Re: Welcome to the Stress Management Forum!

Hi everyone, I guess i am in stress mode at work now. It's not nursing it's the co-workers. I love my job and have been there for 2 years. I work in geriatrics and love what i do. Until recently I have had nothing more than the usual concerns at work, but nothing horrible until now. We had a nurse who was promoted to an office position but was demoted because of lack of focus and poor attention and tardiness - by her own admission. she came back on the floor and has proceeded to make my life and another coworkers life hell. She is continually late, clocks in and then dresses for work. After report she disappears into the bathroom to curl her hair! She started out by undermining us with CNA's, rearranging the unit and med carts to her convienence. Management spoke with her but things continued. She has even allowed all cna's to leave floor at once to go to break together!! She was passing meds and said she would get the call lights. Now PLEASE do not take this wrong but since she is an LPN i have even tried pulling rank since i am an RN re: unsafe practices like letting all cna's leave floor at once. She just continued on. She allows therapy and other disciples to take my pt's without consulting me so I have no idea where my pt's went. Management decided we needed a meeting between the three of us (her, me and the other coworker). We cleared the air or so we thought. She continued on and this time started sabotaging our work. SHe opened my med cart while i was in a pt room and tried to tell me i left it open which I DID NOT:angryfire!! She just smiled and said well i don't know how it came open. My labs sent to Dr's disappeared, my telephone orders even disappeared. I again approached my unit manager and DON as I had concerns for my job integrity at this point:crying2:. They assured me they would take care of things. THen she proceeded to yell at me at the nurses station for turning on the reminisce radio for our residents (as we do every day) because she wants to play her christian music CD's on the computers at thenurses station (not allowed). I would not argue just told her this was not appropriate time or place after the 3rd time i told her the conversation was done and walked to another area on the unit. She has tried to turn the report room into her personal office also. Management stepped in and she was called into the office. What happened I do not know. She then accused my coworker (to management) of stealing 90 norco out of her bag at the nurses station (why would you even bring it to work?). Bottles of stock tylenol and ibupropen were disappearing (they had 1000 talblets in each). :banghead:We had had it at this point I asked to be removed from the unit and work else where in the facility. My request was granted and i did not see or hear from this nurse for 10 glorious days. Then Another nurse appproached my coworker and I and told us this nurse had told her that she knew we were going out and "getting stoned" at lunch and coming back to work high and glassy eyed. also that she was conducting a private investigation re: my coworker and theft as she believes she has been stealing from the residents and the facility. She felt it was wrong and should be stopped and wanted us to know what was going on in addition the night shift nurse had told her this nurse was telling her these stories also. I immediately turned in my resignation which my DON and HR person refused to accept. They asked me to reconsider. This nurse has been suspended for 10 days and we do not know if she is coming back but now the gossip at work has started. People are starting to add to the rumors or just repeating them. I want to quit and find another job which won't be hard to do but hate to let her think she has run me out. People talk and once these rumors get started they tend stick around awhile. I offered to go and take a drug test then and there and they declined. I just want to go to work and do my job but everything has changed. I asked my supervisior a silly question and she said "what are you on?" normally we would have laughed and moved on but she she then started appologizing and back tracking. This is crazy. I am i making a big deal out of this like management says or do i have a right to be stressed and upset:confused:? Sorry to go on and on but it does feel goodto get it off my chest. Have any of you been in this situation? how did you handle it?Any intuition is greatly appreciated.