People who flat out lie to get you fired

beachbum3 · Jul 27, 2008

Earlier I made a thread about the new home health job that I have, and how much I enjoy it.
Well, it appears that I have a problem. I don't know what it is, but everytime I work with women I seem to always be the *target*. I personally do not care if I don't fit in with cliques or if they don't want to be my friend, I can deal with that. But when it starts to mess with my reputation and my position with a company professionally it becomes a problem.
There is a particular aide who calls the house and talks to the elderly lady when I am on my shift. At first I figured they had become good friends and she carries the relationship outside of work. But in fact, it seems that this aide just calls to *spy* on me. She asks the patient where I am in the house, and what I did so far.
One particular shift the elderly lady asked if I liked to sit on the porch and I replied that I was fine being in the living room with her. The aide happened to called that day, and the lady must have mentioned it to her. I spoke to the aide and she said, "Ms. Morrison said that you did not want to sit on the porch today. she said you would have rather sit in the living room".
I told her that yes, I refused to sit on the porch. And it's a personal decision and I don't understand why she is confronting me about this. I let it pass and didn't think much of it.
Recently, I was called in by the RN to speak to her in the office. Apparently, an aide flat out lied on me and said that I sit in the basement all day while the patient is upstairs by herself.
She even said that the day I relieved her, I ran straight to the basement the moment I got there and never came back upstairs.
The RN said that when she heard this she removed me from the schedule and that I was very close to getting fired.
I really do not understand what is going on and why these two particular women are making up these lies and calling the house to spy on me. What makes it even worse is that one of the aides in particular was 19 hours late for her shift that I had to cover for her. The NERVE of her. The other one was nearly an hour late last night.
I seem to always walk on eggshells with every job that I have. This time I was very lucky, because I have gotten terminated because of incidents involving other women lying on me about my lack of job performance.

Again?

I offered advice to you before when you were having issues at your last job (and getting residents up at 4am). If I remember correctly you've basically been in trouble or fired from every job you have had. Time for some introspection to see whats going on because the common denominator in all of this is you. Perhaps you could benefit from some counseling if it truly is just personality clashes so that you can learn to better function in a work environment. These issues you are having are just not normal problems that everyone deals with and they follow you where ever you go.

Hugs to you and good luck.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2008

I had this happen to me in med/surg.

Really, it has less to do with your performance than .e manager not wanting to rock the boat with the established employees and the underlying equilibrium.

I would, however, ask if calling your patients is acceptable behavior.

Good luck.

rn-jane · Jul 27, 2008

This is a no win situation for you. Honestly I would take the nurses assistant aside and ask her what her problem is? I would also ask for another assignment after talking with my manager about the situation. She may or may not believe you based on their stories.

medsurgrnco, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2008

Don't know your history. But I do know that coworkers do target others, and lie in their attempts in get them in trouble with management or get them fired. You might try to examine why you seem to get targetted by other employees and how you can decrease that behavior by coworkers. Suggest that you attempt to address future problems when they START with the coworker - and management if needed.

chadash · Jul 27, 2008

I am so baffled by this kind of stuff. Why does some one try to get some one else fired? what are they gaining?

It is tough when it happens, but some how, I pity the one who does it. It just seems unhealthy.

It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust. -- Samuel Johnson

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 27, 2008

I also remember your past experiences. I am not here to judge you at all. However, I think that you need to do some introspection on yourself and also you have to start looking at situations differently. Earlier today, I read about the person that relieved you very late. Some people are just spiteful. You were right to be angry, you were correct to call the agency...I would have done the same. But also, you have to know that people are vengeful. Is this the same aide that relieves you late? Maybe she wants to make you look as though you are the wrong person to make herself look better. If this is a 'sweet case' many people try to sabotage the person that is a perceived threat. They also try to get others to side with them.

Again, I also remember the past posts. I don't know you personally, so, I can't say what type of person you are. But, if you are experiencing continous problems with people, it is to your benefit to do a root cause analysis to discover if there is anything you are doing, whether intentional or not that sets people off. I have to do that with myself often. An example is that I am the sort that stays to myself and minds my business. I noticed that I appear to others that I am aloof, mean and unfriendly. Once people get to know me, they don't see me as a threat, but I don't give that off, initially. I also demonstrate great disdain when are whiney and try to involve me in their drama, to the point that I become condescending. Now that I realize it, I chose to adjust my behavior...not change the essence of who I am, but to make things a bit easier for myself.

This is especially important for you because you will be starting a nursing program in the near future. The last thing you need are the professors, clinical instructors, clinical site and a gang of students rallying to make your life miserable and you don't know why. At least the RN didn't use what was mentioned about you to remove you from the case. But, try to show things in a positive light so that people will come to their own conclusions about you rather than be swayed by what they perceive from others. Again, this is not to judge you, I don't know you. There is just a pattern that is stemming from somewhere, and if you can, arrest or adjust it before you commit to a program or position.

Ms. Nurse Assistant, LPN · Jul 27, 2008

Yes, one of the aides who told that lie is the person who was very very late. I guess she is trying to get back at me for notifying the agency about her not showing up to work on time. I don't know why she expected me not to say anything, she was 19 hours late what was I supposed to do?

The other aide in particular seems to just be stirring up trouble for personal reasons--what it is I don't know. I am always friendly to my co-workers, so it's not like i have an attitude problem. I dress the most professional out of all of them. I don't know what it could be.

medsurgrnco, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2008

Is there an EAP through your job that you could utilize to get some counseling, as a way to discuss your repeated difficulties in depth and gain more perspective? I'm not blaming you, I don't know you. But something needs to change in order to improve your work situations. If you're truly at a loss, this might be a good way to go.

puggy232 · Jul 27, 2008

I can empathize with you... I just got out of a situation just like this-inherently I think these situations happen in nursing because of women who tend to be passive aggressive, mean, jealous and hate to see someone get ahead. All I can say is do your job best to your ability and know this crap happens in nursing school, and probably most places you work. Not all places of employment are like this-the manager should have been able to connect the dots that this aide was probably angry about being confronted due to her job attendance or lack of. I would start looking for new employment, and take it as lesson learned-pts get into the fray too, of behaving ugly I have had pts tell me 'I'll get you written up for whatever' Unfortunately these mean spirited people are every where-don't let them wear you down or discourage you from your goals.

Scrubby · Jul 27, 2008

I too remember your past posts and I agree that you may need to do some soul searching on why you seem to have issues at work. If you are being targeted then you want to watch everything you say and do, don't give them any reason to go running to management. You do have a past record of being terminated which is unfortunate but I would be careful not to let it impact on any future positions.

If I was in a situation where someone lied about me being in the basement as you described I would have the RN contact the patient and ask them for the truth. If your being accused of something then you should be given a fair trial. Did you ask the RN to confirm this with the resident? That way you can prove the other aide was lying and have it dealt with. It would make her look rather stupid now wouldn't it?

Ms. Nurse Assistant, LPN · Jul 27, 2008

In the office the RN stated that the woman who made this complaint is possibly doing so to deflect from her own irresponsibility.

I guess since both women teamed up to make these complaints it made the RN want to have a conference with me. She's going to have another one with all of us next week to try to find a solution to this.

As for asking the patient, she has dementia so I don't think that would be a good idea. When I was sitting for her, she was on the phone with her son saying how an aide walked out on her and never came back, and that we never feed her. She is confused.