The mean nurse coworker

[Mightymouse1212]

Hi fellow nurses! New here but excited to join. Here goes- I changed jobs last year & work with a GREAT group of cnas & nurses with the exception of one awful beast!

This nurse is a true Jekyll & Hyde. I didn't realize it at first but after an incident where she suddenly accused me of saying something I absolutely did NOT say or do our work relationship changed. I saw her as the monster she really is. I did immediately correct her accusation . Turned out- a CNA had complained about how nasty her attitude was & her & a different nurse had words while I was not even around mind you. Yet she accused me of it. Anyway - she treats all the cnas bad- she's hateful rude manipulative and just nasty. She does me the same and other nurses also.

Shes always complaining to the boss and thinks she's sneaky by leaving notes about everyone. She loves drama & confrontation.

I refuse drama & I told her so. I won't participate in it. I left an awful work place and I know how damaging it is.

She will go weeks without speaking a word to any of us & then when she decides to speak she's digging for info which we don't give. She even goes up & down my halls looking for stuff and thinks we don't notice. She's even woke my patients up several times going in their rooms!

She makes sarcastic comments too. Has no personality . We all avoid her. But it's so old. She makes 24 hours miserable. I would never ask her for help ever! I do everything for my 40 all alone- I even do things she's supposed to do because she waits too long to get things done. And I don't trust her. I don't like how she thinks we are supposed to be in her sights at all times. I'm grown and I do my job. She's had multiple staff and patient complaints while I've never had any. Ideas? I think she's got a mental problem.

[MedChica]

Just don't speak to the woman, at all. Listen to whatever she says and go on about your business. She's not in the chain of command. You don't have to have actual dialogue with her. I sympathize, however.

I've worked with 2 nurses like this:

1. The first one? The newer staff, after a time, would pull us to the side after she'd leave the area and ask, "How in the world do ya'll deal with her?"

We were used to her. She's an older nurse. Really lazy and a busybody. Weird thing about it, she actually meant well. Her personality was just to polarizing. You just had to 'look over' her and what she said, so to speak. She meant well.

2. The second one? Doesn't mean well. No one likes her. Nurses or aides. Some speak to her and talk negatively about her behind her back.

I spoke to her for a time but once she was promoted to management, she became 'big-headed'. Then, she began to abuse her position. She misuses the LVNs and aides. She does things because she thinks she can.

She's a young RN, btw.

We can't go to anyone because she's a close relative of management. The nurses aren't fighting back; they're just leaving.

I don't want to because I kind of need my shift as I'm a FT student.

Anyway, after she completely shafted those on my shift - supposed to pull meds but didn't and left at 11a delegating the med pass of 37 pts to me until our supv got there (I didn't, btw) - I completely dislike her.

Unless it's work-related, I don't speak to her. Half of the nurses don't speak to her. Do we all talk about her? Of course. LOL How the heck would I know that no one likes her and why?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

OK, you've decided you don't like this nurse. That's OK. But it sounds as if you're spending an inordinate amount of time talking about her. Perhaps she doesn't like you (and the other nurses) because you so obviously don't like HER. If you're gonna stay out of it and get along with everyone, they STAY out of it, and make an effort to be nice to everyone, including this nurse you so obviously don't like.

[OCNRN63, RN]

MedChica said:

Just don't speak to the woman, at all. Listen to whatever she says and go on about your business. She's not in the chain of command. You don't have to have actual dialogue with her. I sympathize, however.

I've worked with 2 nurses like this:

1. The first one? The newer staff, after a time, would pull us to the side after she'd leave the area and ask, "How in the world do ya'll deal with her?"

We were used to her. She's an older nurse. Really lazy and a busybody. Weird thing about it, she actually meant well. Her personality was just to polarizing. You just had to 'look over' her and what she said, so to speak. She meant well.

2. The second one? Doesn't mean well. No one likes her. Nurses or aides. Some speak to her and talk negatively about her behind her back.

I spoke to her for a time but once she was promoted to management, she became 'big-headed'. Then, she began to abuse her position. She misuses the LVNs and aides. She does things because she thinks she can.

She's a young RN, btw.

We can't go to anyone because she's a close relative of management. The nurses aren't fighting back; they're just leaving.

I don't want to because I kind of need my shift as I'm a FT student.

Anyway, after she completely shafted those on my shift - supposed to pull meds but didn't and left at 11a delegating the med pass of 37 pts to me until our supv got there (I didn't, btw) - I completely dislike her.

Unless it's work-related, I don't speak to her. Half of the nurses don't speak to her. Do we all talk about her? Of course. LOL How the heck would I know that no one likes her and why?

Hate to burst your bubble, but as a CNA, the nurses are part of the chain of command.

If OP would put half the effort into her work that she seems to put into finding things about this nurse to complain about, perhaps she wouldn't have time to worry about what the nurse may/may not be writing up for the manager. (She also wouldn't need to worry, because she'd be doing her job.)