I have been lucky enough as an LPN to land a job in critical/urgent care. However, my journey has not been easy. I am the youngest, by 20 years from EVERYONE on my team. My first year in the position was difficult, my coworkers who all happen to be philipino, and I am the only white nurse, had made every attempt they could to get me to quit. However, after a year of hard work and dedication, I made them see that I too can critically think, and am not a threat to anyone. I have been made a part of the family, and am treated now the way I had been hoping for. However, in recent months, the last 8 to be exact, the job has again become a headache.
8 months ago we hired a new medical assistant, who too is a minority in our clinic compared the entire philipino staff and the exception of myself. She is young, and new to medical assisting.
Of course I took her under my wing and became her friend because I was an outsider too, and struggled with no one to stick up for me until I was able to be accepted. (sounds terrible right?)
This medical assistent is constantly picked on, blamed for things, and given petty write ups for the sake that the team just doesn't want her there, because she too is an outsider. However, she is not making things any better herself.
I have gone to bat for her several times, and frankly have saved her a few ridiculous write ups, and have covered her to fix little things she has screwed up. She doesn't know that I have done these things.
I have answered countelss late night phone calls to be her rock when the knit-picking has gotten out of hand. I truely have made an effort to be her friend, because I know exactly how she feels.
70% of the time, the problems are because she is getting genuinely picked on and attacked. the 30% though, is her and her attitude. She can be very immature, and I have pointed out to her a few times how her actions and behaviors too fuel the fires. She is not an objective thinker, and often plays the race card whenever one of her actions comes into question. She also questions us, the nurses, about choices we make in patient care, that she feels are biased or unethical, none of which has ever been the case.
Recently, she has gotten into arguements with me of all people about my decisions and actions I have taken. I have told her time and time again to think obejectively without emotional bias, something I am now convinced she is not able to do. I have also told her, when she finishes school and gets to become a nurse too, she will then understand why there are choices that are made and choices that are not made. She took this as a personel assault and stated to me that I was 'throwing my nursing credential' in her face. I aplogized to her and told her that was not what I did, and that again, her emotions were getting the best of her, and that she wouldn't understand why nurses do certain things until she was one, and it had nothing to do with belittleing her.
I have been a bit hurt by the fact she has started calling me 'one of them' referring to the staff that has mistreated her.
I have been nothing but a friend, and again, have gone out of my way to fix her mistakes and question her write ups, and this is the thanks I get from her.
I am conflicted at this point. Do I throw the towel in and let her continue to self destruct? Without me she has isolated herself completely from the team leads and other nurses. Or do I continue to help her and stick up for her, go out of my way to correct her mistakes, and challenge my collegues? Collegues who have now accepted me and treat me the way I should have been treated to begin with.
