New nurse making job unbearable!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Well here goes. I have sat on this for a week. I work in a small rural hospital. Many of the staff have worked here for years, some their whole medical career. So as far as new staff coming in, we actually only seem to have new nurses or techs come in a few times a year. When someone does move on it is to take a new a new position elsewhere or retirement.

We had a new grad RN start last jan. She first was in L&D, then ER, and two weeks ago we were told she would be starting in the clinic. I have heard thru the grapevine she has been moved so much because of her inability to get along with staff. And was that rumor on the money!

We have a wonderful LPN, ("Nellie") who has worked for this hospital for 42 years! She is the clinic manager. She is my "go to" for everything. I totally admire her for her nusing knowledge along with my other co-workers. Being the clinic man. it is "Nellies" job to orient the RN to the clinic. In the a.m. before we open to pts., Nellie assigns each of us to a doc or an NP. As assignments are given out Nellie asked new RN to call back first pt. and give allergy shot. New RN looks at "Nellie" and says "I am an RN and you are just an LPN. You give the shots". OMG. Everyone just stood there.....speechless! Nellie had a private chat with her, but nothing has changed. In one week our clinic (we see around 150 patients a day) which is usually a wonderful place to call work, has become a tense, "walk on eggshells", battle zone. RN is constantly finding an LPN to hand off assignments that she feels are beneath her. Her constant comment is "I didn't go to school for 4 years to do this".

PLEASE KNOW THIS IS NOT A LPN VS RN POST. I am looking for ways to handle this personally. I am not someone who deals well with confrontation. So each time she finds me to pass off a pt. etc I just do it to keep the peace.

I know I can't keep doing this. I have almost doubled my pt load during my shift. Everyone says it is a matter of time before she runs out of depts.to be moved to and gets terminated. I think this sad. "Nellie" is trying to guide her in the right direction but she is just as frustrated. :banghead: Everytime I try to get some backbone with her she reminds me she is the RN!

Weird?

No....................

Just very very spoiled.........

Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

Your instatution must have a job description for RNs and LPNs as well as everyone else. If your problem child refuses to preforrm a duty that is within her job description I don't see why she isn't diciplined or fired right off the bat. I doubt that your immidiate clinical manager has the authority to fire without review of higher ups but most places I have worked this is a formality- she would be gone. Whats up? Is she the niece of the CEO or something? It's tough that your workplace has gone through this turmoil but it sounds like someone needs to go up the the chain of command to the level that can fire and get it over with. It's that person that is letting your unit down- even more than the "problem new RN". If her behavior is tollerated then she has no reason to believe it is inappropriate and is not likely to change. If she is going to be sucessful as a nurse this is a lesson she is going to have to learn and the sooner the better.

If you read thru the thread, she was disciplined in each dept. before being moved on. I think the DON was trying to help her as grad RN, in finding her nitch. She quit.

Hi,

It sounds like you need an intervention!! A mediator - to discuss workplace etiquette and teach this person a thing or two.

She must be a very unhappy person - and is missing out on the gift of nursing.

She needs to know the rules! Be nice, be kind, be polite, know her place.

Giving shots, and touching patients, etc is VERY much part of nursing.

If I have to change an icky diaper - I tell myself how embarrassed the patient must feel - and then I am grateful that I am the one doing the ' dirty work' because I can try to do it without stripping the patient of their dignity.

An intervention with a mediator sounds like the way to go.

Or a simple " Why are you so angry? Why are you being so difficult?" Maybe she will cry.

Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

She quit already. Problem solved.

Oops she self referred herself for other opportunities.....Thats what I get for replying without following the thread all the way through...

That is a wonderful way to put it!!! I am going to have to use that later!

Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

I read the thread through - "diciplined" isn't the goal I would have been working for with this nurse. If she couldn't get along as part of the team (after being given a fair chance) in one department a geographic change is just passing the buck. Nursing is a tough job that requires teamwork. If teamwork isn't on your skill list I don't want you written up- I want you gone. Congrats on your problem going away. It just would be nice if the management wouldn't pass the buck and do thier job. Firing someone is probably the toughest part of thier job but for the good of the patients and the team it's a necessary action. In the long run I doubt this nurse learned anything about her inappropriate behavior. Perhaps if she was terminated it would have pointed out most clearly that she needs to adjust her attitude.

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