Ok I need somehelp here with coworkers

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ok i need some help her on how to deal with coworker who just seems to want to cause trouble on how to handle this. well ill start by telling you iam an lpn have been for almost 11 years , working med/surg. there is this one rn i work with that just will not get off my back "iam not bad mouthing rn's this could be any one she just happens to be an rn"{ so please i m not starting an lpn/rn war here} back to the issue , this nurse covers me on the floor and there always seems to be something going on. like medicating my patients without asking me first if i have all ready medicated them . which ended up one night a pt getting the same medication 2 times, and i got in trouble for it, and the other night she was talking to a nurses aid about me in front of my patient in their room.the nurses aid reminded her she was in a pt's room and walked away. how do you handle this,it just seems so high school behavior to me. i have talked to managers and charge nurses and it does not seem likeits getting any better. its almost to the point i want to look else where for work, but i really do not want to . ...ill take any advise here thanks:chair:

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Specializes in trauma/ m.s..

As far as medicating you pts if she is covering you then that responsibility falls on her. She should of checked with you, checked the chart, checked the MAR, or Pyxis; which ever system you use to ensure the medication was able to be given in the time frame. Sounds like she is just some sort of complex over having more education then you; just a possibility. I would go to her first and ask her what seems to be the problem. If that doesn't work I would go to your boss and explain the situation if nothing is remedied then you have 2 options: A. quit and look somewhere else or B. go to HR and explain the stunts the R.N. has been pulling.

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I agree with Traumamom....CYA is the word of the day, so to speak, where this nurse is concerned. If you immediately record in the MAR that you gave the drug and what time, then I don't see how you could get in trouble. As for her mouthing off, just go directly to her. I have a kinda forceful personality, so I don't have much trouble going to the source of the problem. but it's never good to just sit back and put up with this sorta thing, if you do it only gets worse. If you are a doormat, sweety, people will walk on you.......

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Specializes in LTC.

Some people just need to be confronted. I would do it before of after your shift but make sure she knows that you do not appreciate her behavior and you will not allow her to treat you in such and such a way anymore.

If you do this, make sure you decide ahead of time if you are going to walk away or give her time to respond. Her response might be an arguement or she might tell you why she has been acting the way she has.

I wish you well and pray that you don't need to leave a job you love because of an unprofessional coworker (but I know it happens).

Amanda

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

I agree if she didnt check the MAR to see if it was signed off already SHE is at fault not you. Howver, if you pass meds and then wait to sign them off after the patient has actually taken them i can see how there may have been an error. If that is your practice take the MAR off the med cart for that patient and take it with you to the room.

We actually saw this happen in our clinicals one day. The nurse on staff was giving pain meds to a patient that we were responsible for that day and didnt sign off the med when she took it out, the student went and picked the same med out and the patient got 2 doses. Who was at fault,, whoever didnt sign off the med when they took it out first. You can always go back and circle a medication the patient has refused.

Now the talking about you in front of patients is another thing altogether,, there needs to be a meeting between you, this nurse and your nurse manager to work out some type of understanding that noone is to speak poorly in front of patients about another co-worker. Thats just not acceptable in any facility. I suggest you set up an appointment with your NM NOW and dont wait. Memories get muddy and everyone has a different take the longer you wait.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

IN addition to the MAR deal, is it possible to talk to her before shift and say "would you like me to pass the meds for the patients, or would you prefer to do it?" That way it is established right away who will do it.

I have had similar probelms in the past, and I asked my administrative nurses to find a time for a conference table meeting between myself and the other whom I was not working efficiently with. Typcially it was them, me and a mediator...and many probelms were solved this way. It also showed I am not one to let things go when it comes to pt safety (which I would use that catch phrase and 'continuity, teamwork' to establish my point and look like a team player with pts being top priority...always a plus as it should be!).

Hope some of this is helpful..and good luck!

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I agree if she didnt check the MAR to see if it was signed off already SHE is at fault not you. Howver, if you pass meds and then wait to sign them off after the patient has actually taken them i can see how there may have been an error. If that is your practice take the MAR off the med cart for that patient and take it with you to the room.

We actually saw this happen in our clinicals one day. The nurse on staff was giving pain meds to a patient that we were responsible for that day and didnt sign off the med when she took it out, the student went and picked the same med out and the patient got 2 doses. Who was at fault,, whoever didnt sign off the med when they took it out first. You can always go back and circle a medication the patient has refused.

In the facility I work for and when I was going through nursing school, we were taught this was NOT the way to do this. You are to sign out the meds when the patient takes them. Of course, the ideal would be you take out the meds, the patient takes them, you sign them off and then move on to the next patient. but then we all know w how well that works. :rotfl:

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Specializes in ICU.

I'm an ICU RN, never had the pleasure of working a med-surg floor, but I'm honored to work with 2 sharp-as-tacks LPNs. I would NEVER administer meds to an LPN's pts w/out discussing the plan of care first. I think there's something else going on here, especially if it's happened more than once and there's been no change in behavior despite bringing the problem to management's attention.

Since I don't know you, I'll use myself as an example. I HATE confrontation and always have. I've always been a people-pleaser. It used to upset me terribly if I thought someone didn't like me. When I became a nurse, I used to quake when criticized for the smallest things. I'd keep quiet about things until I lashed out, but I was so lucky to have a couple of strong nurses as mentors who had my back and helped me find a better way. It's taken a lot of practice, but I no longer feel responsible for other people's happiness---or unhappiness for that matter, and I've gained respect personally and in my work. The first thing I had to do was make an honest assessment of myself and how I was contributing to the problem. Next, I had to learn how to communicate in a way that made it "safe" for all participants to express themselves. Yelling and complaining didn't work for me because the other person shut down and did't listen.

I hope I'm not babbling, but situations like yours are something I'm very interested in, and I'd like to see nurses in particular empowered to speak up and have their voices heard. I'm concerned that if you walk away from this job without addressing the issues at hand, you'll have problems at your next job, too.

Here are some resources you may be interested in. A company called Vitalsmarts partnered w/ AACN(American Association of Critical-care Nurses) in a study called Silence Kills: The Seven Crucial Conversations for Healthcare. Very interesting material on how poor communication affects healthcare. There are two books authored by the officers of this company titled Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations that really opened my eyes, inspired and motivated me. Vitalsmarts www.vitalsmarts.com also has seminars (very expensive!), web-based seminars(free!) and a newsletter.

Sorry this was so long, but I really wanted to be of help. I'm sending you good vibes ;)

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