I Have No Words

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Mar 7, 2020

Most places that I have worked there has been a two stick rule, unless you are the hard stick nurse (say IV or PICC team). She did not say anything to you until shift change that she had an issue with making the attempt. She can either attempt it now and if she had some loose ends that you could tie up for her then great-trade off-but how she handled it was in called for and you thought she was handling it.

Personally I have worked day shift a lot in the past and would have sometimes 5 out of 6 patients that needed new sites when I came on. I would get told, “you have IV team during the day”....um, no that was dissolved a few years earlier. I would appreciate at least trying to get someone else from their shift attempt during that shift before leaving me with 5 sticks before I. Even finished report, but nursing is 24 hours. Plus, if you’ve already blown two of my choices of where to place a site sticking them a third time Is likely to just take up another site I may have been able to choose and now cannot use.

If it happens within an hour of shift change I get it, but I don’t think all 5 of 6 sites stopped working or got pulled out at once. I have a feeling the oncoming nurse may have complained to the charge nurse about not having access and she passed it back to you. Cowardly, yes, but your IV may not be the only one passed along to that day nurse.

JEM1974, RN · Mar 7, 2020

That nurse was out of line. First, should never reprimand in front of other patients or staff. Not that you needed to get reprimanded......She sounds like a bully. I agree with another poster that said to prepare your words and have a professional, but clear response for next time this happens. Stand your ground.

KalipsoRed21, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2020

On 3/5/2020 at 9:34 AM, AlmostThere19 said:
I had a pt. who kept pulling out IV's and needed one at shift change. I attempted twice but wasn't successful. I was always taught you only attempt twice and then you get someone else to try because it's not fair to the patient. Pt. was begging me to stop. I told charge nurse I wasn't successful, and I put supplies in the room so that she could try. Meanwhile I gave meds to another pt. Charge nurse asked for me to come help with IV but when I went in the room to help she was already giving report to another nurse. I just gave report to the day shift nurse and let her know I was unable to get IV on pt. As I was leaving work, charge nurse said "You're just gonna leave knowing your pt needs an IV? Go and help the other night shift nurse start that IV." She said this in front of the nurse I had given report to. Then she belittled me again in the room when I was helping the night shift nurse with the IV, saying "yeah she was just gonna leave when this pt. needed an IV". I have never been so humiliated. What do you think of this situation?

You need to let her know that her actions were unprofessional. It is NOT acceptable to criticize you in front of patients or other staff. Furthermore, while you can see, due to a lack of communication, how she may have misinterpreted your actions. SHE also failed to further communicate with you which lead to a miscommunication for BOTH of you. Had you acted in the same unprofessional manner she had you may have felt it pertinent to point out to other staff and patients that you had let her know her IV expertise was needed AND had obtained the supplies needed and placed them at the bedside, but that the charge nurse just sloughed off this responsibility to the on coming shift. What at *unt.

BSN-to-MSN, ADN, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2020

WOW!, what a pity nurse!

Ask HER to come in with you after giving report, since you asked her for help earlier.

Katie82, RN · Mar 11, 2020

On 3/5/2020 at 10:34 AM, AlmostThere19 said:
She said this in front of the nurse I had given report to. Then she belittled me again in the room when I was helping the night shift nurse with the IV, saying "yeah she was just gonna leave when this pt. needed an IV". I have never been so humiliated. What do you think of this situation?

Sadly, we all expect Charge Nurses to be mature, clinically proficient professionals. Isn't true, is it?

fightingtobeanurse · Mar 15, 2020

Agree with other commenters, you have to handle this in the moment. If you tried twice and then notified the Charge then you did what you needed to do. You can't let this kind of thing slide or else it will become the way they treat you. Ask her in the same tone and in front of everyone why she didn't stop what she doing after you asked her. Tell her nursing is 24 hours and this patient is pulling out IV's. Could you call an MD and get them something to calm them down? Sounds like the docs have to review the med list and either tone down on meds or ramp them up to get continue the therapy. Don't tolerate that. Stand up for yourself and ask some honest questions. It will get you called in your managers office but you should ask your manager what good the Charge Nurse is if they are unwilling to assist. Thats their JOB! Especially if they don't have a patient assignment. Remember you're a nurse, you can get a job anywhere, NEVER feel trapped. If they keep pulling antics like that, find a better job and don't look back. Don't feel loyalty to the manager, the Charge answers to her also, so if you have had words with the Charge and still have to deal with this nonsense, then escalate up the chain of command and if still no resolution, then begin the process of leaving. Either a transfer or a new job. No one should treat you that way, and you shouldn't be completely responsible for confused patients.

Remember to document all the patients activities in the chart so that way when the MD comes in pissed because meds or therapy was delayed, they can see it was because patient was a hard stick and liked to pull out IV's. If the person is AOx4 the definitely document patient refused, leave a note, make a phone call and move on to your other patients. You don't have the luxury of putting up with that kind of nonsense on a medsurg floor where you're responsible for other people.

Besides, some nurses like to get to work early so they can whine and aggravate the previous shift Charge into giving them the assignment they want so sounds like you might have been screwed by your co-workers that already know the patient and decided they had had enough of them. In any case, your CN's JOB in part is to support you. If that isn't happening it's not on you, simply document that you tried twice, notified CN (by name) and follow policy. No one can touch you for following policy, and they won't screw with you when you show you can document their bad behavior. They won't like you but screw them, you are their for you and your family, no their popularity. I hope that helps. Sorry you got punked but don't let that slide next time. They will find someone else to punk instead of mouthing off to you. Don't be embarrased about sticking up for yourself. The CN didn't even try so why would they complain about you when you did twice? Probably because the CN knows its their responsibility and they don't want to do it.

toomuchbaloney · May 28, 2020

On 3/5/2020 at 11:29 AM, Wuzzie said:
Quote in error

Write the bullying up. Each time, because these are NEVER isolated incidents, they are generally a pattern of behavior. Next time speak your mind to that other nurse with as much regard for her feelings as she shows for yours. At minimum she should be reminded that "charge nurse" should reflect something more than a bullying, self righteous demeanor.