We have a newer coworker at one of my jobs. She seems to be universally annoying everyone there. She seems to want to intrude in every conversation with over sharing about her own life. She will show photo after photo of her cat in different poses and other really boring things. She has some shopping fetishes that she goes into great detail about.
She is a physically very large woman both in height and girth. She has a poor sense of personal space and gets into peoples bubbles. Not only that, she butts into patient care with grandstanding and trying to direct the person to do things her way right in front of the patient. She is extremely bossy and obtuse regarding how she's coming across. And any little fault she comes across she writes up. She's also poked into other people's charts for no reason.
I get the feeling that she is socially starved. How do you all deal with somebody like this? I think people are being nice enough to her face, but there is a lot of backbiting going on about how she is driving them crazy.
Well, that certainly doesn't do a whole lot to encourage teamwork and promote the idea that we are all accountable for every patient. Heck, it only works out practically-speaking on a unit where no one ever helps anyone else.
I don't prefer to encourage this particular trend. I don't even think hospitals "believe in it," but they know it provides control and, when needed, expediency in dealing with staff issues just like the one we are discussing. It's no wonder we remain cogs in the wheel...so very little collective insight.
This is a judgement call. If you see someone looking at a chart to learn, I would not report it. If you see someone looking at the chart of someone they know, because they are nosey, then that probably should be reported. In this case, it sounds to me like she is looking at the charts to monitor the other nurses. If she is looking at your patient's chart, I absolutely think you can ask why. This could lead to any answer and judgement would be needed to determine if you should report it to manager.
Good reasons to look at another person's chart
"I want to see how you documented that narrative so I can learn."
"I want to see the trend in this pts vitals so I can learn"
Bad Reasons
"I heard (insert gossipy info here), and I want to know if it's true"
-I have not reported someone who has done this but I know others who have, and I do not blame. If I saw someone do this as a pattern, I would be far more likely to report it than an isolated incident.
"I wanted to look and see if you charted that intervention correctly"
-I would be more likely to tell my manager about this. This is an incredibly aggressive behavior and should not be tolerated. Passive aggressive behavior creates an environment that can impact patient care. Occasionally we make make a mistake, but a continuing pattern of this behavior should not be tolerated. It's incredibly toxic and can have consequences to the patients, as care can be disrupted by this behavior. If someone is willing to go into patient charts to exert passive aggressive control, that definitely needs an intervention. And that doesn't mean she needs to lose her job or be punished. But management should make it clear that she is playing with fire by looking at these charts when she shouldn't be. They should focus primarily on the disruption of staff by her behavior pattern and work to correct that behavior.
The personal space issue and talking about the same thing over and over again and her not knowing how to act appropriate in social situations sounds a little bit like asperger's syndrome. I have it, and sometimes I'm not aware that I offend people with the things I say, although I have learned a bit more how to read social cues. I'm also mostly introverted though, which she doesn't seem to be.
I would definitely talk 1:1 over coffee...share her strengths first...then talk about the things that bother you and then praise and give positive enforcement afterwards. Let her know your "boundaries" so she doesn't make you a "Dear Abby" kind of coworker, coming to you with all her peer problems. I usually start my conversations about conflicts with something like, "I wanted to talk to you today, face to face about something I am not sure you're even aware of...." I close it with something like, "It was really hard for me to come to you, but I know that I would want it done for me rather than it being the topic of gossip. I know that from here on out, you're going to respect my boundaries and we are going to work great together!" Hope it helps...just my 2 cents.
Yes, i wud like to add, i have been this co worker desperate for connection due this life circumstances...And i so appreciate the kind mature responses...Not everyone had family, friends, etc
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This is a judgement call. If you see someone looking at a chart to learn, I would not report it. If you see someone looking at the chart of someone they know, because they are nosey, then that probably should be reported. In this case, it sounds to me like she is looking at the charts to monitor the other nurses. If she is looking at your patient's chart, I absolutely think you can ask why. This could lead to any answer and judgement would be needed to determine if you should report it to manager.
Good reasons to look at another person's chart
"I want to see how you documented that narrative so I can learn."
"I want to see the trend in this pts vitals so I can learn"
Bad Reasons
"I heard (insert gossipy info here), and I want to know if it's true"
-I have not reported someone who has done this but I know others who have, and I do not blame. If I saw someone do this as a pattern, I would be far more likely to report it than an isolated incident.
"I wanted to look and see if you charted that intervention correctly"
-I would be more likely to tell my manager about this. This is an incredibly aggressive behavior and should not be tolerated. Passive aggressive behavior creates an environment that can impact patient care. Occasionally we make make a mistake, but a continuing pattern of this behavior should not be tolerated. It's incredibly toxic and can have consequences to the patients, as care can be disrupted by this behavior. If someone is willing to go into patient charts to exert passive aggressive control, that definitely needs an intervention. And that doesn't mean she needs to lose her job or be punished. But management should make it clear that she is playing with fire by looking at these charts when she shouldn't be. They should focus primarily on the disruption of staff by her behavior pattern and work to correct that behavior.