Things you wish you could say to your co-workers...

[nurse4theplanet]

Ugh! Feeling a little frustrated today with some other newbie nurses (I am one myself). As part of orientation, we have several tasks that we have to complete and classes to attend. I find them very beneficial. However, it seems there are one or two immature individuals that insist on complaining, degrading, disregarding, and disrespecting every lecture, inservice and instructor/guest speaker that we have. It was easy to ignore at first, but now it seems it is spreading to other previously satisfied new grads who want to be part of this little group. Sometimes, I wish I could just speak my mind, but it would not be very professional...

- Yes, it is important that I know how to read EKGs forwards, backwards, and sideways in case my pt has a rhythm change and I need to intervene. :trout:

- Yes, I do need to know how to interpret ABGs even though we always have a respiratory therapist, because there are other assessment findings that I must take into consideration when providing treatment.

- Yes, I do want to learn how to read a 12 lead even though the diagnosis is generated at the top of the page...it is not always accurate.

- No, I don't want to have to move closer to hear the instructor/speaker because you want to gossip about how much you drank this weekend, your friend from highschool that got arrested, or which doctor you think is hot. I happen to think hemodynamics is an important aspect of critical care.

- No...I don't chart before I do something, I do follow the 'stupid' protocols, and I do take notes during these classes and read up on the newest recommendations outside of work. That's because I value my license.

- No...I don't know how you made it through nursing school either. :trout:

I guess I am just having a bad day. But being around this group for a few days reminds me of highschool too much. It's like watching an episode of the hills on MTV. :trout: It appalls me that some people lack such maturity and professionalism, yet choose an advanced area of practice. And then claim, they are going to apply for CRNA school after a year. Good luck with that when you don't even know the oral care protocol or why it's done.

[brendamyheart]

Re: Report - can we get to the pertinent information, like what happened in the last 24 hours, not what the patient did 3 wks ago?

Re: subordinates standing around, on the phone, talking loudly - don't you have something you should be doing? I don't want to hear how "busy" you are when I constantly see you standing around talking.

If your last job at ****** was so great - good wages, benefits, hours, co-workers, etc., Why on earth did you leave and please, feel free to go back!

I know for a fact we covered this information at least a couple of times before, what don't you understand?

Have you ever heard of reading a careplan? Following a careplan?

Why are the fall mats for that resident in bed leaning up against the wall? Are you expecting them to fly out of bed and hit the wall first before hitting the floor?

LOL on the mats

[squeakykitty]

How about charting the meals accurately!

I picked up a residents tray, and I know you didn't look at it because that resident didn't eat even near the amount you charted she did.

Sorta makes me wonder about your other charting.

[angel's RN]

:flamesonb Ya know what burns me up? Someone who goes to the DON, or better yet, the Board of Nursing, with aligations that are unfounded and untrue without coming to me first!!!!! This actually happened to me. A "better-than-thou" co-worker, who does no wrong, accused me of "pra

[angel's RN]

Ya know what burns me up? Someone who goes to the DON, or better yet, the Board of Nursing, with allegations that are untrue and unfounded, without talking to the "misakee" (is that a word?) first. This actually happened to me!! This "better-than-thou" co-worker, you know, the one that does no wrong? wrote an unsigned letter (can't spell the other word right now--been up about 36 hours) to the board acusing me of "practicing medicen beyond the scope of my license", WITHOUT talking to me, my director, or even the DON. Now I know that it is her right to complain to the board about anyone she wants, but if you are going to try to ruin someone's life/career, AT LEAST sign your name . Also, have your facts straight. If I was wrong in doing anything, it was a med. error, and personally I don't think that it was even that!!!

Long story short, it was her word against mine, and for some reason, the board actually listened to her UNSIGNED letter. The first guy that called me said that because it was unsigned, the board wouldn't pay it any attention. Then, 9 months later, I get a registered letter with all this information (best I not say anything else about the info.)

Well, that's my worth. The moral of the story is, PLEASE, talk to your co-worker first!:lol_hitti

's RN

[Chixie]

I hate the huffing and sighing thing myself.

As for people getting into my food---I would make this "special" sandwich--with a lot of habenero peppers. Those will take a layer of skin off the tongue. They are the hottest ones I know in the produce section, and I can remove them from the sandwich before I eat it.

The food/drink thing drives me round the bend!! Ive spent MY money on food for myself NOT every other member of staff. I dont drink/eat anyone elses stuff so please live mine alone as its incredibly depressing when i go to collect my lunch only to find someone has already eaten it and i have to go hungry until i get home 5 or so hours later :bluecry1:which isnt good for me at all.

Yes i appreciate that i am young (im 22) but just because i am younger than you doesnt mean that i have to get ALL the dirty jobs. You are a student as well and you can wipe butts and change sheets just as well as i can.i have no problems wiping butts but why call me everytime a patient needs wiping? have you lost the use of your hands?

Why is it ok for me to wash,shave,dress,feed and provide care for 3 patients but you can only do one? and then i have to pick up your dirty sheets/towels/mop up after you? hardly 'team work' is it?

Another thing, if i can get my family up,fed and dressed and myself to work for 6:50 why cant you get yourself up and to work for 7? you live with mummy and daddy who do everything for you.

If i shout for help then please help me, dont 'disapear'

Pull your weight

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

I work in the OR,....I would love to say:

- This job is not that difficult, please dont act like you are so intelligent because you work here.

_ No, I am not incompetent because I have only been doing this a few years instead of your 35 yrs or 25 yrs.

_If its not a good time to go for a break/lunch, fine, I get it....just dont expect me to come back when it *is* a good time for you, because thats not always possible.... you are not the only one who can run a room or pass instruments. Get over yourself.

_ Because you are a surgical tech with 20 yrs experience, and I am an RN with 1 experience in the OR, does not mean you get to treat me like the crap on the bottom of your shoe....yes, you might know more than me right now, but I can assure you, its most likely related to the locations of things, and soon, I'll eventually learn it too, and that will be the end to your attitude, hopefully

_ I am really trying to learn this stuff. Were you born knowing how to load suture, load a GIA, or mix Thrombin? No, didnt think so. So just remember what its like to be new and learning.

_ If you want fast turnover time, (management) then please have the stuff we need for a case available for us, or at LEAST in the VICINITY of where we can run and get it.

_Why are the licensed employees the only ones responsible for the work they do? If I give a wrong medication, in the course of my work as an RN...I am responsible. Why cant the OR assistant be equally responsible for doing their job? Like, why should it be ok for me to have to call you 3 times for lifting help, or a stretcher? HUndreds of those "minutes" wasted adds up to hours of wasted time....which hurts us all...

_ For turnover in an OR, there should be 2 teams. On one, the OR assistants, they should clean the bed, equipment, change the linens, etc..The other should be strictly environmental services...to clean the floors properly, and remove the biohazardous waste that is generated in the OR.

_Yes, I am new to the OR and have much to learn here. But please dont get that confused with me being a moron. there is life outside the OR, and believe it or not, there is stuff you do not know as well....

_ No, you dont need to "watch" me put in a foley. I have done it a hundred times,and it was never on an intubated anesthetized pt. They were awake, and actively trying to resist ....and I got it anyway...just because we are in the OR, doesnt change the fact that its still just a foley!!!

_ See one, do one, teach one...is a rediculous concept. Maybe thats why you are so miserable and bitter, because you had to learn that way. Well, we dont teach adult learners like that anymore!!!

_ You are not management. You dont get to pick and chose policy, hire new employees, etc.... your opinions count, but they are only opinions, and what needs to be done for pt safey trumps your "feelings"

_If you dont like your job, feel free to go back to school, and do whatever you wish. Its a free country.

_ Yes travelers are travelers, and they get paid more than you. But, if you wanted, you could go to an agency, and get the same deal. So quit hating. (no, im not a traveler, never have been)

_ You keep complaining about new nurses working 6 months and quitting. Did you ever wonder if its the toxic environment you pack of jackals provide the new employees with has a little something to do with it?

_ And I am not one of those people (yet lol). Please dont give me attitude because you assume I will quit. I would bet I am tougher than you, and your not scaring me one bit. So go ahead and bite , bark, whatever....but dont expect me to be intimidated and be ready to quit just because you were mean to me.... you are just not that important...really

_If you were a true professional, you would be fostering and welcoming new employees, mentoring them. Instead, you are insecure and act like the cool lunch table in 8th grade.

_ Really, whats your problem with new people? Your job is not going anywhere, Im not taking your job.....there is a nursing shortage,,,they need me, you, plus alot more....whats the deal?

wow, I could go on and on!!!!!!

[withasmilelpn]

To the immature nurse that always wants to go home because "she's sick." (Signed up for a double, but doesn't want to stay, again!) It is amazing how you get sick immediately after you argue with an alert patient about the meds being not the correct dose, leaving me to clean up your mess as superviser, because you can't handle it. A piece of advice, when a patient questions a dose, listen, because you could be wrong - AND YOU WERE! Esp. when it is COUMADIN!

It was equally amazing to see once we accepted the fact that you were not staying to complete your 11-7 part of your shift (she came in at 7pm), how healthy and well you were laughing and chatting on the phone waiting for us to finish so we could count for you.

Then to tell us yes of course you'll be in the next night 11-7 and turn your phone off and no call, no show... Can I give you your reference, please? I want to be sure that no one has the misfortune of hiring you as a nurse. Yes, everyone knows you are moving, and that is why you are screwing us over. Yes, no one wants you to stay here anyway. And by no showing, you won't miss a party, because no one wanted to give you one. (In fact, when you wanted to leave that night, many of your co-workers said good, even though it was changeover and we had no one to replace you.)

If you decide to get a job as a nurse, please grow up, assess your patients, use your brain and stop pretending to be a glorified med tech (which you aren't good at anyway.) Take off orders, show up for work, stay off your cell phone during work hours - never mind please just find something non-healthcare related! Even the worst nurses I've worked with at least cared and made the pretense of working.

If you

[Sisukas]

1. when you check the med sheets at night,if a med isn't on the pre-printed sheets, pharmacy isn't aware of the order. if you have to write it, fax it.

2. the chair is not on wheels so you can toodle around the nurses' station. get up off it, walk to the pyxis, and yes, i was using the top of my foot when you ran it over.

3. when you wake up a doc at 2 am for an imodium order, for the love of pete, give the drug. when the doc you woke up comes in to the station hollering at me because you woke him up and then didn't give the med, and requests your phone number so he can wake you up to ask why you didn't give it.....i will give it to him with a smile.

[squeakykitty]

If you have time to eat your breakfast during the residents meal pass, you have time to help with two person transfers. (I would write this on a card and leave it on the plate while I dispose of CNA breakfast.) They wouldn't dare complain to the DON about this. After all, they can eat it at home.

[pca_85]

To the lovely coworker who is a constant reminder of why I only work PRN at this facility: If you ask me to throw something, I will throw it to you. If you lack the coordination to catch it, please at least have the common sense to move out of the way. If you don't do either, there is a chance that the item being thrown in question-a toilet paper roll-may land on top of your bald head like a crown. I am a hundred pound girl, not a football player. And it was TOILET PAPER! I did not injure you with the Charmin on purpose. Please stop giving me dirty looks throughout the shift. Vent over, so happy this site exists-it was a loooooong weekend................

[pca_85]

Ok-part deuces to my vent aka I promise to shut up after this lol: I am not a violent person, I prefer to use wit and smarts to settle things, I am not a caveman that would ever think to purposely hurt someone by throwing something at them. But fyi-if hell froze over and I was trying to hurt you by throwing something at you-which would never happen= A-it wouldn't be toilet paper, B=there would be way more strength put into the pitch, and C=I would have only had one shot and you can bet it wouldn't have been at your bald head! Ok, vent over, all is well,this lousy weekend is put behind me. I shall seek good karma by spending the next half hour donating to charities online to make up for this angry post.

[CNABESS]

Honestly, spending the first hour after report running to see the girl downstairs who is helping you with your wedding, does not help these pts. Every time you see this girl, pulling out magazines and chatting about what "would be so nice" to do for your wedding while I dart around the two of you in the middle of the hall to answer lights and help an emergency light in the bathroom is soooo not cool. Bringing in your "Bride and Groom" toast glasses and cake cutter, guest book , and lace samples for everyone to see and then spending 45 mins. shoving them in everybody's face while we are trying to pass trays, feed pts, reposition pts, and put 3 people on the toilet, is just NOT APPROPRIATE. The fact that you have worked here for 19 years does not entitle you to these privileges. Also, it is made even more ridiculous by the fact that you have been living with this man for more than 20 years and have 3 children with him!!!!!

To my weekend co-worker, PUT YOUR TEETH IN. Nobody can understand what you are saying! Especially these half deaf elderly residents. Please, be more considerate of those of us that have to try and decipher what you are saying.

Thats all folks, thank you for listening.