Too good for poo

[Nursesmurf14]

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?

[ceccia]

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?"

I hope you don't actually talk like this to your co-workers. it sounds condescending, and it sounds like you're reading from a scripted corporate manual instead of attempting to have a real conversation with a peer.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Just playing devils advocate here. You mention the offending nurse is a new hire, still on orientation. Maybe he/she is just too completely overwhelmed with the actual nurse duties of the job to help with things that CNA's can do. LTC is a beast, a new nurse -even a new experienced nurse- can take a long time to get up to speed on tasks that only the nurse can do. Until you know that med pass, it should and will take a long time. Until a new nurse gets a workable routine down every interruption can throw the timing off. Maybe this nurse isn't a big ego and not a team player, maybe this nurse just needs some time to learn the part of the job that only the nurse can do before being expected to help out more with tasks that other staff can do.

Not knowing the players involved, I kind of feel bad for this new nurse if the shift she/he is working on feels the best course of action is to complain to the supervisor of a different shift.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

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.

Ok.... that is the craziest thing I have read all day.

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

My opinion is to give this new nurse a break! She's brand new to the unit and like other posters stated is still learning her job. She probably is overwhelmed. The dayshift nurses need to chill out a little, sounds like they are a tough bunch. Personally I try to get call lights and will always help with patient clean up if needed, but sometimes I just can't because I'm buried alive in my own work. I've seen certain CNAs where I work ignore the lights while they surf the web and here I am getting out 2 hours after shift.

[Red Kryptonite]

I've seen certain CNAs where I work ignore the lights while they surf the web and here I am getting out 2 hours after shift.

And what have you done about that? Because trust me, the CNAs who are working their hineys off hate that as much or more than you do.

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

I have worked in environments where the RN did not need to spend time cleaning patients; the philosophy was "if you are doing THEIR job, who is doing YOURS?" ?

This is the expectation at my current place of employment. It's hard for me not to jump in and help my residents. That being said, I've been talked to about the fact that, if I do the techs job, who will do mine?

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

And what have you done about that? Because trust me, the CNAs who are working their hineys off hate that as much or more than you do.

I've reported it to the Charge Nurse, with specific instances. When I walk into work I can tell somewhat how my shift will be, just by seeing who the CNAs working are. And you are right, the CNAs worth their weight in gold detest the actions of the ones that are 'playing' around or hiding out. It increases their own workload quite alot. I try to always let excellent CNAs know how much I enjoy working with them. They have earned my respect and my trust. On the other hand, I hate having to play mother hen/devil in disguise to the ones that don't do their job. If they don't do what they are supposed to do it falls on me, as the nurse.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

I'm not usually a "not my problem" type of gal, but seriously, why are people expecting you to address a problem that does not happen on your shift? You're not there, you honestly have to treat this as hearsay and that's pretty weak evidence