Lazy nurse... I can't take it anymore...!!!

Published

i know it's long... please bare with me

I am currently casual at a LTC facility. The orientation was 5 shifts... lol no previous LTC experience.

Anyways, I've been on my own for about 4 shifts so far and I

ve really enjoyed my last 7-7 day shift. I know every day is not going to be a good day... but I CANNOT live with this kind of stress. I am helping out another nurse who is ssupposedly on 'light' duty because she 'supposedly' fell outside of the facility. I was scheduled to have a bunch of shifts this week (about 40 hrs) but she called down to management and told them that it's not needed... So my shifts got canceled and I had only 6hrs today and I have 6 hrs tomorrow (again helping her).

But it's not helping.. it's me doing everything whil she sits there... I'm like her slave. One of the men working there said beware of her... she's lazy and will work you to the bone.- no Joke...

She fell asleep for about 4 hours... mouth wide open and snoring. The personal support workers were short staffed so I offered to lend a hand. I'm always willing to help and learn as much as a I can. She of course NEVER once moved from her seat. She even went as far as telling me to document for her residents who I never even met. I did all the documentation, meds, etc etc.

Ok she's lazy but that's not the worst thing... she's the type of person that seems to be out to get others.... not that "team player" where we work together... building fellow nurses up, she's the type that would report you in a second.

So I made a mistake today... I mis-counted one of the narcotics (tylenol #3) and signed for it- I honestly thought I counted it correctly and have been trying my best at everything but apparently they were 2 short. Not that this is a defence because I take responsiblity for it but she didn't move a damn finger and I haven't slept for about 2 + days. I worked a night shift with her and didn't sleep the day prior and they called me at 8 am after my damn night shift to say my shift with her is now changed to earlier = no sleep. End rant :( We sign off narcs on shift change and everything is on paper (so the sheets are often sloppy) She wrote an incident report and said she would call the DON. I don't know what happens now... I know this is proper protocol but i have seen written changes on the narcotic sheets and I doubt people are reporting each other like this. I'm new what are they going to try to do something with my licence?

I thought nurses work together... she never helped me... I told her I felt horrible/dizzy (hinting that maybe she could share some of the work) I'f they pull me into the office for this I'm going to have a backbone and say everything about my day, her sleeping and everything.

Why doesn't someone report her

This place is giving me horrible vibes.

I start orientation for a F/T hospital position and I hope to God this mistake and her don't stop that from happening. I don't know what comes of this or the incident report. She made it sound as if I'm licence is on the line.

I didn't take the pill.... Give me a break!!

She also added "She's never made a mistake" Wouldn't her first mistake be falling asleep on the job?

I made a mistake. I'm new, new grad... trying my best, willing to help, willing ot learn and friendly. I've never met those residents and I was doing all her work while she sat, ate and slept. I haven't slept and am honestly beyond exhausted. I'm hoping nothing serious comes from this....

I was set on keeping this casual position along with the full-time position at the hospital.... but not when I leave there feeling like this!

I know she's going to say more like "she was overwhelmed, etc etc... took her a little long for a her med pass" SHe's not understanding at all.

ps. so many of the other nurses and staff are lkeep applying to hospitals... you wouldn't want to lose your licence here... this is all making me sick... I can't even imagine what I'd do. It was an honest mistake... everything else was counted fine.

please excuse my spelling and grammatical errors.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in geriatrics.

Don't worry about it too much....you know for future to be careful with the counts. It happens. It's also unlikely that your license or your other job will be affected. Nurses make mistakes every day, and you're a new grad. Lazy nurses? Not much you can do about her. I work with some lazy nurses also. If you notice the pattern continuing, speak to your coworker. Anyway, since you're casual there my advice would be to learn what you can, work your shift and go home.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you for the quick reply. I need sleep and I'm up stressing- wish I had someone to talk too about this.

I have no idea where the missing 2 tylenol 3s (one package/bubble) went and I honestly should not have done the shift.... I was exhausted, drained and you name it.

Everything in God's hands...hope it doesn't get ugly :sniff:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

unfortunately, there is always at least one nurse like that in any place.

how the two tylenol #3 went missing? did you count all the narcs in the beginning of the shift and counted it again before the end of the shift? did you give any standing order or prn tylenol #3 to anybody in that shift?

where i work, i count my narc in the beginning of the shift with the off going nurse and make sure all the narcotic sheets are signed for. then 30 minutes before my shift is over, i count my narcs again to make sure i sign everything and everything is accounted for. then when the next shift comes, i count with her.

i am very anal when it comes to counting my narcs. i often find unsigned narcotic sheets and wrong count on the counting sheet. the off going nurse is still there so i make her fix it before i start anything.

i am wondering if anybody else has access to your narcs? does somebody else has another key?

just explain everything to the don when you get questioned and i hope you don't get in trouble. if you do, well you have a full-time job!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in geriatrics.

Another lesson learned: don't accept a shift if you know you're that tired. I have said no on several occasions to shifts when I knew I couldn't do it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac, PCU, Surg/Onc, LTC, Peds.

Were you carrying the keys to the narcs the whole shift or did your wonderful co-worker have them at any time during that shift of the missing meds. Don't wait to 'talk with management', stand up for yourself now! Don't ever document on pts you've never seen! How would that look in court...well she told me to document on those pts but I didn't actually assess them....I agree there's always a nurse like this everywhere, sometimes 2, ugh.You need to learn assertiveness and say NO! when asked to do things that may jeopardize your license.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

Laziness is my pet peeve, as well. You are there to do your job, taking care of patients, etc, and not sit at the station all shift. Laziness is everywhere, though....there was something I heard on the radio once that some people with office jobs just sit and surf the internet for 3 hours out of their 8 hour day or something? Wow. I am fortunate enough to work with very hard working nurses who care about their patients. I am excited for you as your start your FT job at the hospital soon.

There are good LTCs, and there are not so good ones. Don't know which category this one falls into (as you've only mentioned once lazy nurse), but it's not the best working environment for you obviously. it I dont see how you could get fired for just counting wrong. I think we have all miscounted once before, and so long as the correct amount is in there (and it was just a miscount), there's no issue. You just ensure that it is corrected in the system. Guess I don't see the big deal, but I have a computer system, so you can correct it. I've never had a non-computer system, but I guess that's harder to prove that you didn't steal it?

Either way, you didn't steal anything so you have nothing to worry about. There's no sense in being miserable there, especially since you will have a new job soon. Once you start your new job, you can leave that one (with notice of course, and if you want to leave lol). It will probably be too much for a new nurse to have both jobs anyway. You'll have enough to learn at your new job without having to worry about who is going to report you next for some frivilous thing at your old one.

Congrats on both jobs! Which floor will you be on at the hospital?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

Oh, they actually did go missing. that's different entirely. well, you just explain what happened, the facts. And, like everyone said, don't accept a shift without sleep. I know you're stressed, but there's nothing you can do about it now, so go sleep!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Thank you for the quick reply. I need sleep and I'm up stressing- wish I had someone to talk too about this.

I have no idea where the missing 2 tylenol 3s (one package/bubble) went and I honestly should not have done the shift.... I was exhausted, drained and you name it.

Everything in God's hands...hope it doesn't get ugly :sniff:

Does she have access to the narcotics?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Huh. Narcs missing. Other nurse sleeping for 4 hours (which is already an actionable offense), having you do her work then rushing to the DON to complain about you? Interesting.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

she probably took the pills, that why she was knocked out.... jk

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You are working with a bonafide and documented SLACKER!

Use your cell phone to document the snoring and drooling.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion