Problem with coworker (long)

luvmy2angels · Aug 7, 2006

If your not happy and the managers don't want to help fix the situation then leave and look for another job.

ktwlpn, LPN · Aug 7, 2006

For the past few months I have worked with a new-grad RN(he graduated years ago, but passed the NCLEX only recently) in my LTCF. I'm a 8 month new grad LPN myself. We both work the same hall on 3-11. His skills are so bad they put him back on a day shift orientation for 2 weeks to no avail. The residents and CNAs don't like him either. He has no car and expects people to give him a ride every day/night (not me.) He borrows my blood pressure cuff instead of buying his own or using the facilities. (I know I'm being petty) He makes a big deal out stating his hourly rate (it's $10 an hour more than me because he's pool and an RN). All he talks about is leaving the LTCF and working in a hospital, but guess what, I think the hospitals in my area know better because none of them will hire him!
What really made me angry was on Friday, my unit manager, supervisor and DON told me I have to do a urostomy dressing change 2x a week on his side because the resident doesn't want a "man" to do it. That's funny because he has been doing it or was helped by another nurse for months now. The resident is very particular so the dressing is more complicated than it needs to be. The real scoop is the resident just doesn't like him and is using this as an excuse. I am steamed! This made me furious because I already do all the psych noting, go the dining room for an hour and a half to feed, etc. I can't even begin to list the numerous other tasks I have to do because he refuses to learn. I had to do the dressing change because I know it's against the resident's rights to have a male when she doesn't want one. I think they told the resident to spin it that way, so I couldn't protest. I'm ready to quit.
I need advice badly!

I feel you-I've worked with plenty of staff like this nurse.Bottom line-"There are no victims-only volunteers".He is getting away with so much because you aren't standing up for yourself.Go to your supervisor and discuss how you plan to handle this.I don't like people using my personal stuff either-keep it out of his reach.That's his way of controlling you..If you have to do the twice weekly dressing for him then the next time you need to do it just turn and say "You can do such and such for me" Same with feeding in the dining room-have you asked him to go in? The psych sheets-Just pick up the notebook and do the residents on your hall and hand him the book while clearly stating that you left him half....In this area in LTC RN's seem to come and go and sadly the admin will turn the rest of us upside down to accomodate a new RN-I've seen it happen time and time again but regulations state that you have to have RN coverage....So-either you ignore him and continue to do everything yourself and burnout,handle the situation or get another job.It's the same everywhere,really so I don't recommend becoming a professional doormat for the rest of your career...If you can't work together then you need to divide the hall.Don't continue in this toxic environment..As a new nurse consider this a valuable learning experince.... PS-I worked in LTC with a guy once that hated to do everything " I hate to feed" I hate to pass meds" I hate to do treatments" I hate to do paperwork" " I like emergencies"--One day in the dining room a resident projectile vomited her dentures and dinner across the table covering her 3 table mates.The aides ran down the hall gagging-I said "Greg-Here's the emergency you've been waiting for " and I walked away...Karma rules! He had to fish the dentures out of the vomit-it was great! ( I did come back-the aides did,also-we did not desert him)

treytrina7577 · Aug 7, 2006

Girl! Girl! Girl! I truly feel your situation. I am an LPN also. I am currently working on my RN. I have been a LPN for two year. I went into a LTCF as a new grad and worked there for one year and 11 months. The LTCFs have a lot of conspiracies going on within them. Even though may LTCFs have more LPN than RN staff, I have found that RNs are more valued in LTCFs. My suggestion to you is to go and find another job. Don't just up and quit; be professional about it. Start putting in applications/resumes, and when you find what you truly want, give your facility two weeks notice. It is so sad, I had a similar problem myself. There was an older RN who worked on the same unit I worked on. She had never worked in LTCF before. She came from a alcohol and drug rehab field. She was excellent at pushing meds, but she was not good at paperwork, treatments, documentation, taking physicians' orders, etc... Basically anything that did not include pushing medications she was not good at. She was on orientation for about a month. My coworkers and I complained to management many times. They didn't seem to care. I am serious. When I worked with her I did most of her work. I wasn't being paid anymore to do her job and mine. I remember one evening a CNA yelled down the hall for help. A resident had fallen and his blood pressure was sky high. He had no recollection how he had ended up in the position he was in. The RN had been working in the facility for about a year and three months. The first thing that came out of her mouth was, "what do I do?" I was furious. I took charge in taking the resident's vitals, assessing him, contacting his physician, sending him out via ambulance for evaluation, contacting his family, writing the physician order to sent him to the ER, writing the incident report, and documenting on the resident. I still had my medicine to pass out and my documentation to do. So I understand your situation fully. She was also abrupt in tone with residents, and many residents did not care for her. This is the mess we put up with in LTCFs. Go back and get your RN! Find a job some where you will be valued. Things that go on like this is the reason why there is such a nursing shortage. It is sad. Take care and God Bless you on your journey.

dekatn · Aug 7, 2006

Like above poster stated, I would trade off something that you have to do on those days that you have to do the dressing change. If he isn't willing to do that, I would talk to the DON about it. If you continuely have to add more duties to your job to cover his, I would also start looking for something else. I know RN coverage is required, but, if this RN is required to work the floor then there are other things he could do to make up for the duties that are being put on others because of him.

carolbear · Aug 8, 2006

Dear Mean Bird,

Consider me a 'mean bird' also. I have worked with many a co-worker who behaves in similar manners. I refuse to be their doormat or excuse. If it were me in your shoes, I would speak softly and carry a big stick. The next time Mr. Unhappy says he wants a hospital job, I would give him the names of some local hospitals that are hiring and just say "I hear 'such and such' a hospital is hiring. You may want to go there. Have you applied?". You could say "Wow, if you hate it so much why do you stay?" When it comes down to treatments, if you have treatment records showing that your resident normally will allow male nurses to treat him, if I had a good relationship with the DON, I would make her aware that it has only been recently that the resident has requested this special arrangement. If this nurse is really this horrible, the DON is probably already aware of the issues but may need more documentation from the co-workers in order to do something about this person. If your own performance is up to standard, you do not need to worry about going to your DON with your concerns. Good Luck!

st4wb3rr33sh0rtc4k3 · Aug 8, 2006

I definatley learn from LPN's myself and I am a RN!!! Most hold authority at the home I work in and have plenty of experience. Talk to your superiors they can probably help.

Listen someone told me this before - you don't need them as much as they need you! You can go anywhere with your license!!! You have one!!!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Aug 8, 2006

this guy is a jerk and he won't be around for long. these kind come and go in ltc facilities. i wouldn't give up a good job because of him. remember those ethereal reasons you wanted to be a nurse before you started nursing school? get them out of the closet every time you have to go to this patient's room to do the urostomy dressing, take a deep breath, smile and just go and do it and don't let the patient or anyone else know that it is bothering you. in fact, i would secretly be smiling because i was the one being chosen to do this because some stupid "old,new grad" was too dumb and too mean to be able to learn to do it right. the patient is the bottom line.

get mean back at this rn. make it very clear you are not lending any of your own personal equipment to him and if he takes things off your unit seek them out and let him know you're miffed about it. by putting this kind of pressure on him, he'll know he is not liked by you and eventually stay away. the greasy wheel gets the attention. two can play his game. let him play dumb and stupid. you be aggressive, persistent and no nonsense with him. the point is that you make yourself nasty enough and uncooperative with him that he'll stay away from you. if he has any brains at all he'll figure out that you want nothing to do with him which is exactly what you want. this is part of being in charge where you need to learn how to use your power and influence. there will be some things that you can't control (like the changing of the urostomy dressing). but, if i were in your shoes, i'd run this idiot off my unit where i was in charge and he would know very clearly i wanted him nowhere near me or any of my patients and he would be getting no other help from me, period. however, don't short-change the urostomy patient. god only knows what this idiot said or did to him. they are an innocent in all this. every facility i've worked in has a resident who is very anal about some procedure and the way it has to be done for them. i've got a great story about a resident and his monthly male foley cath change that only i was allowed to do--but that's for another day.

TallGirlAni · Aug 8, 2006

Talk to your manager and suggest that since you are more than willing to do one of his tasks, that it only be fair with your workload that he do something for you in exchange.

How your manager answers this will allow you to see the real reason why you are doing your co-worker's tasks. If you do this, and he does not take any of your tasks in exchange, then you will be getting dumped on more and more in the future. If you do not draw the line, and I suggest to draw it early, you will only be so aggravated in the end, they you will eventually seek employment elsewhere.

Make things easy for yourself and get away from working for institutions and managers who allow incompetence to fester and grow in the workplace. There are many places where you will find a niche. If it is bothering you now, just wait a few more weeks and months.........

And before you leave, please be sure to have an exit interview.

**Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN** · Aug 8, 2006

Thank you all for the advice and the examples, it's always great to hear what other nurses have done in similar situations.

PS: The "mean bird" of my screen name was a 15-year-old mean parakeet who passed away Friday. I miss her!

banditrn · Aug 8, 2006

meanbird - condolences on your birdie friend.

As for the rest of it, I agree with what many of the other posters have said - this guy sounds like a nimrod!! Just because he's an RN doesn't give him leave to pass things off on you.

I would also be irritated about him taking my equipment - he's making more as an RN - tell him to buy his own - and give him a card from a car dealer, too.