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Discussion

How do you handle co-workers who...

have been there a lot longer than you (in the RN position), who complain about the unit, who think they are the only ones that do things right (complain about eveyone/thing else),

think they are Florence Nightengale (all in the name of 'patient care'- that gives them the right to complain), are critical of the littlest thing you do/ you dont know (you are new), and email the mgr with every little thing (from an emotional standpoint, in the name of patient care-- "this patient deserves a private, I emailed the manager, this didnt get done, I emailed the mgr, ect). I have no idea if the manager thinks she is a drama queen, or likes the 'tattling'...but she is always responded to, gets what she wants from the mgr, it seems.

When I started there as a tech, she was the same way, talking in the breakroom about how horrible this place was and how it was going downhill, now 3 years later, I am an RN, and the unit is being renovated, and now its going downhill, ect...

In my first week on my own, she had me freaked out twice about something as I reporte off to her (nothing, I have lerned to be freaked out about), she reacts emotionally, she reports everything to the mgr as though it's a major deal (I mean all the time, its always a 'catastrophe'), now on something else she emailed the mgr without respecting my input.

I have the impression she is a loose cannon (she also cries at the drop of a hat about patients conditions or whatever) (not saying feeling for patients is bad- it is good- but gives me the impression she is emotionally not very strong).

I stood up to her yesterday and told her she was going off on her agenda (basically) without respecting me or my professional inut on something, and that as a co-worker that didnt feel supportive and that I was upset. she got defensive at this, but whatever, I can't take it, and felt I needed to do something, maybe establish my boundaries, before she really ran with something, continually make everything a drama I dont want to deal with, and potentially cause real trouble at some point.

Or did I just make an enemy/more trouble for myself?

WWYD? (what would you do?) in an situation like this?

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There are two kinds of people who are trying to climb the ladder. There are those who excel and do whatever it takes to make themselves better (like attend CME, conference, read journals, become a resource for others, etc.) and those who make themselves look better by making everyone else look worse.

I think that you know what you have just run into.

You did really well standing up to her. We have several of these folks at work and we have simply isolated them. They no longer know what to do as no one is listening to them.

As someone in a leadership role, I can tell you that I know who is in what category. Ms. Catastrophe is well known to the leadership and her opinion is generally not valued.

Keep up the good fight and remember to take care of yourself. And, take care of those who come after you by letting them know that they may need to grab this bull by her horns!

  • Author

What a really thoughtful reply, thank you. thanks for the time and energy it took to respond tome. I needed to hear that. Being new is so hard, being on this madhouse of a unit is so hard, without dealing with that on top of it. I truly appreciate it.

It took guts to stand up to her, and I think you did it in a wonderful way. People who get defensive know, deep inside, that the other person is right, they're just not in a place to admit it yet. Stick to your guns, my dear, and consider moving to a different unit or different shift to get away from her. Do NOT let her toxify your work environment anymore.

What a really thoughtful reply, thank you. thanks for the time and energy it took to respond tome. I needed to hear that. Being new is so hard, being on this madhouse of a unit is so hard, without dealing with that on top of it. I truly appreciate it.

You're welcome.

I'm actually at a conference right now discussing solutions to handle employees just like the one that you've mentioned.

And good luck growing into the RN role.

Something tells me here that management are probably a bit tired of her constant emails and whinging. She sounds like she is in a constant state of panic and needs help.

I think you did the right thing by confronting her in a non aggressive way. Maybe no one has had the courage to tell her that her behavior is unacceptable and that you as an RN are capable of handling situations without her paranoia making it worse.

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