Verbal abuse from a Nursing Aide

[BlearnRN]

I really like my unit but now I am thinking of leaving. Today I was verbally abused by a nursing aide in front of a patient - The story - i came into a pt room and the aide said - why didn't you help me (clean up) with this patient...i said,,, did you ask me? she said she didn't have to ask me----and this bantering went back and forth...i told her that i was busy talking to doctors etc...she said i was sitting when she saw me...and it started to get heated.. i told her she needed to ask me for help so i could prioritize things then---we did the back and forth you need to ask, i should have known thing --then she goes --now you are interupting me as she is putting a blanket on the pt...i go i am giving a vital medication right now to the patient she has edema and needs this iv lasix...she ignores me and continues to go off about how i am interupting her---i said ---you know what, i am going to go to the supervisor- she says ya, go ahead ---anyway the super talked to her and she fake apologized to me (stated that she was joking and everyone else knows how she jokes and that she is sorry i took it that way) after -i went back to the supervisor and said this is not the first time she has done something like this and that this assistant is creating a hostile work environment. I have seen her and heard of her doing crazy stuff like this to other staff-- just last week she kick a therapist out of a pt room and stating that she was just there 5 minutes ago and she needed to give the pt a bath and told the therapist to leave...Anyway

I really do not like this assistant...she is mean and tries to run things - I just have had about enough of her --- this is definately the straw before that last straw...grrrrrrrrrrrr:angryfire

[CABG patch kid, BSN, RN]

I'm sorry that you had to go through that. Unfortunately, I think the worst part of this all is how that must have looked to the patient. I'm not trying to make you feel worse, but I'm sure the patients probably feel a sense of insecurity when they see staff members arguing, it's unprofessional. If this has been an ongoing problem, it will probably take a lot for her to stop. I think you did the right thing by going to the supervisor, but hopefully if there are future problems they won't take place at the patient's bedside.

[BlearnRN]

I agree, I actually did bring that up to the supervisor. I did not like having that happen in front of the patient. But, I reached a point where I could not let it go. She has talked down to me several times in the past. My supervisor said that with people like her, you need to ignore them. I told her, there comes a time when you can't ignore it anymore. Unfortunately, I could not walk away when she was going off. I had to push the IV lasix over 2 minutes and that was just enough time for her to give me an ear full because I was basically cornered.

[chuck1234]

Not much you can do! Did you give her a nice gift during Christmas?

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

Wow, good job keeping your cool. I think I'd have said, "I'll have a conversation when you can speak to me like an adult," and not acknowledged her presence for the rest of the time I was in the room. That's unacceptable to do in front of a patient.

[leslie :-D]

sorry, but you, as the professional, were wrong to argue w/her in front of the pt.

if anyone started in on me in front of a pt, i would have immediately stated, "we will discuss this later".

and i would not have said a word more.

whatever beefs you have w/ea other, it should always be done privately.

always.

leslie

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

Is your manager a normal, reasonable person?

Could you tell her that you like your job and want to stay, but if this aide is not sufficiently dealt with (meaning real discipline, such as suspended without pay, put on probation) that you will regretfully have to seek employment elsewhere?

There are so many aides like this all over. It really has become rediculous that so many managers don't do anything about this widespread problem.

I had a situation in which an aide took a one hour lunch break ( we are allotted 30 mins). I told the charge nurse, and the charge nurse spoke to her. At the end of the shift, this aide angriliy confronted me saying "You should have come to me, not the charge nurse." I told her "You already knew you took an hour lunch. The charge nurse didn't. So I told her." This aide ended up screaming in my face in front of other staff. I wrote it up and spoke to the mgr. To my surprise, this aide was suspended for three days without pay and put on probation. The other slacker, insubordinate aides really took notice and straightened up.

A little bit of discipline and an involved mgr really goes a long way.

[Katie82, RN]

whatever beefs you have w/ea other, it should always be done privately.

This woman obviously knows how to push the right buttons, and it is hard to ignore attitude and ego, but professionalism is what it's all about. I would have either said "Let's step outside and continue this" or simply "This is not an appropriate conversation to be having now." If your manager doesn't do something about this person, she's not much of a leader. One of the things they don't teach us how to handle in nursing school is situations like this. Hospital society can be brutal, with all the layers of professional and para-professional staff. Mix that with a new grad who is not only learning new clinical and organizational skills, but being in a leadership position for the first time. Tough enviornment, but hang in there, it will get better.

[BlearnRN]

This aide sure does know how to push buttons and I think did it because she knows I am pregnant and irritable. She is kinda known as the pot stirrer of the floor...everybody gets their turn with her at some point. Management has been notified several times but nothing seems to change. Even though I don't want to bother her, I may have to go to the director about this episode. I agree that I should have just shut the whole thing down early before it escalated.

[lindarn]

Keep moving up the chain of command (and document everything, with copies for yourself), and eventually, you will find some one to deal with the situation properly.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

I agree, next time never argue in front of the patient. Try to anticipate and devise a strategy for this situation in the future. I know it's hard because people blindside you with this inappropriate behavior.

Try to reheorifice this in your mind, because there are some people who have no discretion and you will definately face this in the future.

[PoppaD]

I would have instructed the NA to stop what she was in the process of doing and leave the pt's room immediately. There is not one thing that she can do that you cannot do; however, there are tons of things that you can do that she cannot. The Nursing Assistant's job is just what the job title says" she's there to assist you in caring for your pt's.

Unfortunately, you sunk to this individual's level when you engaged her in discussing what she has come to expect of you. This NA needs to receive some counseling from the Unit Manager STAT. BTW...I was a NA before I became a nurse...and I do kow the value of a good NA.