Rotten co-worker. Need Help!

Don't do anything rash. Continue being the kind of worker that you are. Go into work every day...do your job to the best of your ability. Take pride in your work! Eventually your other co-workers will see that kind of person that you are and not pay any attention to the one who is bad-mouthing you. If the one co-worker continues to spend more time w/ the male worker, I wouldn't hesitate to continue to mention it to the charge nurse. Even knowing that she will continue to bad-mouth you. It eventually will all be water under the bridge.

Keep letting the charge nurse know what is going on...when I have situations like this when I am the charge I want to know. Then usually I get to play staff babysitter...which is no fun, but needs to be done and documented for any reviews!

That is unexceptable behavior for a professional that is supose to be tending her patients, and concerned about her patients well being at all times during shift!

You did the right thing, just sadly as we all know it usually backfires so you have to be very careful and PC. You will get to know your fellow employees over time and what type of correction on different behaviors seem appropriate...took me a while! (some I can talk to, some I need to report right away, some I will have the superior talk to while I am present so I can give my grievences in their presence...etc.).

Writing out a complaint will only make you look like a "tattle tale." Going to the nursing manager is also being perceived as tattling. We come across this from time to time and its usually with co-workers who have been working on the same shift for years. A new fresh face is a threat and when they see how eager you are and willing to learn etc. they perceive this as an intrusion into their turf. Its a very fine line that you walk when you are no. 1. younger and no. 2 new to the facility and no. 3. bright and enthusiastic about your work. Its hard to let this slide like "water on a ducks back" but that's what you need to do as an immediate response to theirs. It sounds like you did not escalate it by responding in like manner. It would only be bringing yourself down to their level. You need to show them by kind word and deed that you are bigger than that. The next thing you need to do is discuss this with the RN in charge of your floor. Hopefully you have a good working relationship with her. Perhaps she has a working relationship with this other co-worker and can approach her on your behalf in a way that you can't. She may have a more holistic view of the pattern of co-worker relationships on the floor and better able to go to bat for you in a way that your nursing manager/supervisor can't see either. If that doesn't work, I usually then as the nurse in charge of the floor, would go and speak to the nursing manager/ DOC about it. That takes you a bit off the hook as far as peer pressures/bullying/"tattle tailing" and you have support. If the RN/nsg manager/DOC are not being supportive, it is very hard to deal with, and all you can really do is in any case be the best you can be at work and in the end the chips will fall in the right place and just by your example, you will be vindicated. But it is not very easy going it alone, for sure! Best of luck to you - hold on and give things a chance to work through.

Hello "noseinabooknurse" :)

Let's say that you were "Nurse Cindy", and she were you (the CNA). If the CNA was not doing her job, would you have written her up? Told the nurse manager?

Nurses write up CNAs all the time for "slacking" on the job...not being where they are supposed to be, etc. So, what makes it okay for nurses to write up CNAs in situations like that, and dislike it when CNAs write them up for the same behavior?

Just because "Cindy" is a nurse slacking on the job, doesn't mean she should get away with that behavior on the job.

Therefore, I'd write her up. I could care less what petty names the staff would call me for doing so, and I would care less if they "liked" me or not. I don't go to work to make friends of those I work with for this very reason. When they are wrong, they are wrong, and something needs to be done about it. Professionalism on the job is what is important...not "our feelings" about corrective action when it is necessary for the employees who need it.

Wow, I wish I had CNA's as conscientious and as hard working as you!

It would make my workdays much easier. I encountered more 'attitude' from the CNA's in the ER (most were EMT's and not used to getting requests from RN's).

Along with everything else in healthcare, documentation is the golden rule. Write your experiences down, in as objective and nonjudgemental attitude as you can muster up. Continue working as you have been -- you're doing your job for your patients, and that's what really matters.

If this nurse keeps acting like a two year old, then keep telling the charge nurse. Eventually, the charge will get sick of babysitting the RN and things will change. The RN will either change her ways or find other employment.

You're doing a good job, and be proud of yourself. CNA's do the hardest and the most work in hospitals, and for a good one, I'd go to the mat.

Best of luck to you.

Well, Cindy is not a nurse. She is a CNA right along with me and I was sharing mine and her workload. I cant write her up. Only my charge nurse can.

Hello "noseinabooknurse" :)

Let's say that you were "Nurse Cindy", and she were you (the CNA). If the CNA was not doing her job, would you have written her up? Told the nurse manager?

Nurses write up CNAs all the time for "slacking" on the job...not being where they are supposed to be, etc. So, what makes it okay for nurses to write up CNAs in situations like that, and dislike it when CNAs write them up for the same behavior?

Just because "Cindy" is a nurse slacking on the job, doesn't mean she should get away with that behavior on the job.

Therefore, I'd write her up. I could care less what petty names the staff would call me for doing so, and I would care less if they "liked" me or not. I don't go to work to make friends of those I work with for this very reason. When they are wrong, they are wrong, and something needs to be done about it. Professionalism on the job is what is important...not "our feelings" about corrective action when it is necessary for the employees who need it.

Not to start anything negative, but my question is...how did Cindy know it was you who complained? Did the charge nurse talk to her as if she also noticed that she was slacking, or did she say "so and so is complaining that you aren't pulling your load." Have to be careful in who you talk to. Sad but true. This should have been solved diplomatially and in a way that didn't point the finger at you. The charge nurse should have observed her behavior personally and then talked to her. She eventually did some work, but now you seem to be getting the brunt of her anger. I feel really bad that you're going through this. You might want to talk to Cindy about this. If that doesn't help matters, then I'd go up the chain. A grown woman should not behave this way...especially as a professional.

No, I heard my nurse tell Cindy this "Do you mind helping lay people down?" I think that either someone was around a corner and heard me tell the nurse she was slacking off and then ran off and gossiped it. either way, both were grown women! I cant belive this is happening. Yesterday I ment to my locker at work and on my name tag that I had made myself, in black ink, the word for a femal dog was written all over it. Yes, B!t$#. It broke my heart and I cried almost my whole 12 hour shift. life is life i suppose but that shouldnt be happening at all.

Not to start anything negative, but my question is...how did Cindy know it was you who complained? Did the charge nurse talk to her as if she also noticed that she was slacking, or did she say "so and so is complaining that you aren't pulling your load." Have to be careful in who you talk to. Sad but true. This should have been solved diplomatially and in a way that didn't point the finger at you. The charge nurse should have observed her behavior personally and then talked to her. She eventually did some work, but now you seem to be getting the brunt of her anger. I feel really bad that you're going through this. You might want to talk to Cindy about this. If that doesn't help matters, then I'd go up the chain. A grown woman should not behave this way...especially as a professional.

No, I heard my nurse tell Cindy this "Do you mind helping lay people down?" I think that either someone was around a corner and heard me tell the nurse she was slacking off and then ran off and gossiped it. either way, both were grown women! I cant belive this is happening. Yesterday I ment to my locker at work and on my name tag that I had made myself, in black ink, the word for a femal dog was written all over it. Yes, B!t$#. It broke my heart and I cried almost my whole 12 hour shift. life is life i suppose but that shouldnt be happening at all.

Oh I see. My bad. I feel terrible about the message written all over your locker. :angryfire Its disgusting that "adults" would act that way. It sounds like they never left junior high. You may have to sit down with Cindy and try to work this all out. If that doesn't work, I'd go up the chain. This is affecting your work and will affect your patients. This has to stop. You are most certainly being the bigger person here. Just know that you're doing the right thing. Please keep us updated. We're all thinking of you.

Maria

Well, Cindy is not a nurse. She is a CNA right along with me and I was sharing mine and her workload. I cant write her up. Only my charge nurse can.

Excuse me for getting confused about Cindy being a nurse. My bad. Scratch that part. :)

Even though she is a CNA like you, the same applies. A CNA can write up another CNA to her/his Charge Nurse or Nurse Manager. I've seen it done many times by CNAs I've worked with in years past. :)

Sorry to read you are the "bone these dogs are chewing on". You have a right to expect the team members to pull their weight. I would request a sit down meeting with this CNA, have an objective person (witness) present, like the charge nurse. Tell this Cindy you feel as if you are doing more than your fair share of the work. You are not interested in gossip, cat fights, or having a unfair label placed on you. If she has a problem with you now is the time to get it out in the open, after that, listen to what she says, and get it settled. If she continues to slack, write the occurances up. Remember she will be keeping her eyes on you too. Give things a chance to settle down, if after a few weeks this is still going on, move up the chain, if no action is taken, move on out of the door. There are plenty of places to work that want and need good, caring workers.