Our unit clerk

[raindrop]

She always seemed so nice, but now I know that she is wolf dressed in sheeps clothing. She reports EVERYTHING to our manager. Nobody ever seemed to know who was reporting stuff to her and then the clerk from 3-11 tipped me off on her. I work nights and one night I came in and I wasn't wearing our mandatory colors, instead I had hospital scrubs on. I saw her looking at me. I then saw her write something down a few minutes later. A couple of days later when I saw my manager one morning, she came up to me and said "You know, our poicy here is red tops with white pants. Not hospital scrubs." She never saw me wear them because I work nights and I was gone before she came in the next morning! So that night (after my manager said that) I said something about it at the nurses desk and I asked who would have said something and complain over something so minor and dumb. I KNEW it wasn't any of the nurses, because we are all good friends outside of work, plus none of them care! She had a nervous look on her face when I asked, but she was the first to say "I don't know". Another nurse recently got a write up because she walked into a isolation room without a gown on on night. She had to go in there for 2 seconds to fix the beeping IV pump. The patient was asleep and she used gloves. Hmmmm. How funny that this room was right in front of the clerks desk.....

Oh, I was compaling one evening baout the units policy on working the Friday night if we are off that weekend. All of us were complaing ot one another, because....we never get a true weekend off that way. If we are mandated (without extra pay) to work the Friday night, before out weekend off, we don't get off until our Saturday morning....and then we get home and sleep, on our Saturday off! Not fair. And then the next weekend, we have to work. We do every other weekend. Guess what.....my manager somehow got word on this complaint and pointed out that I knew this policy before she hired me. Which I didn't, and SHE didn't hire me....her assistant did.

What irks me the most is how this clerk tries to act like my buddy. She will come up and sit own next to me while I'm trying to do my freaking charting....and tell me about the drama a/b her daughters love life. I don't care! And please, I'm trying to concentrate and chart! Gosh...some people!

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

there's always one isn't there?

being the turd that i am, i would totally mess with her head and make up all kinds of stuff to say in front of her.

but i dont recommend that. that MIGHT be the reason i'm always in constant trouble at work, lol.

But it is oh so much fun isn't it? And oh so tempting!

[southernbeegirl, BSN, RN]

But it is oh so much fun isn't it? And oh so tempting!

i just cant help myself sometimes!! sometimes i'm so bad that i have to go in the bathroom to laugh because i cracked me up.

[Neveranurseagain, RN]

I'd show up one night in red pants and a white top!

[raindrop]

I'd show up one night in red pants and a white top!

I probably will do that on my last night, which I think is just around the corner (I hope).

I work Oncology and some of the "rules" on this unit just blow my mind. Aside from the mandatory Friday crap, if we want to take ANY PTO time, whether it be one day or one week.....we have to put in for it 8-10 weeks in advance. Even then, we won't know if it's been approved until that schedule comes out. Our mamnger does say she will try her hardest to approve it, but sometimes she just can't.

Any place else I've worked, 2 weeks notice is sufficient. I've even gotten approved with a one week notice at other places. This unit is just so odd.

[cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP]

I would advise you to not talk around her unless its something you don't mind mentioning to your boss. If she comes around when your talking with other people and its about something you don't want her to hear then I suggest you get quiet, very quickly. Eventually she will get the point.

!Chris

[Scrubby]

Sounds like a very toxic person. We all make small errors at times (like not wearing an isolation gown) but having someone running to management about every little thing is just ridiculous.

Maybe you and the other nurses should just ignore her, don't speak to her unless it's about a work related manner. She'll soon see that she has isolated herself from her workmates for being a dibber dobber.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Looking for a different place to work sounds like a good idea. Your manager sounds like a micro-manager who is more focused on controlling the staff than running a cohesive team.

Jeesh, how does she have the time? My poor manager seems to spend most of her time scrambling for staff and complying with the latest joint commission stuff.

[AlabamaBelle]

I know who picked out those colors - somebody is a University of Alabama fan and just couldn't resist inflicting their colors!

Seriously, mind what you say. She'll get hers someday. Karma has a great way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it. Good luck with another, better, less toxic workplace.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

OK I would be the bad one too. First I would act interested in her little stories. Then on another occasion I would say I think our unit has a big fat tattletaler and I just can not figure out who it is? Do you have any ideas? In my opinion these kind of people are very sad,have poor self-esteem are *** kissers and will never be part of the group. let me know if you get any tips OK

[oramar]

I would mind that business about being mandated on Friday night a lot more than all the other things that are going on. Is mandation still legal in your state? A lot of states have banned it. That just shows what a serious threat to the health of the staff and the welfare of the patients it is. I would look for another job and when she asked me why I was leaving I would point that out to her.(manager) PS Almost anywhere I worked there was a least one person who carried tales. You learn who they are and watch out for them. However, sometimes early on you getting zinged by them before you figure out who does what at a new job. PPS Sometimes you can use them to send a message to managment. LOL

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I would be tempted to make a statement in staff meeting that someone is telling tales out of school and it is affecting morale. Then see where the converstation leads. If you are the only one who ostracizes her she may become a real enemy to you. This is someone to watch.

[whodunit]

I disagree with the others, my motto is kill them with kindness.In my many years of nsg there have been a lot of tattletells I've had to tolerate and early on I decided to use them to get points across to bosses that they were not necessarily open to hearing up front.Sometimes we got good results from being two faced if you will to the two facers {is that a word lol?}, at worst we killed their vindictiveness.