Knowledge Hoarders in Workplace

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Specializes in ER.

My new job has a gal who has worked there over 20 years, her whole career in fact. She's not well liked because she's difficult to work with. I only interact with her at shift change.

The current management is trying to reign her in, fortunately. I've been having friction with her at shift change. She'll make general complaints that I didn't do something, but refuse to give any information. This is all non-nursing stuff, it's a tiny place and I'm learning the unit secretary job because I'm the only one in the ER at night.

She's expressed her resentment towards management explicitly, stating that she's not going to teach me anything, because they took away her authority over certain things.

It's the most ridiculous and blatant example of information hoarding I've run into, but I've seen plenty other examples. It seems that some nurses are threatened by others,so won't share information.

Thoughts?

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Only suggestion is to say good luck. Sounds like this person is trying to control the only aspect of their job left that they have any control over...unfortunate as it is.

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I would ask this pig just what she thinks is being accomplished by denying you information and education that will enable you to properly do your job, which is to take care of people whom are innocent to this situation (which at some point could be one of her loved ones). The fact that whatever happened between her and management happened before you got there is irrelevant. BFD. Not your circus, not your monkeys.

What a petulant child she sounds like. Good luck.

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Specializes in Oncology, Rehab, Public Health, Med Surg.

Maybe management could insist that she write info out? And let them ok it to be sur its complete? Some people...

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Specializes in ER.

Oh, I tried to reason with her. Then I sent an email with specifics to the DNS, who was very happy for the feedback

But, this case is only an illustration of the topic of information hoarding that I thought would be interesting to discuss.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.
Oh, I tried to reason with her. Then I sent an email with specifics to the DNS, who was very happy for the feedback

But, this case is only an illustration of the topic of information hoarding that I thought would be interesting to discuss.

In that case, I have found that sometimes only time, experience (in the new role in this case, experience in general in others), and turnover are the only things that can really help the situation once certain work dynamics come to surface.

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The biggest, best bonus is that management knows and is trying to do something about her!!! This is huge!! 80% of the time management really doesn't know what's going on and 95% of the time, they don't do anything about it anyway.

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Specializes in ICU.

Yeah, I have met these women who teach you nothing in orientation and try to set you up to look foolish or fail in some way.

The writing is on the wall for this wacko. She knows it and she does not want to train her replacement.

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