So fed up with my coworker

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Hello everyone! I used to post here last year when I was graduating nursing school but cant remember my screen name. You all helped me so much, I was hoping for some advice once again.

I work at a small hospital that only staffs around 10 RN's. We all bust our behinds working extra shifts due to being short staffed. Here is where my issue is. We have two as needed nurses who work to fill in holes in the schedule, but we are still short.

We have one as needed nurse however who isn't willing to work any shifts for anyone and it really irks me. I am work my three days but if I ever need a day off, she never agrees to cover, like ever. She works only a few times a month. She has 4 kids under 5 years old I think and she's always using that as an excuse not to work. It really puts all the rest of us in a bind when she refuses to cover.

I don't even know why my boss keeps her around honestly, you can tell she doesn't like being there even when she has a scheduled shift. We (all us full timers) talk about it all the time. What good is having as needed employees if they aren't pulling their weight when we're short? I do not get it. Its not fair, I want to be able not to work but unfortunately I have bills to pay. I asked her once why she doesn't pick up more shifts and she just said "because I don't have to", which is really rude in my opinion.

Another thing, she gives the boss the days SHE wants to work and the boss schedules us around that. She doesn't pick up weekends or holidays ever so I am really dreading my December schedule since the other as needed nurse is leaving in a few weeks.

I really want to bring it up with my boss. I don't think its fair at all, I just don't know how to approach the subject with her. Any thoughts? Would you tolerate this from a coworker?

I worked PRN as a tech while I finished school. It's no one's business why any PRN employee works the number of shifts they do. The security of benefits and full time pay is sacrificed for the flexibility to work whenever they want. Do not attack the choices of your colleagues. She doesn't owe you an explanation any more than you need to explain why you work full-time. Raising a family is an enormous responsibility and working PRN may be what works best for their schedule. It is not becoming to be so judgemental towards a working mother trying to do right by her children.

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Except that she has only been there a short time, and the other nurses have likely been there much longer. I can almost guarantee that the gossipy atmosphere was there before the OP got there, and unless there is a full turnover of staff, it will be there long after she leaves.

The OP is new, young and impressionable. Under those circumstances, it's easy to succumb to the environment where you work, good or bad. Luckily, she came here and we showed her the error of her ways.

Yeah but that's all supposition. And furthermore, she is the only one who can be accountable for HER actions.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Yeah but that's all supposition. And furthermore, she is the only one who can be accountable for HER actions.

I totally agree. And if we are to believe her last post, she understands now how misguided her actions and opinions were. Maybe she can help be a change agent to make her unit be a little more supportive of each other, and make it a place where gossip and backstabbing are not part of the culture.

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I totally agree. And if we are to believe her last post, she understands now how misguided her actions and opinions were. Maybe she can help be a change agent to make her unit be a little more supportive of each other, and make it a place where gossip and backstabbing are not part of the culture.

You have a good point there. Maybe this will be a positive take-away, never know

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Falling victim to a toxic environment of grumpy old hens? Oh no. It sounds as if the OP and her friends were causing the toxic environment all by themselves. I haven't read about any "grumpy old hens".

You're right. I realize now that she probably does have a pretty good idea how people feel about her, and that is toxic. It was easy to join in with all the complaining and gossip and that's my fault not anyone elses. I am embarrassed, I tried to take the post down or delete it because the more I read it the more humiliating it is, I couldn't figure out how to though(which serves me right).

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
You're right. I realize now that she probably does have a pretty good idea how people feel about her, and that is toxic. It was easy to join in with all the complaining and gossip and that's my fault not anyone elses. I am embarrassed, I tried to take the post down or delete it because the more I read it the more humiliating it is, I couldn't figure out how to though(which serves me right).

Don't take it down-you may help someone else who has your line of thinking; call it a teachable moment :)

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Specializes in Psychiatric nursing; Medical-Surgrical.
Years ago, one of my part time colleagues walked up to me where I was innocently sitting in the break room, eating my lunch.

"You need to work Christmas for me," she said. "I have a little kid and you have no life."

I might have worked Christmas for her if she had politely requested a switch. But after what she said to me, I vowed NEVER to switch with her EVER unless is was for my benefit. Furthermore, when I told my friends what she had said, they expressed the same vow.

I did work Christmas for someone that year -- someone ELSE. And the five friends who also came to the same NYE party also switched with someone ELSE. If you (not the poster to whom I'm replying, but to the collective "you") want to vastly decrease the pool of colleagues who will switch with you at any given time, continue to behave with as little class and as much entitlement as possible.

Oh boy [emoji23]I love allnurses! And you[emoji121]🏽️are my kinda girl...good job for what you did. How dare she[emoji19][emoji19]I would make that vow too.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
You're right. I realize now that she probably does have a pretty good idea how people feel about her, and that is toxic. It was easy to join in with all the complaining and gossip and that's my fault not anyone elses. I am embarrassed, I tried to take the post down or delete it because the more I read it the more humiliating it is, I couldn't figure out how to though(which serves me right).

We've all had those moments AFTER we've come to realize how monumentally stupid we've been and how we've just proven it by posting it. Live and learn. You won't make that mistake again!

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I really feel like, perhaps, you have a misunderstanding of what prn means. I do have a full time job (in management) but I also work prn for a small home health agency. Prn is as needed by the employee...not the employer (necessarily). The employee let's management know when they can work, how many days, etc... Its not meant for other employees to use them when THEY need it.

I agree I think your frustration is misguided...hope it gets worked out!

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Well, there is always the organizations policy? They must have a policy for this situation, how many weekend shifts in a pay period, or holidays? I suggest you take your concerns to management? Fair is fair and if you can not find coverage for a shift and you've asked, then bring your concerns to management. Having kids is difficult, so bless her heart. But if you are hired for a job with specific requirements then you need to make it happen.

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The reason I didn't ask for the day off in advance is that Friday is my normal day off. I have probably worked maybe 5 Fridays since I was hired. I fully thought I would not be scheduled. My boyfriend and his family go camping that weekend every year and I just really wanted it to become a tradition for us as a couple.

I know that family is important to everyone and having a bunch of kids is hard work. I shouldn't have said lazy, what I meant by that was I cant even fathom the amount of free time someone who works a few days a month would have. Working an extra shift once in a while is no big deal to me I guess.

I haven't worked before getting my RN. I graduated high school, went to college and went to work right away. Maybe I am just not used to people being able to come and go as they please in regards to work.

And I guess I DID have the wrong idea of her position. It lists her as "as needed" or casual so I assumed that meant her job included being available when she was needed to cover holes in the schedule.

Get a little more life experience dear before you start qualifying how others spend their non-working hours. Camping? With your boyfriend? Bless your little heart....

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Specializes in OB.
You're right. I realize now that she probably does have a pretty good idea how people feel about her, and that is toxic. It was easy to join in with all the complaining and gossip and that's my fault not anyone elses. I am embarrassed, I tried to take the post down or delete it because the more I read it the more humiliating it is, I couldn't figure out how to though(which serves me right).

By the time you are my age you will have many incidents on which to look back in embarrassment. Forgive yourself, change the behavior and it will help you to be understanding when others do something to put their foot in it.

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