So, let me start by saying that I *think* I work for a good company. It's a non-profit health care company, an umbrella company for the largest health insurance corporation in the U.S. Heard they offer nice benefits and decent pay, so that's why I sought them out.
That being said, they know all of the SCIP protocols and every other reimbursement rule very, very well and basically pay these unit managers to nag the floor managers to check on all of our charting and the doctors' orders and have US call the docs and whatnot to get things 'corrected' and up to their standards all throughout the day on top of non-stop admissions, discharges, transfers, testing, and calls from everyone in the hospital.
Well, so I'm working in this new very busy environment (employed two months), only got 9 days of floor orientation (and that's because I asked for a little more than 7 days when I saw how busy and demanding of a floor this is)...
And what happened yesterday just might be the straw that broke the camel's back! It was about 0935. I was right in the middle of getting orders to transfuse a patient in need, address medicating a fresh post-op patient with a new PE, and getting another's things in order to discharge around noon. When I was passing one of my patient's medications (turn and check q2h), she says 'oh, I think I need to be changed.' I said, 'ok, I will call the tech and get her in to help you.' Did just that. She said: 'yeah, I was going in there to give her a bath.' Ok, good.
Well, the tech doesn't check turn, or change the patient, she just sets her up to eat her food. I said, did you reposition and change this patient? 'She got very nasty and rude and said 'if you saw that the brief needed changed, then why didn't YOU change it?!' I said: because I delegated that task to you. I am busy doing other things right now, such as passing meds.
So, this tech goes straight into our unit manager's office and complains. Claims she thinks I "hate her". So, my boss pulls me into her office and rehashes this nonsense. Basically aide insubordination and says that most nurses would've just changed this patient's brief. I said: yes, I would have without any problem. It's just that I had X, Y, and Z to do at that very moment, so I called the tech in to assist this patient with this matter (patient had no complaint btw). Boss says she sees both sides, and that if this happens again maybe we can both go into her office for "mediation".
I said: why don't we just do that now, because I will need to feel like I can communicate with my techs and vice versa.
So, this tech comes in and repeats that she "thinks I hate her". (WHAT?!) I say: No, I don't hate you and have no reason to hate you. She wouldn't be honest about the verbal interaction we had, that's just about all she said. I was at a loss for words, and not to be rude, but I was thinking that I wasn't talking to an emotionally mature individual at that point, so it was pointless.
The boss didn't help or "mediate" at all. She said ok, now the air is cleared and we can go back to work! Nothing more!
I feel very unsupported and wonder if this seems normal or a little out of line. I don't see the point in having techs if they will not take direction, or if they don't understand that they need to take direction from us without a bunch of attitude and resistance.
Shouldn't the unit manager back us nurses up? Set some expectations for us other than -- If an order wasn't put in right, you must call the doctor incessantly (and it's our fault if nothing is accomplished?!)
Or, if a tech doesn't feel like accepting your delegation, you just need to do it (what about MY prioritization of care ---like my PE patient and the one who needed blood?!)
Feels like she is tying our hands.
dishes, BSN, RN
3,950 Posts
I strongly suspect the tech has a victim mentality/persecution complex problem, they probably have a history of targeting new staff and making wrongful accusations about colleagues who delegate tasks to them. I don't agree with those who are advising you to write the tech up, because this disciplinary tactic doesn't work with this personality type (I wish it did). I recommend you have a private discussion with the manager, if they are a seasoned manager, they should have some suggestions on how to manage this type of colleague, if they don't offer advice, speak to human resources.