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

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

Interesting news. I was told that the nursing aide went up to another nurse and talked about how bad she felt for acting like that the other day. Supposedly the NA said she was going to look in to getting help for her anger problem.

That's awesome!

[gtmoore]

It doesn't matter who it was, RN, LPN, CNA, MD. Arguing in front of a patient is not professional. I would have simply not talked at all about this issue in front of a patient. Take it outside of the patients room and talk about it where nobody, especially a patient, can hear you. Get the charge nurse involved, if necessary. But, never in front a patient, very unprofessional!

[BlearnRN]

Thanks! I know it was. Like I said before - it should not have happened.

[MedicalLPN, LPN]

If they wanted to be nurses, they should have went and got the degree.

L+P+N=Licensed Practical Nurse

Back to the OP, Lindarn gave some good advice earlier, just document your tail off and follow the chain of command. I do think it's unprofessional to argue with other staff members at the bedside but we're all human and sometimes you can only take so much. I think it's very cool that she's recieved a wake up call and is going to seek help for her issues hopefully that will resolve the problem.