Tired of nurses threatening to quit!!!

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I don't know how it is where everyone else works, but where I work we have an RN who is ALWAYS-- almost on a DAILY basis, whining to EVERYone about going to find another job!! The reason being, she wants full-time status (God forbid we have to work w/her full-time!!) She has made it VERY clear that the first nurse that quits/gets fired- will become HER position!! Does management know? YES! & they keep giving her busywork to do & allowing her to bleed the time clock!! I am not an RN, but I have to work with her a lot & I for one am TIRED of hearing her WHINE!! How do I deal w/a person like this w/out running to the boss, who has enough on her mind?! We are all wishing she WOULD quit!! :banghead:

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I say let her quit. I would tell her that the department doesn't need negative people who bring the department down. I would rather work harder without her than miserable with her.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Med-Surg/ED.

ITA!!! However, my experience w/these kind of whiners is that they want MANAGEMENT to tell them not to go- maybe this is why they're giving her 'busywork'--- to give her a few hours & shut her up?? (talk about a blatant waste of money!!) My advice is to encourage her to look for work elsewhere-- that's about all you can do; & maybe someone else who is happy to take her job w/out the whining, will be a better fit. There are way too many good nurses out there who are only too HAPPY to work split shifts/part-time - why put up w/a whiner-- and pay her RN wages to do basically nothing? A person like you're describing is really never happy w/anything- chances are if she did get fulltime status she'd want to go to another floor!! Good luck- and keep positive- it's true, these constant complainers bring morale down.

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I say let her quit. I would tell her that the department doesn't need negative people who bring the department down. I would rather work harder without her than miserable with her.

all too true, & these people are doing a heckuva lot of complaining to staff-- management only sees the tip of the iceberg! These people will be on their very best behavior around the boss, but then complaining about the boss when he's out of earshot to anyone who'll listen. Let her go- I'm sure there's someone waiting to fill HER shoes.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Don't go to management, but don't ignore it either. Next time she says it, just tell her how you feel.....politely. "I'm somone who is thankful to have a job, and I'd rather not hear your continued threats of quitting. Thanks." Then the next time tell her again, and again, and again. Sooner or later she'll get the message that you don't want to hear it.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

I'm guessing it's a personality thing that will continue even after she gets what she wants. If she complained that much in front of me I'd say maybe she should look elsewhere if she's so unhappy there. Alternatively, you could all take a weekly collection to pay her to stay home and not bother you!

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Every Sunday get the job listings from the newspaper and highlight any and all RN positions you find. Hand it to her the first chance you get. Do this every week until she either quits or shuts up. What can she say? After all, you are just trying to be helpful, right?

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.
I'm guessing it's a personality thing that will continue even after she gets what she wants. If she complained that much in front of me I'd say maybe she should look elsewhere if she's so unhappy there. Alternatively, you could all take a weekly collection to pay her to stay home and not bother you!

Agreed.

When I travel nursed, whenever I was on a new unit there'd always be the other travelers there. You always run into that one who goes on and on about how great their last position was and how this unit you are on now does everything wrong.

Now, being a staff nurse, there are the one's who constantly want to leave the unit but never seem to do it. This/that isn't fair, they don't like how things are done etc etc...... But, they are still around after a year an a half. I think most of them have had opportunities to move on, but didn't. Kinda scary to imagine but I think its the truth.............these people don't really want to move on cause then they don't have anything to complain about.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

When I was house supv'ing, I used to tell people I was looking for "Utopia General Hospital" where pay was great, hours perfect, staffing ample, and everyone was happy with their jobs. Still haven't found UGH, but lots of people will join me when I do, and they got the point at the time.

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Am here to tell you that sort of person is not unique to nursing!:D

Everywhere there is employment you will find one or two who make it their daily mission to whinge, whine and moan from the time they clock in until they go home.

Best one can do is give them a wide berth and allow them to pull enough rope to hang themselves with.

Should things really reach a point you want to put your hands around their neck and begin compression until ...., my all time favourite line is "there you go again, mistaking me for someone who gives a damn about your problems... stop your whining, I don't want to hear it".

Blunt? Yes, but sometimes these persons need to have a mirror shown to their faces. On the few instances a few have run to "teacher" tattling how "mean" I was to them, I've simply replied that they (management) does not know how I've suffered in silence and that one simply reaches a point when enough is enough.

The worst thing one can do however is commiserate with such persons. Management more often than not knows what is going on and is biding their time to act. You don't want to be guilty by association when the axe starts to fall.

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

I guess I just look at things differently- Nursing is a job. The people I work with may not be my closest friend, but we are social with each other. What's wrong with expressing a bit of genuine frustration in the fact that she needs full time empolyment and hopes an opportunity opens up soon. As for all the "don't ya hate negative people" posts- I am one. My patients deserve the best, my hospital has an obligation to provide me with the tools, and staff support I need to provide for my patients needs- When the equipment is broken, staffing is unsafe, pharmacy seems determined to sabotage my patient, and my quality of care gets worse and worse due to no fault of my own- I'm gonna complain about it to whoever I can get to listen. I have a reputation of being a person who sees the glass as half empty, but I remember when the quality of care was so much better than I'm seeing now. As far as "if you don't like it here- go find a job at "Utopia General"- I have a committment to my patients wherever I work. A lot of the hospitals in my area have worse problems than my current employer. It dosen't mean I shouldn't be insisting on the best care my patients can get. The "this place does crappy care but at least were better than them" attitude make me crazy. Slightly better than the worst is still pretty crappy- and I am not going to be positive about it.

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Specializes in Surgical ICU.

I'm a little confused. I know that this behavior is annoying, but what is wrong with wanting a full time position which equals better job security, better benefits, and better pay? If u were taking home a part-time check I'm sure you'd be trying to get that full time position from every angle. Maybe the fact is that she actually likes where she works, hence her obvious reluctance to find another job somewhere else. And I haven't seen this at my current place of work, but sometimes management hires ppl to part time positions and promises them that a full time position will open up soon but then month after month, year after year, they dont get that position. Its one thing if she's complaining about her actual job (her duties, her coworkers, the patients, the way things are run etc.)... that would be annoying and personally insulting and then i'd say she has to go, but i see no reason to gripe over a person who is trying to push herself ahead. And like you said,... the managers are listening to her and are giving her more hours, even if not full time. This makes me think that she is a valuable part of the team.

And as for not complaining just because she has a job,.. that sounds like someone with no ambition. If you're not where you want to be in life,.. go ahead,.. complain,.. and work your ass off to get where you want to be as long as you're not hurting anyone else in the process. If annoying ppl gets her 1 extra day of work a week which in NY pay would at least be $400,... then go ahead. Sometimes you need to put yourself in someone else's shoes. I for one would be struggling on a part time pay check...who knows what personal/financial stresses that she is going through.

And just like you don't care about her problems/complaints,... why should she care about you being annoyed?? Everything seems quite balanced to me.

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