Lazy employees, what do you do?

caliotter3 · Jan 20, 2008

It depends on whether I am their supervisor or not. If I am not their supervisor but their peer there is little I can do except to make remarks to them. If I am a higher ranking person on the totem pole, even though not the direct supervisor, I can correct them and inform their direct supervisor. Mostly, I just try not to let lazy people bother me. You meet many of this kind in healthcare, sad to say.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Jan 20, 2008

I just do my job and go on about my business. If that person affects my job performance in some way then I discuss it with them. If things don't change I go to management.

elliejayRN · Jan 20, 2008

Document, document, if this person is causing you an issue. If not, look the other way. Don't call attention to yourself because if you do, you'll be cleaning out your locker and that slacker will still be there!:angryfire

Others around you are accepting it, who are you? Don't be a target, I've learned this the hard way, now you don't!:redbeathe

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2008

So how do you deal with lazy, slow, lackluster, just don't care co-workers?

I don't deal with lazy coworkers. I simply ensure that my own work, job performance, and patient care are satisfactory.

You must wisely choose your battles in the workplace because attempting to correct every little fault or wrongdoing with fellow employees will accomplish nothing, with the exception of robbing you of your much-needed energy. In addition, nurses who frequently report the slackers often become targets for harassment themselves. Therefore, I don't allow lazy coworkers to rent any unnecessary space within my head.

Until management gives me a pay increase to discipline lazy people, I'll continue to leave them alone. I am not yet paid enough to deal with other peoples' problems.

defeatedcreek · Jan 20, 2008

If you think it's hard in civilian hospitals, try crossing over to the military side. We can't just simply fire the bad RN/LVNs (regrettably). However, gundecking (falsifying flowsheets or records) and outright negligence (e.g. failing to report critical values) will catch up to you and you can:

1. end up discharged from the Navy -- but not without doing about 45-60 days of slave labor first. 2. End up losing your right to work with patients and working in medical records (which blows). 3. Losing your right to work in hospitals and serve your country by chipping paint on ships.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2008

I agree that you must choose your battles, but if it's someone such as your CNA or your charge nurse and it's directly affect me and the care I am able to provide, I confront them with my expectations, and then go to the chain of command. Sometimes it's affective, sometimes not.

It's amazing how we just seem to ignore and adjust to the laziness around us. But fortunately I work with a good team of people, but there's always one or two slackers.

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2008

I don't deal with lazy coworkers. I simply ensure that my own work, job performance, and patient care are satisfactory.

I totally agree with this 100%. I have a very strong work ethic and unless something is putting my patients in danger, then I don't worry about other peoples' work ethics .... if they chose to be lazy then so be it.

I'm lucky too in that the people I normally work with aren't lazy. Even most the people that I report off to and/or relieve aren't lazy. There are a few of them that are lazy in that they don't stock the beds and they leave everything a big mess, but oh well ..... I just clean everything up and re-stock, again.

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 20, 2008

I worked with one tonight and boy she just chapped my you know what!!!!

I had a VERY time consuming patient that was needing intubation, being flown to another facility for treatment, etc.....she took 5 smoke breaks from 2200-0100 when I left. Yes, 5 breaks. I never got a chance to go potty, she smoked 5 times. Then she made some nasty comment about my other patient (whom, I had no idea existed, I never saw her...someone else took her). Whatever.

This is my PRN job and I don't work there very often and this is the reason why. They all have a much lower work ethic than me most of the time. It's difficult to work around them because at my full time job we have an awesome team and everyone pulls their fair share 110% of the time.

I wish I had advice but I don't. I try my best to ignore them and for me, I just don't work there very often anymore because of them.

It just isn't worth it to suffer the wrath if I do tell on them or try and confront them. I pick my battles VERY carefully anymore.

Belfast56 · Jan 20, 2008

Document, document, if this person is causing you an issue. If not, look the other way. Don't call attention to yourself because if you do, you'll be cleaning out your locker and that slacker will still be there!:angryfire
Others around you are accepting it, who are you? Don't be a target, I've learned this the hard way, now you don't!:redbeathe

Wise advice! I work with one nurse, who is not only lazy but performs an amazing disappearing act! She has been reported on numerous occasions by numerous people...she still works there! :twocents:

nici1978 · Jan 20, 2008

unfortunately it affects my work if my co-workers are lazy and believe me they are, because we are an in hospital outpatient department, if they dont do there job i have more work to do,

my solution for this

i will be resigning next week

nici

Toquay · Jan 20, 2008

So many hospitals adopt the warm body rule for staffing which sadly affects and hurts morale even more. I remember once as a child begging my mother for a dishwasher because I was the one that did all the dishes. My little sister (1 1/2 yrs younger) always got out of it as she would not clean them well. My mother's response, "I have 2 dishwashers, one works and one don't." I remember getting so mad about her response but it definately primed me for nursing.

Toq