "You were 30 minutes late for report. It's my understanding report begins at 6:45, I would appreciate it that you would be ready". "You left without taking report, walking rounds is necessary, so please don't leave 30 minutes early", etc. etc.

Keep a documented record of each conversation and incident, providing this to management as well.

Firm, assertive consistency is needed. It's going to be unpleasant, but not as unpleasant as ignoring it and having her continue to the point it's eating you up inside and affecting your family life.

You're also going to have to watch out for catty retaliation where she calls you on stuff.

Good luck. Keep in touch.

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Specializes in L&D, High Risk OB, OR, Med-Surg, PHN.

]:angryfire Sometimes you have to give back what you get maybe I am being petty but do her that way a few times and she might get the picture!! :smilecoffeeIlovecof

Lisa

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

I agree with everything Tweety has said. If you don't handle this now, she will do just as she pleases. I also agree with the poster who said that your management will probably not be pleased to be paying you overtime because someone else is playing games.

Another thinig I want to mention. If you know someone does not have goodwill toward you, don't give that person any ammunition against you. You did this when you told her that you wanted to get out in a timely manner. You expected her to act like an adult professional, of course, and she did not. Cultivate an air of unhurried patience, and maybe even suggest that the extra overtime on your check will be quite welcome. She'll probably break her neck to get you out on time!!

This is one of those "don't ever let them see you sweat" situations. It will drive her nuts to think that she's not "getting to" you.

Good luck, and I'm sorry you're having to deal with this one!

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.

I hear ya. I too,had a similar expereince where a brain tumor patient in a LTC facility was laying in a pool of vomit the morning I went to say hello to her before my shift. She was not assigned to me that day, and at the end of my shift, I went to see her,(she just grabbed my heart), and there she was still laying in the same condition. I went to the DON,lest I say pretty P**ssed off and filed a complaint. It is so important to keep your integrity intact to keep you sane IMO, let alone keep the patient's integrity intact.

Glad you could have some halloween fun with your kiddo. But I certainly feel Tweety nailed it on the head.:o

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Specializes in Med/surg,Tele,PACU,ER,ICU,LTAC,HH,Neuro.

Okay Tweedy said it better.

I like your Holloween Signature Costume Tweedy.

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