I am wishing that (seeing as we are all educated professionals and adults) more people would approach the individual they have an issue with, rather than running to the manager for every little indiscretion they find. IMHO, the manager should not be bothered with petty BS. Unless someone dies, is injured, is given a wrong med, or a nurse is diverting drugs, the manager shouldn't be bothered. Speak with the individual, or go to the charge nurse. We are all grown ups and we ALL make mistakes--even you tattle tails out there!
Maybe its because nursing is predominantly a female profession, because I NEVER encountered this problem in the military. Tattle tailing was seriously frowned upon by everyone, including high leadership (I believe you might get your ass kicked for tattling in some military circles). It deteriorates team cohesion and morale. It also shows your superiors that you are too incompetent to handle your team's problems internally.
One could even go as far as saying that tattling creates a hostile work environment....
It was quite dumb really. My patient's ekg leads hadn't been changed out in >24 hours. In the unit we change the leads every day or as needed to prevent skin breakdown and keep the tracings legible. He was a really independent guy/walkie-talkie in the ICU, did all of his own hygiene, changed his own hospital pajamas before I could even get in there in the morning. He was only in the unit because of his high O2 requirement (needed 10-15L oxymizer). Between the nurse on night shift and myself it managed to slip through the cracks, but it was easy to miss on this guy because we weren't doing bed baths on him, listened posteriorly for lung sounds as he was always sitting up in the chair, and his tele tracings were good. Let me also add that I managed to walk this patient twice both days, and take him on a trip outside to see his son and dog, as he had not been out in the light of day for over a month due to his long hospital stay (which was made possible because I did not take a lunch). The nurse on days who picked up the patient after I had him noticed that the leads were 2 days old (we date the ekg pads when time permits) and said something to my manager.
That goes to show you, no good deed goes unpunished!
Oh give me a break! Now, why couldnt that nurse just have changed the leads herself? And if she had to say something, why couldnt she have told you the next night you came on. She could have said something like "hey, you know Mr So-in-So's leads were outdated?, Don't worry, I changed them for you".
It's been plenty of times I walked into outdated IV tubing (and one time the pt was on a pressor), art line dressing not changed, IV's expired and blown, and all I did was change the tubing, change the dressing, and started new IV's and then told the nurse when she came back that morning.
Something as trival as an EKG lead not being changed on a walkie talkie pt is not gonna kill them. Sheesh!
Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.
Folks will do what WORKS for them!
Until a manager looks 'em in the eye and throws them out, telling them that peer resolution to a problem is the answer (in most cases) this will be allowed to proliferate and will be "rewarded". Don't overlook the fact that managers than rely on these "operatives" and likely way over-employed and insecure and incompetent to some degree.
The big problem with "TATTLING" is that it goes on everywhere - at all levels. Oh, so and so did this! So and so did that! I think so and so is _____, don't you? Yak! Yak! Yak! The biggest issue I have with it - is that the one being tattled on may not even be aware of any "reported" problem and when confronted is often shocked that an issue has gotten so much "traction". The nurses that are tattled on feel betrayed, singled out and not supported - and when a unit lacks trust and cohesion patients will pay the price.
Like the awesome Ruby Vee - I do not think this is only a female centered problem. It is a problem of immaturity, insecurity and inferiority. I think that healthcare struggles with it as much as other businesses - the difference is that the consequences are higher when patients lives hang in the balance. A good nurse may not make a good manager and a manager that has never been clinically competent and accountable is just as bad. We have lots of managers, yet few leaders.
Most of the folks that get the biggest benefit from tattling are the one's who's OWN practice would likely notsurvive much scrutiny.
Until there is a paradigm shift and we have a practice environment that is nurse-nurse supported, empowered to make decisions and problem solve, accountability and reward for effective practices and shifts to a leadership model - and tattlers sent packing! - this will continue.
We can all resolve to NOT be a part of it and confront it when we see it. And YES it helps make a workplace hostile and abusive.
There are many levels of responsibility in this type of scenario but I would wonder why the manager was allowing this to happen. When staff nurses approach with a peer concern my first question is whether they addressed with the person barring it is not a patient safety issue.
Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.
Well you know what, I am tired of taking the heat for other people who make mistakes, especially when I have told them over and over, the same information.
Thanks all for your opinions, even the ones that contradict my own. I do like to hear both sides because it is HIGHLY unlikely I will EVER ask this individual about her reasoning as it might land me in the director's office, slapped with a harassment charge.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
oh give me a break! now, why couldnt that nurse just have changed the leads herself? and if she had to say something, why couldnt she have told you the next night you came on. she could have said something like "hey, you know mr so-in-so's leads were outdated?, don't worry, i changed them for you".
it's been plenty of times i walked into outdated iv tubing (and one time the pt was on a pressor), art line dressing not changed, iv's expired and blown, and all i did was change the tubing, change the dressing, and started new iv's and then told the nurse when she came back that morning.
something as trival as an ekg lead not being changed on a walkie talkie pt is not gonna kill them. sheesh!
i have to agree. tattling about something so minor reflects gross immaturity on the part of the tattler.
I just had a dose of this myself. In fact it could have been me who posted. I was so angry I could actually see white spots. Like you, I couldn't comprehend why my manager/supervisor had even considered it worth her time and mine to bother with the trivia that was at hand. I have nothing constructive to add to the debate, I just throw my hands up in the air with frustration at how much time some people appear to have on their hands to take up such petty grievances!
THANK YOU!!! This is the one thing I can never figure out. HOW do some people have so much time on their hands that they can observe every nuance of another employee's behavior? WHY do managers not ask that question when the tattler first approaches them?
Several years ago, in another state, another marriage, and another life, I worked in an environment like this. One day I had diarrhea all day long during my shift. I was in the bathroom at least once an hour for 11 hours. Our unit secretary, who had a really busy job, listed the time and duration of my every bathroom trip and took it to the manager. I asked him, "Did you ask her how she managed to get her own job done when she was so busy recording my intestinal happenings?" He looked totally surprised and said, "No."
If I was a manager, that would be my first question. Well, right after asking if the tattler had approaced the tattlee.
I love when I am giving report after running around all day and the rat is finding the one little mistake I made wanting to point it out and then tattle on me (it doesn't have to be a mistake, just something I did not get to)
Report runs like this:
I am sorry, the patient arrested today after he sanguinated from his ruptures varices. I only gave about 10 units of PRBC's, 10 of FFP, platelets and cryo. I had to start all these drips. Then they put in a new central line and I had to hand all new drips. They then had to put in a vas cath and I had to start CRRT because did I mention that he was in renal failure. Did I mention I had another patient. Sorry, I did not have time to hang a contact isolation sign on the door outside the patient's room. Where are my priorities? I should have know that the #$%& sign was more important than all the other things I did today. What was I thinking? Just take my license away.
Oh, and I forgot to get vent orders from the MD (who will be there all night and the order can be gotton from the next shift anyway) Maybe we should just extubate the patient .
Well you know what, I am tired of taking the heat for other people who make mistakes, especially when I have told them over and over, the same information.
I do have to say this writer has a valid point as well,I have worked with many a co-worker that was totally unapproachable concerning such things that they consider trivial and yes you do get tired of repeating yourself day in and day out:igtsyt:
Spirit2L1
8 Posts
I am so with you on the retirement part!!