I will start by saying that I am not a new nurse and I have several years experience in my specialty. I feel like I am being bullied by a co-worker for most of the 10 months I have worked in this job. At first she seemed helpful while I was orienting to the unit, and she loved to teach. However I noticed she is difficult to communicate with and NOT because English is her second language.
I first approached her asking how we can communicate better with no resolution. Then I spoke to the manager after noticing no improvement. The manager agreed that this nurse does have communication difficulties and is not easy to get along with. She has had clashes with other staff and treats others similar to how she treats me. I just can't bring myself to confront her in front of patients.
Over the last several months I have had 2 sit down informal meetings with this nurse and the manager. I have sensed no effort on her part to improve our working relationship. At the end of the last meeting, the manager told us we were to work the issue out ourselves, and if she has to get involved, she would escalate the process.
The last straw was when this nurse came back from a vacation of 2 weeks and I couldn't believe the difference in the atmosphere in the unit while she was gone. The manager also noted the difference and commented on it to me. I was able to do my job and take care of my patients without her telling me what to do on a non-stop basis. I
was in heaven. So her first day back is the manager's first day of a 2 week vacation.
This nurse proceeded to once again interfere with my care, and begin telling me what I
should do. She criticized me in front of an awake alert patient, and insulted me in front
of the patient as well. I did not confront her in front of the patient, as I believe it is
unprofessional.
I had a private talk with her the next day we worked together and told her not to criticize me or insult me in front of patient's again. I told her my patient care was excellent and I did not need her to tell me what to do. If I need her help, I will ask for it. She disagreed with my way of caring for the patient, and the conversation quickly deteriorated into a verbal argument with no resolution. The manager and my evals state that my patient care is appropriate.
The next day we worked together, she again felt the need to tell me what to do step by step for my patient care as though she did not believe I could come up with the ideas
on my own. She would tell me to do things I had already done, or was in the process of doing.
So the E-mail to my manager and director is in my drafts folder at work; I am going to
edit it some more before I send. it. I don't want to write anyone up, or threaten anyone's job, I just want the bullying and incessant criticizing to stop.
I'm still a student, but we've had the Nursing Code of Ethics drilled in pretty hard and it sounds like she is violating them! As a profession for which you've all (and I will!) make a pledge to do things ethically she's non-compliant with that! Code of Ethics
Good luck! And to all who kindly (if not always readily) help us new nurses - THANK YOU!
So earlier this week I showed my manager my email before I sent it. I also detailed other incidents tha occurred while she was away. Before I started talking to her, out of the blue(?) she told me she thought I was doing a great job despite what some people have told me. After she read what I wrote, she said she concurred with what I wrote, then I sent it to her and my director, with whom I don't have much interaction. The manager told me that the director had stated in the past that this nurse was creating a hostile work environment for me. She has been spoken to by the director about this previously. I don't know if they spoke to her as yet. She hasn't been speaking to me much..... So now I wait and see what happens next. We do have a union but I never joined as I live in a right-to-work, employment-at-will state, and I don't know that they'd be much help. I got good advice from all of you. I think the code of ethics is pretty universal as posted above.
MelpyRN2B
13 Posts
I'm still a student, but we've had the Nursing Code of Ethics drilled in pretty hard and it sounds like she is violating them! As a profession for which you've all (and I will!) make a pledge to do things ethically she's non-compliant with that! Code of Ethics
Good luck! And to all who kindly (if not always readily) help us new nurses - THANK YOU!