We've got a thread for what we'd like to say to our patients ... now onto what we'd like to say to a few (not all) of some of our fellow nasty nurse co-workers -- and I'm not even including our CNA's here -- I'm talking our fellow colleagues in nursing -- you know the ones I'm talking about:
1. Could some of you just be HUMAN for one day and not be out to get your fellow co-workers for one minute? How about showing a bit of forgiveness, and not walk around threatening to "write him or her UP" for every little nit picky thing you can find. It can come to bite you right back in the butt SOMEDAY.
2. Try laughing. Try some humor. Try a personality. Don't glare. Smile. Don't think I don't notice your little darting glares you throw at me all day -- I see them, and they poison my day.
3. Your co-workers are NOT the whipping board for every little thing that is wrong with your life, your relationships, your health, your finances, and your "woe is me" life problems. Take care of those at HOME and stop bringing them to work. Stop talking about them at work -- I'm seriously not into hearing about it. I have my own very real problems, but I don't burden everyone else with them. Wouldn't dream of it. But you do.
4. Could you also try siding with your co-workers and stop butt kissing the management? It's so tacky to do -- and it shows. You have no idea how very much it shows.
5. Do your job. Do your paperwork. Just do what is your responsibility on YOUR shift. Please stop leaving everything for the next nurse to "clean up." Give the extra five minutes and please clean up that chart so me, the nurse following you, does not get dragged down for the next 2 hours trying to fix it.
6. Try looking out for your fellow co-workers, and just not so much yourself. Work CAN be fun. Work can be full of camraderie and good will -- if folks like you could just be cleared out and re-trained. Nursing COULD be so much different -- if you'd just get out of your other-destructive patterns.
I don't have as many years in nursing as i'm sure some of you do -- but I'd love to hear more... I hope to God I don't recognize myself in any of these comments, or ever will.
To the Know-It-All who takes every opportunity to show everyone, especially physicians, how brilliant she is:
I'm not impressed. I could regurgitate information I have learned over the years and make them sound like my own original ideas, but it is just plain stupid. Besides, you make as many mistakes as any of us. How about easing up on trying to impress everyone and do your job? The fact that you completely fool so many people really grates me.
1) If the last place you worked was so much better, then take yourself back there. And we're all dying to know why you left, since you were so irreplaceable -- according to you.
2) If you don't like the way I do something, tell ME, not everyone else on the shift; telepathy was not in my job description
3) If I tell you I'm running late on my 6 am meds because I've had a bad night, I mean it; my patient didn't decide to die at shift change just to inconvienence you. And I stayed and got my meds caught up while you told everyone how "slow" I was.
4) If I've just called a wife and told her that her husband of 40 years has died, don't make a snarky remark about how the lab has been waiting for 5 minutes to get blood drawn from one of my patient's TLC lines when you've been sitting at the nurses station drinking a quart of coffee and eating the danish I brought (that I never got any of...) while I've called LifeNet, the funeral home, the doc, the wife, and the cadaver transporter. And you crowing "the lab's still waiting" every 2 minutes doesn't help.
Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.
1. Don't insult me by telling me I've done a 'good job' on an admit, when I have been nursing for 18 yrs...I am not a child, I have been working a lot longer than you have; just because I was an EN for most of that time doesn't mean that I didn't do the same work - including admits~!!!
2. Don't criticise me just because you can. I'm not the 'walkover'/'doormat' I used to be, and I now bite back
3. Remember that nursing is a 24 hour job; I have honestly done my best, and if I haven't been able to get everything done, its not because I haven't tried.
4. Don't talk behind my back; it really doesn't make for a good work environment.
5. Don't 'have a go' at me, just because I helped you out.
Wow, I feel like a cow writing all of this. There are so many good things our coworkers do...
"you are not being paid for attendance; do your job"; answer your call lights; check your IV's; return from lunch, break on time..others would like to go to lunch also!!
Some Sweary words come to mind..! BUT..I'm a well brought up gal, and I value my job, so I often rethink my replies before I have to extract my foot from wherever!
(Oh, Sometimes...to let your tongue loose would be sooooo satisfying!)
I am not on a power trip, Ms. CNA, but it IS your job to fill the water pitchers and I would do it if I had the time to sit on the phone like you...unfortunately I have 42 residents to pass meds to and 3 PEGs to flush...
If you MUST sign for meds you didn't administer, at least be smart about it and pop it out of the blister pack. I was here yesterday and I know that this is the same pack I started yesterday...why are we still at 29?
I am not doubting that you do a marvelous job some of the time but I guarantee you that you don't do a marvelous job ALL the time. HOW THE HECK is it possible that you just gave 2 complete bed baths during the commercial break of American Idol?!
Please stop eating off the resident's tray while feeding. He's looking at you with very sad eyes; I think he wanted that drumstick.
You signed off for that very complex dressing change, but, uh...those are MY initials and yesterday's date on the Omnifix.
I don't care that you don't like me. You don't have to. The great news is, I don't like you either. Now that we have that out of the way, can you please stop talking about me behind my back and try to get some work done?
I will change the resident's brief while I am in there if s/he is soiled and I have the time. However, if I change it this time don't expect me to change it next time just because you are too lazy to. It really is your job, I just don't mind helping WHEN I HAVE TIME.
I know nightshift is a bear. I know you didn't get any sleep today because your kids were home. BUT if I catch you sleeping in the empty bed one more time I will write you up. Despite what you may believe, you are NOT being paid to bring the unit census to capacity.
MzMouse
295 Posts
To the Know-It-All who takes every opportunity to show everyone, especially physicians, how brilliant she is:
I'm not impressed. I could regurgitate information I have learned over the years and make them sound like my own original ideas, but it is just plain stupid. Besides, you make as many mistakes as any of us. How about easing up on trying to impress everyone and do your job? The fact that you completely fool so many people really grates me.