Tragedy awaiting to happend!!

We have had similar problems and in the end we stopped employing adaptation nurses if they had not completed thier adaptation in a hospital.

Unfortunaltey now you have her it is a long process to prove lack of capability. We ended up making our problem nurses supernumery and gave them objectives similar to thier adaptation booklets, this was all done in live with our capability policy.

It's a difficult situation and unfortunatley the nurses who have been inadequately adapted end up feeling victimised because noone trusts them but at the end of the day we have to protect our patients.

Paris I was so quick cause I am on a roll, I am supposed to be writing my dissertation so any distraction is an easy target

I suppose the only thing you can do is to document everything, write incident reports, point out her poor practice, document conversations in you diary and make sure there are at least 2 of you present if you need to confront her. It's a tough one if there is no insight into poor practice and potentially very dangerous. I have recently provided clinical supervision for a similar situation which I concentrate on getting her to reflect and gain insight into her own practice. DO you have a training co-ordinator or professional develpment nurse attached to your area that you could call upon for help?

Professional obligation? NMC?

http://www.nmc-uk.org/aArticle.aspx?ArticleID=1538

Have no arguments with this and yes we have a professional obligation to maintain standards, however it is always easier if you have evidence to back up your allegations, a quickly posted complaint is easily dismissed where as a well presented well documented one will be taken more seriously.

I have been involved in many investigation some of which involve the NMC and know what a difference it makes when you present solid evidence.

Paris I think that your involving the lecturer practitioner and her senior sister is a very good move. Hopefully they can make sure that patient care is maintained.I seem to remember that you work as a clinical specialist don't you, this sometimes makes it a little more difficult because I know although our CNS and NP's like me, are really well respected because we are not ward based can be seen to be interfering if they complain about a particular nurse

We had a problem like this before I left the Uk you have to have documented evidence to back up everything, and even then it is difficult to prove. The unions and HR have to be involved, and as some point occupational health. All I can say it took us almost a year and it is still ongoing with the NMC. Document time date and incident. She has to be informed of everything and you have to be seen to be helping her improve otherwise it will be seen as victimisation/ bullying be very careful.