ptadvocate5

Thanks that is a great suggestion. Thank you for your feedback

Thank you for your detailed reply and feedback. You make a lot of sense and I appreciate your candor and obvious pulse on human nature. To clarify a few things I did not include in my first post was while I have over 20 years in ICU this charge nurse and I are almost the same age, I fact we both have children in the same grades (2 of them). I have made small talk about school to stimulate the conversation but she does inquire about me at all and if I say hello to her half the time there is no acknowledgment. After 3 months of speaking to her first I stopped. She actively talks to others so she is not a private person. Again it’s OK she does not want to be social. I still help her patients with call lights, IVs etc because I am doing my job to help the patients- they are all our patients. Bottom line - my work ethic is strong on responsibility but I am supportive not aggressive. Feedback from precepting and being a charge nurse has left me feeling that I show others respect and are approachable. My old manager begged me to stay when a gave my notice but I felt I needed a change after so many years. My old coworkers want me to come back -I have not shared my unhappiness except to two trusted friends. This lack of teamwork has been a new experience for me on many levels. My new manager I have known for over 5 years and this is her first administration position. She told me she feels so lucky I moved to her unit, thanks me for mentoring the newer grads (we have two) and I have asked her if there are any concerns after I was there 60 and 90 days. Only positive comments from staff. I feel very comfortable with the nurses in their 20’s and 30’s -they actively seek me out with questions and we share recipes and general conversation. I look forward to my weekend when this other nurse is off. Interacting with others is a bonus and often strengthens bonds as a team but I try to accept others . I am definitely challenged here. While my experience level is higher than most here I have never been described as intimidating. I was raised to treat the cleaners person the same as the president. This morning one of my patients got into respiratory distress and I asked this charge nurse to call the respiratory therapist while I set up suction and titrated an anti hypertensive. She called to me she had to “do staffing “ and walked away. The other RN was off the floor in CT. I called RRT and we stabilized the patient. The charge nurse never asked me about we did or how the patient was - Bipap, suction, etc. I was in that patient’s room for 45 minutes and then finished my other 2 patients that needed meds passed. No support offered and while I realize staffing is a element of charge nurse duties the priority was misplaced. I said to her after “ I’m glad we didn’t have to intubate her but they still might happen” she looked at me and continued to chart . WOW! - no concern at all. I guess I care that she is unconcerned about the patient’s status or being a team and yes it has gotten in my head. I am resigning myself to lower expectations from someone that has the capacity to do better but chooses not to in this situation. I am not accepting that my performance and response will be less than I can give because of her lack of interaction with me. Her behavior I had experienced has been documented according to one of the RRT nurses who responded to my call this am. Apparently this is not a new pattern. This makes it less personal for me but still leaves me unsure to how to address it constructively. Doing nothing and waiting for her to move to another position does not seem healthy for the unit and only lets a infection fester. I hope I am strong enough and brave enough to put my reputation on the line to bring this problem to the light. Thanks for letting me vent and again I appreciate feedback for my next step to resolve this issue

I have no issues with other staff -only good interactions and feedback that I’m a good addition to the unit with experience and helpful to others. It takes teamwork to thrive and I can’t motivate someone to have a better work ethic. My question was is she negligent? Should I document her lack of communication and assistance? I have tried one on one approach so need to plan step B. Unsafe working conditions - can’t delegate when they walk away from you and busy themselves in their patient’s room. She is now more unhelpful ever since I spoke with the manager 6 weeks ago if that is possible.

I changed ICU units after 10 yrs for a change of pace and patient population and had felt the transition was going well except for one issue- one of the permanent charge nurses will not professionally interact with me and does not help me as a team member even when the patient is unstable. She frequently will assign me the most acute patients and then the first admission while she has a lesser assignment but does not enter my room or ask if I need assistance EVER- even if paging for STATs, etc. She never inquires during the shift about my patients: what drips that have, O2 needs, but then gives a sometimes incorrect report in the morning. Because I have over 20 yrs of ICU experience in comparison to her 2 and I am very well organized I rarely need much assistance but know that teamwork is essential in the ICUs. I see her help other team members but we are a small unit and usually run with 3 RNs and often one is a pulled nurse from another unit such as a PCU. I fear in a code I will be left unsupported because she will not work will me in a professional manner. She does not have to be my friend but my expectation is that she assists for the good of the patients. Immaturity and passive aggressiveness have no place in this setting. I have spoken to my manager 6 weeks ago and informed her of this nurses behavior. The nurse was removed from charge for 2 weeks. My manager told me confidentiality that this nurse has applied to another unit and does not want to work ICU anymore however all transfers are on hold until at least August because of Covid 19. I now feel like I am putting up with poor treatment and feel this is a hostile work situation. Should my manager address this more aggressively? Should I start to document this behavior to alert more higher ups or bide my time? Hope is a poor plan if it’s your only plan. My frustration grows by the week.

My current position as a staff nurse at a magnet hospital requires peer evaluations that are anonymous. Most of my coworkers function as adults but there is a clique that is socially inappropriate at times but mostly out of work and on social media. I stay out of it- do my job, having many responsibilities with my family and terminally ill parent. However on my review this week, a peer stated some upsetting comments such as "negative in attitude everyday" and needs to be more socially communicative to make new hires feel comfortable. This comments were in contrast to others that stated I was tactful and competent with strong communication skills. I feel the undertone of the comments is one that because I don't drink with them I am on the outs and subject to gossip. This unfair comment upsets me and I feel this impacts my evaluation and reputation. Because they are anonymous I cannot address this issue directly. My manager said I can write a comment. What would you write to address this?