vent and advice needed

[ertravelrn]

I posted this first in the travel area, but wanted more input.

This is a vent and a call for advice.

The hospital I am currently at just hired an RN that has been away from the bedside for some time. She was given four days orientation. She and I worked together two nights last week, after the weekend I spoke with the NM and explained that I didn't feel safe working with her and requested that she not schedule us together anymore.......the reasons for this request: she sat and watched her pt's sats drop to the 80's and didn't do anything about it....she visibly got her back up when I tried to explain some things to her that she wasn't understanding....she doesn't understand very basic nursing concepts or have very basic nursing skills......all neatly written up and verified by a third nurse. Well, I come back after my days off and she and I are working together again. This time she reports to the oncoming shift that she had been giving medications through an IV that she is sure is not good any longer (?) and then I later find out that her pt was experience CP, was diaphoretic and pale and she did nothing about it, when days came on they checked a troponin and it was .54, and of course he was admitted. Once again, I spoke to the NM, I truly believe this person is dangerous and I do not want to be working with her.....now the new schedule is out and I am working with her every weekend. I will be calling my agency in the morning and getting them involved.......my ? ....can I get out of this contract? I am not at all comfortable working with someone that I feel is dangerous, and I don't want to work at a facility that doesn't seem to care enough to get this nurse proper training or supervision.

Am I being too hard and can I get out of here?

[ladytraviler]

If your company is worth its salt, it will stand behind you. Explain that you do not feel comfortable working with this nurse and only the facts. Do not let emotions enter in to it. Tell them about talking to the DON and her response. I hope you kept a copy of the complaint you gave the DON with the other nurse backing you up.

If you feel your liscense in on the line - LEAVE. There will be some penalties but they are better than losing your liscense.

[ertravelrn]

ladytraviler,

I called and talked to my dh before coming to work tonight, and he said the same thing......just leave.......of course, I want to try to do this the right way first, will call my agency in the am.

Thanks for your reply.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

This nurse is going to be dangerous whether or not you work with her. Most managers don't give in to persons demands, particularly travelers, about not working with another nurse, tech., or secretary.

I would continue to document, document and document on an incident report. Are you docuementing your concerns on incident reports? Maybe you should even call Risk Management for followup. Continue reporting to the manger each and every incident. It would be better to call the supervisor at the time of the incident, educate the nurse on what she's doing wrong at the time, as well as notify the manager. There are patients to consider this is where you obligation lies. Force management, risk management and the chain of command to act by continuing to report.

Of course it's a free country and you can leave.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Document every incident that you notice and provide a copy to your NM and to the company. If you have your own patients you are not responsible for her actions. You can notify the nursing supervisor on duty if something is going terribly wrong that needs to be fixed immediately.

[ertravelrn]

Tweety and Canoehead......

Here is part of the problem......I don't know what is going on with her patients, she refuses to ask me for help and since NM has taken her off orientation, she resents anyone "checking" on her. My concern is for the patients, however I am in a position to not be able to do anything....I have made myself ill over the patient that was having cp and she was not doing anything about it, but I didn't know until I returned and the nurse following her told me about what all had happened. Besides the obvious, I had thought that if she worked with the staff she might be more open to advice/instruction/help. This is the first time that I have ever encountered something like this......it bothers me that this NM appears to be more worried about having a nurse than having a competent nurse.

[I_am_Julia]

document everything and cya. this person is going to be dangerous with or without you there. i would complete the assignment and just not return to that site. best of luck to you.

i posted this first in the travel area, but wanted more input.

this is a vent and a call for advice.

the hospital i am currently at just hired an rn that has been away from the bedside for some time. she was given four days orientation. she and i worked together two nights last week, after the weekend i spoke with the nm and explained that i didn't feel safe working with her and requested that she not schedule us together anymore.......the reasons for this request: she sat and watched her pt's sats drop to the 80's and didn't do anything about it....she visibly got her back up when i tried to explain some things to her that she wasn't understanding....she doesn't understand very basic nursing concepts or have very basic nursing skills......all neatly written up and verified by a third nurse. well, i come back after my days off and she and i are working together again. this time she reports to the oncoming shift that she had been giving medications through an iv that she is sure is not good any longer (?) and then i later find out that her pt was experience cp, was diaphoretic and pale and she did nothing about it, when days came on they checked a troponin and it was .54, and of course he was admitted. once again, i spoke to the nm, i truly believe this person is dangerous and i do not want to be working with her.....now the new schedule is out and i am working with her every weekend. i will be calling my agency in the morning and getting them involved.......my ? ....can i get out of this contract? i am not at all comfortable working with someone that i feel is dangerous, and i don't want to work at a facility that doesn't seem to care enough to get this nurse proper training or supervision.

am i being too hard and can i get out of here?

[TazziRN, RN]

If you feel that she's that dangerous (and it sounds like she is) you can go up the chain of command. Your NM has a boss also. Be prepared to suffer the consequences of that, however....you will be on the doo-doo list.

Another thing you can do is report her to the state BON for jeopardizing pt safety.

[ladytraviler]

I went back and reread the nurse practice acts for the states I have liscense for. This is basically what all of them stated.

As a RN, You have a moral, legal, and ethical resposibility to report any nurse working in an unsafe manner, weither or not, any patient is harmed. The potential is there. As a nurse that knows, but did not report, you are as guilty as the one providing the care, as is the management that you have reported the incident to.

This is a summery of what each one said. You have to do what is right for you. We can not tell you what to do only advise. Please know that I have also been in your shoes. It is not an easy discion to make.

[ertravelrn]

ladytraviler

Tazzi

I_am_Julia

Thank you guys for the advice. I am waiting to hear back from my company.

This situation has just made me ill. Not me having to work with her, but any harm she is causing to patients. Apparently the other two nurses that she works with are following up on her during the shifts they work together. I have tried to help her, but she won't listen to me, and it seems it has something to do with me being agency......from a comment she has made to someone. Whatever the reason, I don't think it is safe for the patients to have us working together. If she is listening to the others and they can help her, fine.