"Did you report her?"

treysdaddy08 · Sep 7, 2007

I've seen this phrase many times so far on this forum. For me, it would have to be a totally serious offense to go and tell on a co-worker. I get the feeling that some people here are tattletales and like to get their co-workers in trouble.
Have you ever reported something about a co-worker to your manager? Have you ever been reported? What would make you turn in a co-worker?

Yes, I've reported on a coworker. One of our residents had a disabled arm (I don't know the med term for it). It was basically stuck in a bent position, with his upper R arm against his body, and his hand by his armpit. She was trying to put a gown on him and literally held his arm down with her knee while doing it. I didn't think she realized what she was doing was wrong, but I did report her.

Yes, I've been reported. It was just for stupid things that I needed to be made aware weren't appropriate. I'm glad for them because I would rather be told I'm doing something wrong then be gossiped about.

HopeItWorksDNP · Sep 7, 2007

Yes. I have reported a co-worker. I can provide examples as long as I am tall of what I deem "negligence" and "delays in pt care". I overlooked many, many cases of bad nursing on her part. Did I want to report her? No. I regard her as a friend. But talking to her was doing no good. Giving her examples of actions that were inappropriate did no good. She just regards it as "being picked on." After a delay of 3 hours on a critically ill pt with a GI bleed, I just can't take it anymore. If her behavior is causing ME to lose sleep, then things need to change. I have actually reported her twice in less than a 2 week period and will be reporting her again tomorrow for falsifying vital signs on a septic pt. And yes, I have proof of the falsification.

She will probably be fired. This is not something I want to happen. But I also do not want to see someone die because of lack of appropriate care when I knew it was an issue. The key thing to remember here is we're not making shoes. We're dealing with peoples' lives and yes, as hard as it is, there are times we need to "tattle".

faithful11 · Sep 7, 2007

I've seen this phrase many times so far on this forum. For me, it would have to be a totally serious offense to go and tell on a co-worker. I get the feeling that some people here are tattletales and like to get their co-workers in trouble.
Have you ever reported something about a co-worker to your manager? Have you ever been reported? What would make you turn in a co-worker?

Someone asked me this in another thread---and I think I explained pretty well what happened. There ARE staff who run to management with EVERY LITTLE THING. "so and so went to lunch at 1131 and it is now 1239 and she isn't back yet!" and who came to work 4 minutes late, who does this and that. Now, me...having worked forensic psych for a long time---THOSE little things don't get to me. I mean, coming back 30min late from lunch on the regular, yes, being 5 min. late rarely---NO. It gets old, really fast.

Now, the things I have spoken up about---involved a staff treating ALL the other staff on the floor as if we were idiots, and then verbally abusing (cursing and yelling) another staff and having a tirade saying "I am tired of debbie and her bullshit! I am writting her aZ up!":nono: I wrote a letter of concern to the Unit Supervisor. I basically expressed my concern for the milieu of the unit (working with patients, I don't feel that a person in charge, or any staff, needs to yell and scream at anyone and curse staff out etc...LET ALONE in front of the PATIENTS, which is what she did), I expressed concern regarding the importance of a person left in a position of charge, needing to EXHIBIT some control and some structure, as well as respect for those working under her that day. I expressed concern that "writing someone up" should not be used as a threat--nor should it be broadcast to the rest of us.

This far, I have been blessed to never have witnessed any overt patient abuse...well, actually the person above did curse at a patient and is often loud, but I spoke with the supervisor about her mouth---but then everyone on our floor (the psychiatrists included) have spoken up about her mouth. She tones it down for a while, then it comes back.

Anyhoo---yes, as others have said, it takes some blatant abuse or neglect or something just FOUL to make me "report" someone. Another form of reporting is reporting ABUSE, which I never want to have to witness or be wrapped up in giving a witness statement, and everyone around me knows this. Don't abuse patients AROUND ME. I told the chick above "some people are liars, and they try to get you by lying on you...I don't lie and I don't do people dirty---but please don't ever put me in the position to have to tell the TRUTH on you, because the truth can hurt people more than any lie." :nono:

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2007

I absolutely HATE workplace snitches and tattletales. They're the most scummy people in the world.

Yes, I've been reported before.

I would only report a coworker for being under the influence, or for purposely harming patients.

JazzyRN · Sep 7, 2007

when working with a bunch of women, there will be some degree of cattiness. i find in some institutions, the nurses LOVE to report or write someone up. I think this kind of thing is completely ridiculous. Now dont get me wrong, certain things do need to be reported, but not every damn little thing that may go wrong. That is one of my biggest pet peeves. Why run to the manager before talking to the individual? I especially dislike when more senior nurses are quick to write up the novice nurse. They are new, they will make mistakes as we all do. If no one got hurt, just highlight the mistake and how to do it better to them and move on. Ive never been reported, but I have seen many nurses report coworkers for stupid things. We should be working as a team, remember that.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2007

I get the feeling that some people here are tattletales and like to get their co-workers in trouble.

Welcome to the club. Most of the female-dominated professions are stuffed to the brim with snitches, tattletales, and jealous people. Nursing is one of the most female-dominated professions in existence today, and it fits the profile with perfection. My opinion might stir some controversy, but I am calling it as I see it.

Most of the male-dominated professions (physicians, engineers, CEOs, police, etc) have protective cultures. Nurses will tattle on each other in a split second, but you simply do not see this occurring in other professions. Nurses will frequently report other nurses to the BON, but male doctors will often cover for each other unless something extreme occurs. Policemen abide by the secretive blue code of silence, and will not snitch on each other unless the circumstances are extenuating. Male CEOs will cover for each other until the end, as long as the bottom line is being met. Engineers are not known for ratting each other out.

As nurses, we've got to stop bringing each other down!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2007

Here's more of my opinion. The nursing profession attracts a fair share of women with low self-esteems. People who live with chronically low self esteems crave plenty of validation and ego-boosting in order to feel better about themselves. Unfortunately, the quickest way for some of these nurses with low self esteem to feel temporarily better about themselves is to tattle, snitch on coworkers, write other nurses up, or report petty wrongdoings. The nurse feels a sense of control every time she reports someone, and her low self esteem receives a false lift upward.

busy-bee · Sep 7, 2007

Where I work staff whines about every little thing.....if I reported everything, I wouldn't be able to do my job. I handle it myself but usually it comes back several weeks later, quit differently than it really happened.

montieICURN · Sep 7, 2007

where i work, if there is conflict betw staff, mgmt won't even listen to us.
they expect us to handle it, being the adults that we are.
Wow is that refreshing. My manager added a new duty to the charge nurse role. Check the rooms every morning to make sure everything is tidy and tell the nurse, and write it up. BS. Micromanager. I told her I think the nurse following should make walking rounds, per policy, and address it right then and there with the off-going nurse. Get real. Peer pressure is the best medicine. Don't go crying to mommy. And yes, nursing is 24/7. If your patient is coding for 1/2 a shift, sometimes you need a helper to clean up the mess.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 7, 2007

when working with a bunch of women, there will be some degree of cattiness.

:angryfire

Evangeline2000 · Sep 7, 2007

The tech wasn't fired, btw. Lucky for her I didn't have the power to do so.

Wow, amazing. She treated a patient like trash, and she wasn't even sorry, yet kept her job???

She must have been awfully certain she wouldn't be fired........:angryfire

NYnurseatheart · Sep 7, 2007

I wasn't sure if this is the place to discuss this, but I did not report a co-worker one time, simply because I was sure no one would believe me. I was working the end of a 12 hour shift in the ICU - when a co-worker came in at 3 am, to work a 4 hour shift to cover someone else. She came in, got report, then proceeded to sit at the desk for the remainder of her shift. She spent the four hours sitting at the computer, doing work not related to her patients. She had not even gone into any of her patients rooms when she started charting on them. If I had not been there, I would never have believed it. What was most surprising to me, was that, because I was right next to her (at the next computer, I could see essentially what she was charting, essentially repeating what the nurse had told her in report. She had been working in the ICU for 20 years, and was the assistant director, one of the most respected nurses on the unit, with an extrordinary amount of knowledge.

I was dumbfounded that she would chart on her patients without even laying eyes on them. I think she went in at the end of the shift to give a couple of meds, but it was certainly after she had charted on them. I pulled another nurse aside and asked if they had ever seen anyone do that before, and if they had ever seen that particular nurse do that, and she essentially gave me hell. She informed me that the other nurse had been there much longer than I had been, and that I shouldn't ruin her reputation. Although I had been a nurse for over 10 years at that point, I didn't feel comfortable confronting the nurse about what she was doing, though I know now that I should have. Luckily, none of her patients were very critical (for the ICU), or I might have been compelled to take my complaint higher up.

I never did look at that nurse the same, as I could no longer look up to her.

Has anyone here ever witnessed this? What did you do?

NY Nurse at Heart