PDCNurse

I have been been working in corrections for over 11 years. When I started working, I had the coworker from hell. She was so rude and moody that I wanted to quit. I finally started documenting everything crazy that she did to cover myself. I strongly believe she was bipolar. She finally quit. I have learned that when you work in corrections, you have to remain professional. You cannot get personal or too friendly with the prisoners. This doesn't mean being rude. Just keep a professional demeanor. Prisoners like to manipulate nursing in order to get attention or favors. This should never happen. Just treat them like you would if you were in the hospital. Never give out personal information about yourself. As for the rude employees, just be kind to them and document anything illegal or out of order. Don't take abuse from your coworkers but don't react to the abuse. They will eventually get what's coming to them. Hang in there.

If I had been in your shoes, I would have gone to the Superintendent or Warden and reported this. Once you saw this person with a weapon, you were put in the position of protecting him and yourself. If an officer refuses to act, you must report it immediately. If you go to a higher authority, you will get results. I work in a facility with great officers and a great Superintendent, but once in awhile, you will experience something like you just described. We have never been discouraged or afraid to voice our opinions.

I spend most of my day doing redundant paper work. There is no reason for writing the same information on the same chart 4 different times. If the people who came up with this stuff had to use it, there would be some changes. I really get angry when I can't do the kind of patient care I should do because the administrators are trying to save a buck. They don't care if someone dies as long as they don't have to pay for more staffing. Someone better wake up and smell the coffee--nurses are getting stressed out and leaving the profession. Health care facilities should be a nurturing place to work. If employees don't feel appreciated, the quality of work they do decreases. A pat on the back and a thank you would be nice once in a while. Hire the best people you can and get rid of the dead wood and the envionment will improve.

i think you should volunteer or work part time in a health care facility so you can get a good idea of what is involved in working with patients. it looks very glamorous on television, but nursing involves hard physical labor, intelligence, patience, decision making skills, being able to interact well with others and a host of other qualities. it's not a career that is easy. if you have what it takes, you should pursue your dreams. make sure your counselor has you on the right track concerning your high school cirriculum and keep your grades up so you can get into a good college. i think nursing is a wonderful career and i have been in it for 25 years. i don't regret a minute of it but it is far from easy. there are many nursing opportunities out there and if you choose to do this, you will find an area that will suit your interest and skills. i would advise going for a bsn if you can because it gives access to positions that an adn or diploma would have difficulty getting.

It's a shame that hospitals let people like this get away with this kind of behavior. It seems to be a problem in almost every facility. Even if you don't like someone, you should be adult enough to treat them professionally and with courtesy. Good luck with your new job. It's their loss.

Thanks for all your advice. I had finally had enough today and decided to look for another job. It's a real shame because I love my job but I don't like the stress of working with a nut job. I also took your advice and called my supervisor and reported her. She wants to sit down and talk with both of us about the problem. My supervisor is very nice, but I wonder if she will really be able to do anything. I can hear her out, but I am still looking for something else to do.

The Medical College of Georgia hires health care providers for the Georgia Department of Corrections. If you look under Georgia Department of Corrections, you should be able to find information about jobs available. The pay is not great, but the hours and benefits are good.

I agree that we should try to remember to call "guards" corrections officers. That is the proper title in our facility. I work in a probation detention center so most of our prisoners are not considered very violent. We have probation violators for things like DUI, child molestation or child abuse, burglary, robbery, etc. I have never felt in danger and depend on the officers to keep me safe. They work long hours for very little money and most of them are very professional and fair. You will always find someone who doesn't follow his job description, but they are very few. When our detainees go to the hospital, they are required to be cuffed. Our officers will allow the cuffs to come off if medical care is compromised but the detainee is never left alone. Safety is the number one priority of these officers. I appreciate them very much.

I'm really trying not to let her bother me but we work in a small area and we are the only 2 people in the department. She has picked fights with someone in every department and is very rude to the prisoners. I know they are prisoners, but they are people and we are suppose to be nonjudgemental and take care of them. The tension is so thick that you could cut it with a knife. I've avoided complaining about her because she's been through some personal problems in the past year, but I finally had to call my supervisor this past week and tell her that I was thinking about quitting. She has asked me not to quit until she can come next month and talk to us both. I really hate confrontation, but I just can't understand a nurse being so unprofessional and rude. She did the same with the last nurse who worked with her and now she's doing it to me. I like the work I do, so it is very hard to leave. I have another job offer but am debating what to do.

What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. This is a set back, not failure. You have a great attitude and you will succeed if you work hard and study like crazy. Nursing takes perserverance, patience, brains, and a strong mental attitude. It's not for everyone. I think you really want this and you will pass the next time.

I work in a probation detention center. I also work part time in the ER at the local hospital . I have been an RN for over 25 years and a Nurse Practitioner for 7 years. Most of my work has been in ICU, ER, Public Health and Women's Health. I started working at the center 3 years ago. I wanted to try something different. What I didn't count on was working with such a difficult coworker (also an RN).

How many of you out there have the misfortune to work with a nasty coworker. I work with a nasty woman with poor self esteem whose entire purpose in life is to make me miserable. She yells when she gets mad, then starts the passive aggressive behavior afterward. She acts like a 2 year old. I am at my wits end. I have managed to stay calm and not react to her nonsense but I'm just about at the end of my rope. Help!!! I need some advice on how to deal with this psycho.