Best advice for bullying

[krissyycupcake]

So, I am a newer RN. I have been alone for 3 weeks now. This morning during report, I had a patient going for a procedure. We do bedside report. My coworker proceeded to yell at me, in front of the patient how her fluids weren't hung and consent was not signed (she refused to sign until her daughter arrived..who I did call). I was unaware of this doctors fluid prep, and not told in report. I apologized because I honestly didn't know. She then continued yelling and told me I needed to ask, because no one is going to just tell me these things. All of this was completely degrading, and in front of the patient... When we did clinicals, all fluids were hung in preop. I obviously was wrong for not knowing the preprocedure process..but I still found myself crying the entire way home because now my patient is going to view me as completely incompetent. Reporting this nurse is not feasible because she is good friends with the DON. I normally have tough skin (been yelled at by doctors as an LPN and brushed it off). I am just feeling so small and down about how this unfolded. This nurse has a reputation for running off new nurses and tearing apart everyone during their report. Any advice is appreciated. And for reference, I did not see fluids ordered.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Oops, completely forgot to peek back at this post. The fluids were actually not ordered but were apparently a policy to order that I was never told of. However, there's apparently a huge gap on night shift's knowledge of what is "policy" and what isn't for different procedures (a month later and I am still getting wrong info at night and angry morning nurses). So, even asking night shift nurses at a later date than my post they told me they wouldn't have thought to hang anything either. The nurse's rationale for yelling [her words] is because she's the only nurse who has to fix the entire floor, works 6-7 days a week and has the idea that the entire floor would not function efficiently if she was not there everyday. She refers to 99% of the floor as stupid. And yes, she did yell. Not full out screaming, but loud enough a coworker heard it down the hallway. There is a severe inconsitency between policies on our floor, especially between days and nights

You are describing a burned-out martyr. The whole having to 'fix' the floor, working 6-7 days/ week without whom the floor would descend into chaos. I promise you that she is not just treating you in this manner- it's everyone.

[krissyycupcake]

After my initial taking it all personal pity party, I did speak to other night nurses (some twice her age), and she unfortunately speaks that way to everyone with the slightest mistakes.