Vertical Violence on the floor

Nurses General Nursing

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I am wondering if anyone has had experience with vertical violence, manager to staff, bullying in their work setting and how they handled it. I have a very sad story where my manager had a personality conflict with me, withheld opportunities such as charge position, allowing me to precept new staff etc, and so I got tired and resigned. Unfortunately she went one step further and found bogus issues regarding my patient care and reported me to the SC Board of Nursing! One issue she reported involved me hanging a piggyback of Rocephin. Several minutes into the infusion the pump alarmed MALFUNCTION. I stopped the infusion, took it off the pump, and ordered a new pump. As the infusion had already been initiated, and I had no idea how much had infused, I left it on the pole. At this time the next shift had arrived so I asked the oncoming nurse to continue the infusion when the pump arrived. She agreed BUT forgot to do it, so the manager and ADN reported me to the board for falsifying documentation. My regret is that I never reported any of the management issues I had, even tho my coworkers urged me to, and now I regret I allowed it to happen. I am the one left in the ditch while she has moved on, possibly to treat others in the same way. I would be interested in hearing others experience......

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OP, what did you document ... I'm confused.

Edit: OK, you probably documented that you admin the med. Am I right?

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I had a similar experience with a coworker before I finished nursing school. I was working as a health care aide in LTC. I had a coworker that was a health care aide at that time like myself. This worker was always taking sick days, and it seemed she was always faking injuries. And the way she would talk to residents was appalling, I wouldn't want her looking after my elderly parents. One resident vomited and she called me while i was in the middle of another residents bath and told me I had to clean up her resident that vomited because she doesn't clean vomit. I ended up doing it cause I am there for the resident not her. After i finished cleaning him up I told her if she is unable to clean vomit up that she is in the wrong profession. A week later, my shift ended at 10pm and she stays till 11pm. Well, she reported me saying i left a resident covered in feces before I went home. I am glad I recorded when I did this gentlemans care at aprox. 940 pm, and the charge nurse was present in the room with me when I did his care so i had a witness. This girl in my opinion is a bully and I believe workplaces need to get more policies to get these people out of the profession, I feel they shouldn't be looking after the vunerable if they aren't willing to do their jobs properly and make up stories about workers that actually do their jobs.

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Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

I was a director of a department when my husband died. I went back to work 1 week after I buried him. I requested to work only 4 days a week for 9 weeks in order to meet the new responsibilities I faced as a single mom and regarding all the other "stuff" that comes along with a death. My DON stated that 9 weeks were too many and she agreed to 6 weeks, begrudgingly. And, she told me I had to clock in, rather than draw my salary (no matter that I still worked the same number of hours--just less days). I had a colleague who told me that this type of behavior was historical with this DON--that she had a tendency to "kick" others when they were down. Well, to make a long story short---she told me that others were complaining about my quality of work (a lie, verified by more than one of the others who supposedly complained). She also cancelled a project that I had put many hours into, and told me that I needed to find my replacement and plan to become the "assistant" to my replacement. After a while, I was called to her office and let go because there were "no jobs" in the facility that I qualified for (forgetting the "assistant" to my replacement that she had already hired). Painful, yes. However, I learned so much during that experience. And, I pity her. She must have been truly miserable.

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and these b-----ds/biotches need to be sued for slander.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
I was a director of a department when my husband died. I went back to work 1 week after I buried him. I requested to work only 4 days a week for 9 weeks in order to meet the new responsibilities I faced as a single mom and regarding all the other "stuff" that comes along with a death. My DON stated that 9 weeks were too many and she agreed to 6 weeks, begrudgingly. And, she told me I had to clock in, rather than draw my salary (no matter that I still worked the same number of hours--just less days). I had a colleague who told me that this type of behavior was historical with this DON--that she had a tendency to "kick" others when they were down. Well, to make a long story short---she told me that others were complaining about my quality of work (a lie, verified by more than one of the others who supposedly complained). She also cancelled a project that I had put many hours into, and told me that I needed to find my replacement and plan to become the "assistant" to my replacement. After a while, I was called to her office and let go because there were "no jobs" in the facility that I qualified for (forgetting the "assistant" to my replacement that she had already hired). Painful, yes. However, I learned so much during that experience. And, I pity her. She must have been truly miserable.

Good god. That is truly evil.

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Yes I was told I falsified docmentation because the antibiotic was scanned as being given but was found not given and hanging on the pole with no IV pump. The truth is what I already wrote here. I checked out that website...it looks very helpful. I wish I had done more research then, however now it would only look like I was retaliating because they have reported me. I kept thinking it would not last.....

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
Yes I was told I falsified docmentation because the antibiotic was scanned as being given but was found not given and hanging on the pole with no IV pump. The truth is what I already wrote here. I checked out that website...it looks very helpful. I wish I had done more research then, however now it would only look like I was retaliating because they have reported me. I kept thinking it would not last.....

What I do when this kind of situation arises, is :

- Do my best to get another pump and restart the infusion ASAP

or .....

- Document this task passed on to oncoming nurse . State reason for interruption of infusion and time delay obtaining a replacement and name of nurse you passed this on to.

As some oncoming nurses seem to readily forget to do this kind of stuff ( as some think it's your responsibility and liability), this kind of documentation is necessary.

These situations do arise and not a reason for why you should have to stay overtime to wait for a replacement pump to arrive.

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How did you find out she reported you to the BON? Ive had a similar issue with my nurse manager when she found out I was working a temporary fulltime position. I had worked with this nurse manager as a per deim for 2 years. I was hired as a per deim and told on hiring - get your foot in the door and keep your ears open for a full time spot. This was aid to me not by this nurse manager- who didn't even have the courtesy to meet me during the interview but scurried her big butt the other way. I came in extra shifts, then the economic crunch came to the hospital, so I was cancelled my obligation shifts. Some times no shifts for 2-3 months. I am a single parent. So I got this full time temp position( a six month non clinical aka 'no cancellation' position of full time pay). This manager began to pick apart my documentation. I had been in this per deim position for 1.5 years. She would call me at the other job, calling my house for me to come in on days she knew I couldn't do(my temp job was M-F 8-4:30 and told this woman when this temp job was going to end. )She would ask me to "stop by the hospital on my way home" which was quite out of my way. This went on for 3 months.I worked (1) 12 hr shift in all this and she picked apart everything I computer documented. I wrote a letter with a complaint of harassment( I had had journaled dates and times and insidents) to the VP of Nursing and hospital CEO. This manager fired me 2 weeks before the end of my temp job- so I ended up having neither. My temp position was with the state dept of health- which I think infuriated this manager. Her question to me was - How did you get that position? Is it agency? Do they pay you by the chart? what an evil, jealous, petty old queen. That's what the original posters situation sound like. The manager is retaliating because that nurse resigned. These manager's today are evil. They destroy nurses and know right what their doing. They will continue to do so until some one has the money and means to sue big enough and have it make headlines to make an example of them. I went into another temp position, which I love and feel safe in. But it is only temporary and ends in 2 weeks. I am too afraid to commit to any staff position again. Been a nurse for 30years. The computer documentation she picked apart was a patient had a change in status. I took care of the patient and sent the pt off the floor to radiology and the MICU after rad. It was at this time( @1145) that I documented the event. I started the documention by stating: At 1000 such and such and such happened. She picked/argued about this for 1 hr and 55 min infront of the fool HR director. I finally asked I'm not getting this- should I have pulled up the computer up to the patient while some one else took care of that pt and done the documenting? I was terminated. Sent a COBRA letter stating I was terminated( I wasn't entitle to COBRA- I was per deim- No benefits) and the hospital tried to disqualify my unemployment for the 6 month temp job(a layoff) That's gaul. I sent all my paper work to dept of labor including the COBRA notice clearly stating terminated. I received my unemployment.

The hospital called me 2 weeks ago woke me up at 5AM asking me if I could come in, they were short staffed.! I guess they forgot they fired me. The doings of the dig bats!!

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The hospital called me 2 weeks ago woke me up at 5AM asking me if I could come in, they were short staffed.! I guess they forgot they fired me. The doings of the dig bats!!

LOL! I'm sorry but that is hilarious. Not the rest of your story, that is sad and scary. As a new nurse I feel like I have plenty to worry about, never mind looking over my shoulder all the time. Yikes. No wonder they practically brand us with "document, document, document" in NS.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

As pedicurn said, documenting is very important.

Sometimes this type of situation happens. I hate those malfunctioning machines!!:mad:

Personally, I don't think this type of situation need to be reported to the board of nursing. you may be written up for this or verbal warning, then it is understandable.

Some inexperienced manager take unnecessary, avoidable situation to the extrem to show she has the "power."

You not reporting the issues of your manager was good. What goes around, always comes around. Be a bigger person than she is.

I hope your license is not in danger.

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