kidnurse98

I just came back to this post from January, 2011. Boy, how things have changed. The manager that was giving me he** is GONE! For some unknown reason, she took another position in the hospital. I got the news shortly after these events happened. Of course, right before she left she TRIED to start up a bunch of crap with me again...saying how negative I am, how mean I look, etc. I'm not negative, and at the time, I had every right to "look" upset! She started up with this again in her office. It was just her and me. I listened to her, but the LOOK in her EYES, it totally FREAKED me out. This lady is a real piece of work, she's definitely missing something from her frontal lobe :) During this meeting, I looked right at her and told her she was creating a hostile work environment for me, by bulling me and stating false accusations to her manager about me. Once I said it, she just looked at me stunned. She shut her mouth, and I have not heard anything else since. The PCA has cooled her jets as well.....she still doesn't do anything you ask her to, so I just do it myself. Since that "B" left, things have been great I am happy that I stuck it out....and I FIRMLY believe that God answered my prayers. I am there for a reason. I love my job, I love those kids I care for, and I love the families that I support, teach, and care for as well. I don't think everyone can be so lucky, so if you are in a similar situation and you happen to read through these posts-take the advice from some of the ppl who replied. Most importantly, KEEP AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF ALL THE INTERACTIONS YOU HAVE WITH PROBLEM STAFF. If you notice someone doing something they shouldn't, report them immediately. I now have a great boss, she was one of the managers that I felt I could go to when all this was happening to me. She was a great shoulder to cry on, and she knows how things really went down. I still feel that there is some strain in the relationship that I have with the main unit manager. I think it will take time to fix, and when the time feels right, I will approach her about it. THANK YOU to all the great advice and support. I hope nursing will change for the better. REAL NURSES don't abuse, bully, attack, or gossip about their co-workers. WE ARE PROFESSIONALS! We take care of our patients and do the very best we can for them. So if you ARE ONE OF THE NURSES THAT BULLY, get some help. THE PROBLEM LIES WITHIN YOU. Stop treating people like crap, you're not only going to have karma nipping at your hiney, but you're putting patients at risk. The Joint Commission is coming down hard on this type of behavior. Although I think that it is about time, it saddens me that an outside agency must enforce professional behavior at hospitals nationwide. If you are someone who is going to be or is a nurse for 1. the "money", 2. to meet a doctor, 3. to work 12 hour shifts....please do society a favor and QUIT NOW. The majority of us have wanted to be a nurse our entire lives, we cannot imagine doing anything else, and we know in our hearts that is what we were put on this Earth for. Real nurses would not ever treat another human/dog/ant the way that I and thousands of others are treated everyday.

Yes, this situation sucks....a lot! The past two weeks have been hard. Heavy assignments, NO help from PCA's, etc.... I am going to meet with the "top" manager this week. Over the last few shifts I have heard and learned a lot from some co-workers. This PCA is totally crazy and for some UNKNOWN reason, I have become her target. I cannot believe they would do this to an awesome, passionate, smart, educated RN with a lot of experience. My surveys, etc. from families are off the charts, the NP's and docs love the care I give their patients. I just do not understand how someone can do this to someone else.....I am obviously not cut from this type of cloth. I found a great website about work place bullying. EVERYTHING that this PCA is doing to me is on this website! I want to keep my job at this hospital. I DESERVE it, the patients I care for definitely deserve it. If I do end up term. before I transfer I will RAISE ALL KINDS OF ****. With lawyers, news, the BON, etc. Until then, I am going to stick it out, keep a smile on my face, help everyone I can and continue to provide the BEST possible care for my patients and their families. This is the only option I have......there are NO jobs available at all where I live. Hospital jobs are really hard to find, and I am a hospital nurse. I tried long term care once, it wasn't for me. Uggh.....I just pray that I can keep everything together until I can transfer or Godwilling, find a great job someplace else.

That is an excellent idea. I will keep things documented this way. It will appear as though I am emailing something instead of writing in a little notebook! I have been a mess today. Wrecked with a terrible headache and stomach pains. I know that it is stress related. I am really very saddened by this whole thing. I really love my job, the unit, the docs, np's, etc. I don't want to look for another position, but I know that it is necessary in order to keep my sanity and my liscense intact. I just hope someone will realize what is going on here. The NM didn't start out this way. At first she was all up my you know what. I guess bc I didn't pan out as awesome nurse and UNIT SNITCH, she turned the tables and is now making me her target. Workplace bullying is a subject that is becoming more recoginzed. It is terrible that the amount of hits google makes if you search on nursing + WP bullying. The NM and this PCA are by far the worst ones, but some of the newer grads on the unit act like they know it ALL. It is so annoying, no wonder I look stressed and upset sometimes. I AM! There is no morale on the unit, and people do not tell on the PCA bc of the retaliation factor. I should have never said anything in the first place about her. Everyone says the same thing about her followed by the words "but the management just loves her". Ughhh, they are so stupid. I don't want to work under people like this! I thought you needed really great people skills and one heck of a BS meter in order to be a manager in nursing.....guess I was wrong on that one!

I plan on it.....but I want to stay at this hospital if I can. I have great benefits, endless ed. opportunities, and great pay. I know that I am putting myself at risk. The only thing I can do until I transfer is document everything I can.....good and bad. I feel so sorry for the patients with this nut on the unit. And, quite honestly, I feel sorry for the person causing ME all of this grief. She obviously has untreated mental issues, pretty serious ones if you ask me, porbably one of the personality disorders. She is very sly, sneaky, and she scares me and a lot of the other nurses. I KNOW for a fact that several of the RN's have complained about her. But, when you've got the management in your back pocket it just doesn't do any good. I mean, using a kid as a pawn in her messed up game of screwing me over is just so disgusting. I believe in Karma and I know that with all my heart I do not deserve this treatment. Her behavior and actions will eventually catch up with her. Hopefully I will be long gone by then, on MY terms

Thanks for all the kind responses. I am currently looking for another position that I can transfer to, and at another hospital as well. I think it is terrible that from here on out (while I stay on this unit) I am going to have to document everything, every time someone is nasty to me. I should have seen this coming. The first year or so was great. My peer eval and patient survey results are excellent..... WTH is wrong with this field we are in? I just do not understand why this happens to so many of us. The saddest part is that up until yesterday, I was excited and eager to go to work. I really LOVE my job, my patients. Everyone is right about this PCA.....she represents herself as an RN on social netwrking websites and has even had her husband up to the unit, sitting behind the unit desk.......tell me that is not a violation of HIPPA and other policies. Yet, nothing ever happens to her. Last week, she pushed a computer screen at me. I mean, this chick is just NUTS This whole situation makes me sick.

I agree, something has to change. I do feel it will be at my expense and there really is NOTHING I can do about it. I have been awake for almost 24 hours and I am an anxious mess! The manager and her are very good friends. It is mainly her and this one manager that are really giving me grief. This manager has lied in emails about other things (she cc the director in an email she sent saying she had tried like 5 times to go over my eval w/ me, it was once and I was extremely busy that day, I had no time) The manager makes it a point to let everyone know on the unit whenever she wants to see someone in her office. I have been researching workplace bullying, I think this is what I am going through. I mean, who wouldn't be short or curt after two years of dealing with this?? I mean, if I ran to the office and tattled everytime someone was nasty to me, I would never leave the office! This PCA cannot pass the state boards (thank u God!) and when I started there I had A TON of praise from all the management staff, other nurses, pca's etc. I guess she couldn't stand it and then this is when all of this started. There have been a few other nurses who have either been fired or quit over some of the same things. Now, I am the target......I have never been in this situation in my life! I was going to transfer and then I got a warning for attendance. One of the days the manager added was a tardy.....I was not tardy, someone stayed over for me and that time was covered. I asked for this to be investigated, but of course it never was. I just want to be able to transfer, but the eval I got and the written warning will prevent me from doing this. I am going to research as much as I can over the next few days. I have worked too hard and for too long to let some psychopathic nuts ruin me. I will go to an atty, hr, whatever I have to in order to keep my job. I just did not expect something like this from the place that I work......it is a hospital that just about everyone has heard of.....so much for innoative and cutting edge medicine.

I've been a nurse for 11 years and I have been in my current position for two. The last 6 months have been VERY stressful and I do not know how to deal with it. I have been feeling like I have a huge target on my back and that feeling was verified today. When I first started this job, everything seemed to be o.k. The people are totally different than @ my last job. I honestly do not feel close to anyone, and this is two years later. I tend to keep to myself, do my work, my charting, etc. Working in peds you spend a lot of time in the room, esp. if there is no one else there with the kid. I ALWAYS offer to help people who need it, as long as I have time to help, I will. I provide excellent patient care, follow all policies, procedures, attend rounds, get my meds administered on time, collaborate with the MD's and NP's, etc. I feel that I am professional and have had nothing but awesome comments from parents and the kids. The issue at hand actually started when I took this job. There is one PCA on our unit who thinks she is above doing anything you tell her to. You can delegate tasks until the cows come home and she does not do them. She used to correct me and other nurses in front of kids/family members on NURSING tasks. After a while I got tired of her doing this and I went to my manager about the problem. Later, I found out that my manager (who I rarely see or work with) and this PCA are very good friends outside of work and hang out on a regular basis. The manager had her come and talk with me, yadda yadda, all was well after our conversation....or so I thought! Over the last several months I have had at least 5 nurses tell me the things she says I do/say to her! I overheard her talking to another nurse about me one day and I stood and listened to what she was saying. It was all lies, but people (the same ppl who complain about her as well) seem to be listening and believing her. I now have this rep. of being a total you know what, rude, crass, curt, etc. This is not me at all. I work hard, truly care about my job, attempt to do my very best while at work, I am working towards my mater's, etc. Today, my manager came onto the unit and went to the "charge nurse" very loudly told her that she needed to watch my patients while I went with her for a meeting with her and the other higher up manager. I found this to be very unprofessional, but she really seemed to enjoy letting anyone who was nearby that I was going to the office. I knew that this was more than likely more issues with this same girl.....I was right! I went to the office with the two managers and was told that I have terrible body language, I do not delegate to the "PCA's" and that "several" people have complained about me!!! I could not believe it.....not only was I shocked but I was also very deeply hurt. I tried to speak up for myself but they did not listen to anything I had to say. They just went on, for an HOUR, with this and even said that I am not helpful when other nurses need help! This is a total b.s. LIE. I always help others when they need it. I rarely sit down all day, but I will help anyone at any time. I was also reprimanded becasue I do not delegate properly.......After the 1st time my "manager" said this, I asked ALL the PCA's that I work with how they felt about my delegation, etc. They all said that I was their favorite nurse to work with and that I was the only one who ever helped them with patient care. The manager then told me that one of the patients said that they "heard me" say something bad about this PCA.....I never take care or even see this patient. Again, lies. Am I going to say I have never said anything bad about her? No, I have. Usually to my family or to a friend who I can vent to. I do not run and "tattle" like SOOOO many nurses do on my unit. If I see something that someone is doing wrong, I say it to that person-in a professional and constructive manner. After a while I got really really tired of what my "manager" was saying and I tried to speak up for myself......I told them both that I have had issues with people there, who have been EXTREMELY nasty and disrespectful to me, and I just ignored it.....and went on with my day. This PCA has truly ****** with my job and two recent events have made me wonder if she is not messing with my license. One patient's vent settings were completely changed (the pt. was gone from the room for a long time that day and was not on the vent while gone. The only person I saw in the room was this PCA!) and I found another patient's tube feedings running through the gtube and not the jtube.....someone switched them! I am sure of this because I had already assessed this and I went back in to do the bath (that she was supposed to do) and found it. I have a very strong intuition and can read people very well.....this chick is just crazy! I truly feel that she messed with both the feeds and the vent, idk-maybe hopng that something would happen and I would get into BIG trouble. When this did not happen, she has started an all out smear campaign at my expense. Idk why this girl hates me so much, but it is obvious. Not only to me, but to several other nurses and pca's who have said things to me about the way she speaks to me and treats me. I got in trouble for not delegating, but after a while, wouldn't you stop deleg. if the person u deleg. to does not do their job or flat out LIES about it? Or if you cannot find her the entire shift? It is MY RIGHT as a LICENSED REGISTERED NURSE to delegate or not to delegate......am I right?? I just do not know how to handle this....I am very tired of it. I really love my job, not the ppl, but I am there to work. The more I think about this the more po'd I get! I do not deserve any of this and I have no idea what I have done to this girl. I TRULY believe she suffers from a personality disorder. Many other nurses complain, the other PCA's complain, the unit secretaries complain.....but nothing is ever done. Any advice would be appreciated.....how do I deal with this? BTW my evaluation was great.....except for the part that my "manager" had to include about the things this nut has said. ALL of my peer evals were excellent, patient/family evals=EXCELLENT. I really feel that no matter what I do I will not come out of this o.k. Should I contact someone at HR?? I mean, isn't this some sort of slander or something along those lines??? Thank you for the help. Sorry this is so long, I just needed to vent!

WOW-I am surprised that this thread has so many thoughtful responses! There are a few people talking, and I know for a fact that I cannot trust her anymore. A couple of weeks a go I made a comment to her in a joking manner about all the things she has been signing up for.....I think it may just be her personality. I do like her, she SEEMS like a nice girl, so I may take her aside if I see her "super nurse" behavior coming out again. As far as that day goes, I am not sure why she did what she did....maybe she thought she was helping, and she did. What irked me the most about the situation was the comment she made about my plan for MY patient. If he didn't settle down after the meds I was giving him, I planned on giving him a stronger pain med. The little dude was in a lot of pain.....her response was that I better be careful not to "bottom him out".... I have to say I don't think she knows that if a patient is in less pain, they breathe better, heal faster, and rest well. No matter if they are 10 weeks old or 99 years old! I am definitely AWARE of her behavior now, and will be on guard....it is a shame I have to feel this way at work. Honestly, there are a lot of people I work with who THINK they know it all, they know everything....from RT's to housekeeping staff, to the unit clerk. I definitely work with some strong personalities. When super-nurse's patient coded a while back, she was shaking like a leaf, unsure what to do! I started compressions, yadda yadda yadda, and all was well, the kid did great. When I started there and since I have had a lot of praise from the management, docs, and the director. She was so happy that she hired me (out of many other candidates) and I moved into a full time position quickly.......maybe there is some jealously there?? I just want to go to work, take care of my patients they very best I can, then go home. I hate drama, but for some reason I am a magnet for it!

I do remember how hard my first year was....but I also had respect for those who had and have a ton more experience than I do. I have never been one to confront someone on something like this....but then again I have never dealt with this type of issue before either. It is one thing to have confidence and another thing to behave this way. I will probably just ignore and avoid her. It will eventually come back to bite her in the hiney anyway.

I have been a nurse for 12 years with critical care and tele/med surg experience who changed career paths a couple of years ago and started working at a prestigious children's hospital in 08. Lately, things have been getting really annoying with one nurse in particular. She is a new grad (I say new grad meaning less than a year experience as an RN and this is her first job). Anyhow, this girl is always signing up to be a super user of some sort, brown nosing, etc. etc....we have ALL worked with those types of nurses and generally I tend to ignore them, then laugh to myself when they eventually "lose" it. The last couple of weeks I have noticed her following me into my patient rooms, like watching me perform care and attempting to "correct me". The thing is, I'm not doing anything that she should be correcting me on in the first place. I am a great nurse with excellent skills, I earned the right to say that by breaking my back since 1996! This got out of hand the other day when she "took over" suctioning my patient d/t his sats being low, then cautioning me on what meds to give him. I almost bit my tongue in half from keeping my mouth shut on the matter. BTW the meds were discussed with the NP and MD....I just mentioned that if he did not calm down after what I was giving him what the plan was. Apparently, I am not the only one who is noticing this behavior change she is exhibiting....people have started talking and we all know how that goes. Any advice on how to handle this?? I really want to pull her aside and say something to her, but I don't know exactly what to say. She may think she's "super nurse" right now, but dang when her assignment gets tough she gets frustrated and says she's gonna quit. I think she is a smart girl with decent skills for a new nurse-and I do care enough to not have her get a rep for being a know it all brwon noser type-although she seems to be getting there on her own. Any advice would be appreciated :)

geees louise! thrown out of a nursing program for chewing gum??? wth is this profession coming to?? i have one manager who said it is against policy...but it seems she just likes to make those policies up as she goes along-so no one listens to her. anyhow...i would much rather see/hear gum than smell nasty butt-breath! :eek:seriously people, gum chewing and the word "unproessional" do not belong together. i am just curious how many [color=lime]years those who feel gum chewing on the job is unprofessional [color=lime]actually have on the job?? just curious!

Pick the large/teachng card step down job...trust me. I did that type of work for many many years. I also worked in the ICU's as an agency nurse in small community hospitals around town....the patients we had on our unit at the large hospital were just about the same acuity as the patients in the small ICU's. Only differences were the vents and some med drips. You will learn and see a variety of different things on a unit like that (card step down/lg hospital) vs. noting really exciting after a while in the small ICU....anything really cool/exciting will probably be sent out to the big hospital! Lol. Once you get your foot in the door you'll be able to transfer to the unit in the large hospital.... Good Luck!

I would keep my mouth shut! Did you leave on good terms? Are you eligible for rehire? They cannot call your manager and ask anything but how long you worked there and if your are elig. for rehire...legally. In the final interview I would tell them you resigned from the position to focus on a different career track, etc. etc. BTW-Why would you have to sign a TWO year contract for a MANDATORY class? This sounds a bit fishy to me...what type of class was this? Was it a BSN program or something like that? If the new company is interested and want to hire you, they will not hold it against you if you have resigned...they WILL care if you are not elig for rehire. If you left your last position in goos terms, then nothing to worry about. The new employer may even be thrilled becasue they will not have to wait for you to finish up with the other employer! Good Luck

They still make them...well they have been updated a bit They look very comfortable.....just google Anne Kelso Earth Shoe. I am currenlt wearing Dansko's but my feet have been killing me lately. So I need to find something else. I tried some Born (B.O.C's) but took them off and put on the Dan's after about 6 hours! Has anyone tried those Alegria shoes?? I tried them on at Nordstroms and they seemed very comfy. It's worth paying over $100 for work shoes but I want to make sure I'll still be wearing them on my drive home after working 12-13 hours!