Scary co-worker. What to do?

[blondenurse12, MSN, NP]

I have a new co-worker who is a new grad NP. She is endangering patients because of her lack of clinical competence. She is writing inappropriate prescriptions, overdosing people on meds, not getting weights on peds patients for dosing, and is not sending really ill patients to higher levels of care.

I have alerted my superior to the issue and the co-workers has apparently been counseled on numerous occasions but the mistakes keep coming. My superior told me I could speak to this co-workers because I have been the one to have to clean up all her errors. I have refrained from saying anything because I thought my superior would take care of it.

Now, I don't know what to do. I feel for my co-worker because she is new but she doesn't know the most basic things. I also am concerned that if she gets involved in a lawsuit, I'm going to get fried because I am well aware of her subpar skills/dangerous behaviors. Am I doing enough since I passed it along to my superior?

[sauce]

If they aren't going to address it then you will have to. Just ask her why she does what she does and see if she's open to correction. If not then you could always hint to the boss you feel as if you may need to go elsewhere to prevent getting caught in the net.

This type is situation is very common and is one of the many proofs that NP school is too easy and our boards are laughable. Just had to throw that in there.

[caliotter3]

If they aren't going to address it then you will have to. Just ask her why she does what she does and see if she's open to correction. If not then you could always hint to the boss you feel as if you may need to go elsewhere to prevent getting caught in the net.

This type is situation is very common and is one of the many proofs that NP school is too easy and our boards are laughable. Just had to throw that in there.

I suspected as much. One does not need to be a nurse with a lot of experience to know that you weigh a child to prescribe according to the weight of the child. It is too bad that the consequences of the actions of inexperienced providers are not shared by the institutions that produced those providers. I think all NP programs should have a minimum experience level as part of the admissions criteria. JMO

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Do you have a corporate compliance hotline?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

A couple things stick out:

1. Have you documented your conversations in a written letter to your supervisor?

2. I'm gathering this is a private practice? Have you spoken with the supervising physician?

3. I agree with other poster - talk to her and see where she is coming from....

[Alicia777, MSN, NP]

I would start to keep track of these situations and alert your supervising physicians.

Yes, speak with her directly too about mistakes. If you are not correcting her than it sounds like no one else will either.

Sucky situation all around...

[blondenurse12, MSN, NP]

I work for a large company and we have physicians available via the phone but they do not come by in person. I have spoken to the one assigned to my clinic because I wanted guidance to fix a mistake the other NP made. I have sent multiple emails to my supervisor about this, so there is a paper trail. They have the NP who oriented her reviewing her charts and offering suggestions but it seems like nothing is helping.

I just don't want to get into the situation where she is accusing me of bullying her or something. But she seems really laissez faire and not really aware of how scary these things she is doing really are.

[sadiemae1123]

Maybe you can approach it as just sharing information, to see how open the NP is to advancing their knowledge base.

I.E. - Hey, New NP, I just found agree at app to help calculate peds dosages. Or, email them an easy to follow flow sheet for diabetes treatment.

If they're open to that maybe you can offer to mentor them since they are new. Try to put a positive spin on it so they don't feel bullied.

Hopefully, this is just a case of someone putting on a facade of confidence and being too uncertain of you and other coworkers to ask questions.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

If you work for a large company, you probably have a corporate compliance hotline.

[Jules A, MSN]

If you are involved to the point of doing anything with her patients or charts you absolutely will get drug into court if she harms someone. Imo it is not your responsibility to intervene it is her supervisors. If they don't do something proactive immediately I would consider notifying the board of nursing.

I'm particular about where I work and would not stay with an organization that has an overtly incompetent provider working without supervision especially not with pediatric patients.

[blondenurse12, MSN, NP]

If you work for a large company, you probably have a corporate compliance hotline.

Yes, we do have one but my supervisor is going to know it's me. Myself, the new grad's preceptor, and my supervisor are the only people who are aware this is going on. I don't want to jeopardize myself in that type of way. I guess I should just bite the bullet and talk to the other NP.

[Jules A, MSN]

I don't want to jeopardize myself in that type of way. I guess I should just bite the bullet and talk to the other NP.

And that will suddenly instill in her the knowledge and insight to practice safely? Unfortunately my moneys not on that scenario working out.