Interpersonal conflicts at work

[puddintane]

I need advice...I am having some issues with the charge nurse and a tech at my job. I really don't want to go through all the pettiness that is going on. But for the first time in my 14 year career, I feel the need to keep records of what is going on. I know that keeping diaries about patient care is not appropriate unless you want it used in a lawsuit. But the documentation I would be doing would be only a reflection of the situations that occurred and how I viewed the situation at the time. It would not reveal any patient information that could identify the patient.

The reason why I feel the need to do this is because both people have proved themselves dishonest in the past and they both go out to smoke together. I used to smoke and I know what gets discussed in the lil sewing circle. Also, they are friends and the charge nurse is not able to mediate between the tech and me because of his affinity for her. Basically, without notes it would be my word against theirs if anything goes down. If their stories collaborate then I would be seen as being in the wrong. At least with dated notes detailing my perception of the events, I could say that I have been aware of the issues. I would be able to back up my side.

Is this appropriate? I revealed this to another nurse who is having issues with the same tech and she was concerned that this would be a liability for me. I assured her that I did not use any identifying patient information and she was more in agreement.

Thanks

[caliotter3]

Keep your notes to yourself and hopefully they will never have to come into the light. It is better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them. And you are correct to leave patient identifying data out of them. You had better spend extra attention to leaving this info out. You also need to determine how much of this extra record keeping you will feel is necessary to take up your time before it becomes wiser to seek a transfer to another department, away from that supervisor.

[zuzi]

Move away, ASAP! In the moment when somenthing start to stink there, forget about proving your self, you don't have time and energy to spend with that. Generally in a unit where a interpersonal conflict appear, there is somenthing wrong behind and you are not there to resolve them issuses. Call union, go directly to your manager and move away!

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

It's tough to break into a situation where there is already a clique in place. Denting that circle is pretty much impossible (not that you want to join it, but you do have to work with the people in it). Situations like the one you are talking about - in which people relatively low in the pecking order have an inordinate amount of influence due to their relationships with someone higher up - are common. I found myself in a situation like that once. The people in the clique got all the choice assignments and schedules and the rest of us got the leftovers. Some non-nursing personnel even indirectly made nursing policy and scheduling decisions through their influence with the DON. Anybody who crossed one of them was called into the office and chewed out. I wound up leaving, and it was a good move.

As long as you are there, definitely keep a personal log.

[sasha2lady]

I do the same thing with shady coworkers sometimes. No one but me knows about it and I keep it at home. When push comes to shove...its your own license you have to worry about. I would see about switching shifts or areas to get away from that nonsense....Id love to be able to go to night shift where I work....its so much more peaceful....no fussing or conflict on that crew.....my only problem is that I dont have a day time sitter for my toddler or Id take the next available opening...which that might be a longggggggggg ways off. Ive already told my boss to please consider me in the future...which I doubt she will b/c I do most of the work on my shift.