I'm cutting to the chase here I'm an lpn i work in ltc, first let me say that i take much interest in doing my work as a nurse completely thorougly and properly. Ive been in ltc for a year and constructive criticism isnt a problem for me. over the course of the year i have been at this ltc facility the way other nurses go about issue is making me wonder, does this happen everywhere? for instance, when I worked with a nurse for the first time, she called the supervisor to report me because she had found a pts feeding bottle empty, I would have appreciated if she told me first seeing that I was busy and shift was changing! a charge nurse pulled me aside to tell me that she found a dirty dressing in a pts hamper and said that it could've only been me that put it there. the same nurse pulled me aside again to tell me i didnt give a pt her BP patch but by this time the pt was discharged to the hosp BUT came back with the BP patch on her skin exactly where i put it bearing my huge initials, then apparentely another nurse has a problem with the way I audit MD orders but tells everyone except me even though i see her time and again i didnt know there was a problem! I will confront her though. I appreciate constructive criticism but when people talk about you behind your back or report you about something minor that you've never done before, or tell you , you didnt give a med when you obviously did.Or supervisors tell people that you are lazy when they happen to come on the floor and see you sitting for 2 mins. mind you I've had pts, supervisors, cna's all complement me for my good work and say that I dont give problems. 40+ pts isnt easy and , i do doubles if they need people badly cuz no-one wants to come in and work!, turn my car around in the middle of going home to help with staffing! I've worked short while the same charge nurse who nit picks at me finds the minimum to do while I work the entire floor, my paycheck is always missing money! and its always the same nurses who keep creating the fuss! the other nurses are just used to the fussing, but when Im so hard on myself to do my work right and people call you at home when your sleeping to tell you about a simple mistake that harmed no-one, or never tell you, you made a mistake at all and rather have you written up for it, its disconcerning! What ever happened to having alittle mercy on people. Bigger problems like med errors are never looked into everyone just points a finger, Even supervisors complain about the daytime nurses and how negligent and lazy they are! I just need to know is this commonplace in facilities or should I hit the road?:zzzzz
I'm sorry you've had such a rough go of it; unfortunately YES that kind of treatment IS the norm in the LTC facilities where I've worked---which is why I left that environment. The complaining and back-biting is insane and abusive...and no one deserves it.
I cannot fathom being called at home to be b#$%hed out for something I did at work. I can handle yucky work environments to some degree but when I walk out the door, if I cannot leave work at work, I would just go insane.
As for the money thing... Once is a mistake, twice is an issue, three times is my resignation slip~ I have not worked in nursing yet, but I have worked for "that type" where they promise you the world to get you to do what they want, and then they forget it later when you need them to pay for it. Nothing good comes of it, and letting it go is just encouraging them to do it again.
If someone dared call me at home i'd be ringing the union and hanging up on them. In fact i'd probably tell them to f*kc off! Damn that makes me angrt!!! It's completely inappropriate, we have the right to enjoy our time off work and not be harassed.
I agree, don't do any more overtime, if they make you work short then write incident/hazard reports that lack of staff is compromising patient care. If they falsely accuse you of not giving meds again then i would be taking this high up to management. Document everything meticulously so you can provide some sort of evidence you are doing your job. If they call you lazy, make personal comments then treat this as though you are being harassed because you are. If that charge nurse complains at you again then ask you to put anything she has to say in writing because that's what professional people do when they have an issue with work performance.
Midwest4me
1,007 Posts
I'm sorry you've had such a rough go of it; unfortunately YES that kind of treatment IS the norm in the LTC facilities where I've worked---which is why I left that environment. The complaining and back-biting is insane and abusive...and no one deserves it.
There ARE better nursing positions out there.