Is it good to totally flip out on another nurse?

[bradons]

If sub-par nursing is happening, and you are constantly on clean up duty from this nurse on the next shift, is it appropriate one day to just flip out and call it like it is? Even after talking with management over the issue's?

One of these days in the next few days or weeks, I am going to lose it. So tired of cleaning up messes and having to explain things to pt's and families.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Always remember that it's not about the message. Rather, it's about the manner in which you deliver the message.

The incompetent nurse might become resentful toward you and not make any improvements if you flip out on him/her. However, the person might become more pensive and really strive to make positive changes if you approach him/her privately and state your case in a respectful tone. Back up your claims with documentation.

Even if I kept messing up and goofing off, I wouldn't react too well to a coworker who was flipping out on me, even if the other person was right and I was wrong.

[bradons]

The problem is the entire (except the other international staff) staff is fed up.

And its a HUGE risk for pt safety.

[sasha2lady]

I feel ya! There are 2 nurses I HATE coming in behind because its ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS a mess. Half the time they are MIA on smoke breaks and that puts me half an hr behind...mind you I have double the load than they do. They give awful reports-probably because they don't work their full shift so I end up hearing all the wrong information which takes me forever to figure out & I do that as I go. they are slobs....and whats so bad is that these 2 come in and try to look like supermodels on a daily basis....yet they let trash over run in the floor for ME to pick up..nothing is stocked...bad report....narc counts are always wrong with these 2....holes everywhere and they NEVER document on anything. Its like this all the time. So, the little bit of info I do get told in report is never written down in any charts....imagine this mess?

Plus....they mark and hide meds. Trifling.

What I do is I make my own notes and I keep my own records of these things. That way if it ever comes up later I have facts and documentation to refer back to.

Sad to have to do that but....people are crazy.

And none of our mgmt will do anything about this....because these 2 nurses have a nose thats brown as brown can be if ya follow me.