How can I handle this

[Flossy73]

Hi I had this little problem last night. I was in charge allocating patients to two other nurses. This nurse jumped ahead of me to choose her patients before I could allocate. She wanted xyz that from a few days prior. I said yes. The acuity for her patients was low. However after choosing her patients that she moaned about her heavy work load but would not change them . I offered to do that for her and so did another nurse. Also to make things better I did all the new admissions. However from that point on when the shift started she had hostile body language and did not speak to me for 8 hours. Then she goes off at the end of the shift to talk to the charge nurse. She tells her that I gave her my previous patients from the night shift. But she chose them herself. The charge nurse asks me to go into her office, she states so and so was upset. I tell her that this nurse basically ignored me the whole shift and I allocated properly. The charge nurse then tells me that she's heard a few whispers but then names one of the people that I allocate unfairly. I tell her that I don't want to be in charge. Her response how dare I as a senior nurse refuse to be in charge. I've had enough I feel targeted . What would you do. I want to leave but am concerned that this event will spoil my chances of getting another job. I've lost my confidence in being in charge, I was quite good at it. Actually when I walked out of her office she laughed.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I'm going to leave. I think it's best.

Leave the facility. ..

or leave charge?

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Leave the facility. ..

or leave charge?

Hopefully the facility. Sounds like a cesspool of passive-aggressiveness.

[TriciaJ, RN]

If you let everyone pick their own assignment, and you can count on them to make life easy on themselves, then there's a reason the charge nurse does the patient assignments. A nurse can request a patient he/she has cared for previously, but no, they don't get to grab the paperwork and make their own assignment. If someone turns out to be in over his/her head, then you can help or request that someone else swap a patient.

What you're describing is: someone made her own assignment, then you did a whole lot of her work for her, then she tattled on you that she had too much work to do. When you get called in to the "principal's office" to account for yourself, resist the urge to be defensive. Look the sucker in the eye (yes, she's been played for a sucker) and repeat after me: "I work very hard to make equitable patient assignments. I'm willing to be helpful and flexible if someone is drowning. I will no longer be allowing nurses to make their own assignments. If you have a better idea I'm certainly open to constructive feedback. I find tattling and encouraging tattling to be unprofessional."

Good luck.

[Flossy73]

Leave the ward. I had the second night with the same nurse. She did the same thing ignored me, didn't ask me to check anything. Didn't say a word.

[caliotter3]

Be very careful here. Your "boss" has assigned you as charge, yet questions your judgement. She bows to the loud one.Trust me on this .. decline charge. It is a no win situation.

Reread this suggestion and follow it. You are being set up for failure. Prevent it or find a new job now.

[Neats, BSN]

No need to get upset, Just tell your boss I did my job AND even allow collaboration with this nurse as she picked her patient whom she complained about, not my monkey not my circus, you need to speak with her about her attitude, she needs to make things pleasant and herself approachable. Nothing more to say. Then walk out.

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

One word, "unsupported". You are trying to do your job but are not being supported. People are going behind your back and your hire up is a major part of the problem. I would start with her first.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

Wow ,passive aggressive much ???

If you can go somewhere else,you might enjoy your job better.

[JKL33]

Initial answer when invited into office:

"It sounds like this is something all three of us should discuss together." Then zip it until that happens.

When all three of you are together, calmly address things head-on:

"As I was preparing to make assignments, you chose your own. It happens to have been a lower-acuity assignment than everyone else's. Despite that, was there a problem with it that wasn't communicated?"

Don't try to deal with a manipulative liar solely through third party channels. These people have to be put on the spot and asked to answer for the truth without opportunities/time to try to twist things further by telling more lies to a third party who has no idea what actually happened.

Secondly, if you become offended about someone's complaint and have an attack of verbal diarrhea just because someone has told multiple lies about you, you make yourself look guilty by trying to defend something that doesn't require a defensive response.

If there is no support for professionally carrying out the role of shift charge, then I wouldn't do it.

[Flossy73]

I didnt zip it. I became emotional and cried, so regret that now.

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

Uh..I'm a little confused why you were not more clear that the nurse lied to your supervisor and chose the patients herself.

Seems like that is the easiest way to clear this up. You were more miffed at the fact she didn't speak to you for eight hours. Did she choose her patients in front of others?

[TriciaJ, RN]

Initial answer when invited into office:

"It sounds like this is something all three of us should discuss together." Then zip it until that happens.

When all three of you are together, calmly address things head-on:

"As I was preparing to make assignments, you chose your own. It happens to have been a lower-acuity assignment than everyone else's. Despite that, was there a problem with it that wasn't communicated?"

Don't try to deal with a manipulative liar solely through third party channels. These people have to be put on the spot and asked to answer for the truth without opportunities/time to try to twist things further by telling more lies to a third party who has no idea what actually happened.

Secondly, if you become offended about someone's complaint and have an attack of verbal diarrhea just because someone has told multiple lies about you, you make yourself look guilty by trying to defend something that doesn't require a defensive response.

If there is no support for professionally carrying out the role of shift charge, then I wouldn't do it.

This says it perfectly. Managers should never call anyone in based on someone else's complaint. They set themselves up to be manipulated and then don't understand why they have a morale problem. Absolutely refuse to deal until it is a three-way conversation.