Pt. complaint to charge nurse

[TeamRNc]

sigh! ok so a patient calls me (charge nurse that day) into the room, I spend an hour listening/schmoozing gathering details. at the end of the talk the very upset family states they feel better but would like the issue brought to management. I asked the nurse taking care of the patient what she knew about the "rumor" the patient was complaning about, not giving details or including the names of the nurses. I called the manager gave her the conversation and details. One of the nurses that was complained about (accused of talking about patient and family of hospital grounds/gossiping), one nurse was working that day. I spoke with the nurses at the nurses station briefly stating that a rumor was possibly going around causinga great deal of discomfort for this family and if they hear it they should state that this is inappropriate to discuss and the matter is being handled.. trying to squash the rumor. anyway we were at the end of the day .. the last couple hours in the shift and crazy busy, i thought for a moment about asking the one nurse that was there about it and give her a "heads up about the complaint" .. i hesitated because i really did not want her to go in and confront/apologize or anything right then - the family and patient were really upset - talking heppa and lawyers. I transferred my patient and the day was over and everyone was gone. now she has been asked about the situation by the MGR and they know it was me who called the mgr. I am ok with them knowing it was me, it was my role as charge nurse. I didn't do anything mean i didn't go to the nurses station and say their names. However this nurse is ranting and raving about me to other nurses now saying i called another nurse and talked about it ... not true, i only called the MGR and the nurse she is saying i spoke with told her it wasn't true (?)

in hindsight I do regret that i didn't give her a heads up regarding the complaint, i would have wanted that

i work with her in a day and I am sure she will ask why i didn't, i will have to say it was busy and i didn't want her to go in but i will tell her i regret that i didn't

she wont let it go though... dog with a bone

she has been saying that i did it on purpose because i don't like her and the other nurse... NOT true, absolutely not, in fact i feel like i was trying to really smooth it out, and had it been another charge nurse that day they would have gotten the same complaint and sent it to the mgr as well

[jlcole45]

It sounds like the manager should have been involved from the beginning and should have asking the nurse that day to relay her side of the story. I do agree as the charge nurse that

it would have been nice to inform the nurse of the compliant. And perhaps the situation could have been dealt with right then and there.

[TeamRNc]

Thank You for your response

The manager was notified when the complaint was made, she was at home

The family was so upset it would not have been good for the nurse to go in right then but i still would have liked to have given her a heads up about the complaint. It was crazy busy but i suppose i could have called her at home. either way it wouldn't have changed the situation for her, the complaint was still made.