Too good for poo

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So, I am looking for some advice on how to deal with a new employee. I am a charge nurse on nights. My unit has gone through many changes and now we have a new manager.

Anyway, we have a new nurse. She is not even off orientation yet and I am receiving complaints. She works on dayshift so I personally have not had any problems with her. Multiple day staff members have come to me saying that she basically refuses to clean patients, will leave the patient in sitting in stool until the tech can get there, won't answer call light. Basically, a very large ego and not a team player. I told the day nurses that had these complaints that they should talk with her. They reportedly have but nothing has changed. So, I guess that I should take this issue to our new manager. Any suggestions how to handle this?

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Sorry about the typos. I'm using my phone and for some reason it is freezing and very slow when I try to post

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Sounds like your dayshift nurses need to go to the manager since they are the ones having problems with her.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Oh yeah this needs to be nipped in the bud right away.We had one like this. She was told right up front. You WILL answer bells and you WILL be expected to do personal care or you are OUTTA here! If she was seen ignoring a bell the CH would make a point of telling her to get it.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

This employee needs to be put on notice promptly or nothing is going to change. As long as she is allowed to ignore call lights and avoid cleaning up poopy accidents without any negative consequences, she will continue to do it.

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Where's the day shift charge in all this?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

I guess no Assistant Manager or dayshift charge on the unit?

I agree if the orientee is not put on warning for this, don't expect things to change.

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Sounds like they are not following the chain of command.

Why are they reporting day shift concerns to YOU.. the night shift charge?

Either way... she is on orientation and human resources needs to know about these complaints during orientation.

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Specializes in cardiac, ICU, education.

Before any write-ups occur or any HR is involved, have you checked with her first? Also, "very big ego and not a team player" What does that exactly mean? Trust me that can mean a lot of different things to many different people.

Whenever you have to confront any employee, you need the facts. When I am assessing new nurses, I provide them with only the facts so there is no drama and or defensiveness.

Call lights

"Excuse me nurse X, today you had 3 patients who pressed their call light and you did not respond within the designated amount of time. This goes against our floor policy and we need to answer call lights as soon as possible. Our patient's safety is at risk if we do not respond in a timely manner. Can you tell me why this is happening?"

Poop

"Nurse x, I have been told that 2 times last week, you left soiled patients in their own feces, waiting for a nursing assistant to help them instead of cleaning them yourself. It is very important that you respond to your patient's needs right away. It is also important that we work as a team and it is everyone's responsibility on this floor to make patients comfortable as soon as possible. Is there a reason you have been having the nursing assistants to take care of these patients instead?"

In my opinion, you have to confront the situation with facts and then with the expected behavior/outcome. Telling someone that they are not a team player or have a big ego will only make them defensive. Also, it is very important to document all of the interactions as HR will have nothing to go on except your word against theirs. As a former manager, there was nothing worse than having to "discipline" someone who had never been talked to and who had no documentation surrounding the situation. It only leaves the new nurse resentful and mistrusting of her fellow nurses. Hope that helps.

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Just as a matter of interest, one of my DON's fired an RN one time because​ he cleaned a resident instead of calling for a CNA.

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Specializes in hospice.
Just as a matter of interest, one of my DON's fired an RN one time because​ he cleaned a resident instead of calling for a CNA.

:eek: Say wha...?!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Just as a matter of interest, one of my DON's fired an RN one time because​ he cleaned a resident instead of calling for a CNA.

care to explain, WHY?

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