What do your coworkers do to annoy you?

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2003

What bugs me about some co-workers are their character flaws.

1) Not having a good work ethic.

2) Being ignorant and thinking they know what they are doing, when basically, they are clueless.

3) Rude and uncaring attitude towards others.

4) Ignoring any and all pts who are mildly unpleasant and/or time consuming. They will only deal w/ pts who are pleasant and sociable.

5) Being concerned only with how quickly something is done, not at all concerned about quality of work. Some techs roll their eyes at me, because I actually do my assessments and plan/act accordingly, instead of just blowing everything off, like they do.

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Apr 19, 2003

Originally posted by RNinICU
I did fill out a med error report, and notified the MD, since the med was actually given almost an hour after the order was written.

Which is bad in itself, because not only did the person not do their job and leave it for you, you then have to take the time out of your already busy schedule to fill out the med error report and notify the Doc. I've had this problem in the past with a couple of co-workers that not only wouldn't give meds like BP and anti-SZ meds on time (as they had been scheduled on the MAR for days), but would change the times to the next shift. One of them even did this with Insulin. I would then get the patient only to find them in severe pain (because they didn't get any PRN pn meds, either), with elevated BP's, BS's (which also wasn't recorded on the flowsheet), etc. So there you are, left to stabilize the patient, give the meds they need ASAP, AND do a med error report, etc. on top of it, as well as Nsg problem report to the Mgr. Sorry for the rant- this one really gets my goat.

gizzy76 · Apr 19, 2003

Not trying to pull "rank" or anything of the sort here, but it really chaps my cheeks when I am trying to get report, or give it for that matter and a certain Nurses Aide, PCA, PSA or whatever will keep interupting and making comments as though she is then 'complete information giver" on that patient regardless if she has been there all week or not.

I also can't stand it when an NA comes to me in the middle of a busy shift and says "so and so needs something for agitation please" and when I go see so&so I find them to be sitting in their geri chair with a smile on their face and no complaints or anything whatsoever. I'm sorry, maybe they were just agitated b/c YOU were in the room? I don't know how many times these gals have tried to make a call for when someone requires Ativan.

Let's see...what else? I encounter crap on every shift from people that I work with. Isn't enough enough already? What is the rush in getting every resident into bed by 1930hrs? Evening coffee time for the residents is at 2000hrs and that is the most ideal time to pass medications. I can't stand it that I have to run around for an hour afterward trying to find where these residents are, only to find them in bed, snoring away. I feel like such a schmuck when I have to wake them up, sit them up and make them take a measly little pill.

I love it that some of my co-workers work hard at advancing their education and skills/knowledge. I do not appreciate it when an LPN or NA talks to me as though she is the nurse in charge and that her way is the best way. In fact, the one I'm referring to actually asked the nurse who was in charge of the unit one day if she (the RN) was allowed to authorize the removal of flu precautions within the unit when it was noted that none of the residents were exhibiting flu symptoms such as increased temps.

Thank god my biggest pet peeve at work was recently acted upon by management. In our LTC, the residents have a small carpeted area beside the nursing desk where they are allowed to smoke until a smoking room is built. It is bad enough that I have to get their cigarrettes and light them for them d/t dementias etc but when I see the NA's sitting down in that area to have a cigarette once the residents are in bed I do not agree. Are we not health care professionals? It's bad enough that the residents are allowed to smoke inside when there are only 5 of them and 25 other residents who do NOT smoke and have no say in the matter. And I am NOT a raving non-smoker either. I was a smoker for 10 years who recently quit and I would ALWAYS go outside. Some of the girls who come in early at 6am show up 5 mins early and instead of having their smoke outside the doors before they come inside, they come in, grab the ashtray from the resident area and park it in the livingroom lounge area to get report from the nightnurse while having their cigarette. I nearly lose it! Thank god that management sent out a memo in regards to it. Everyone seems to be going outside now (mind you, there are a few exceptions and I'm not sure why they think that THEY are the exceptions).

nurse2002 · Apr 19, 2003

Originally posted by RNinICU
Last night when I got report from the RN who was leaving, he told me the doc had ordered a stat med for one of my patients. After report, I checked the chart, and found the order timed for a half hour before the start of my shift. I bit my tongue, gave the med, and when I discarded the syringe, found the sharps container overflowing. This was just too much, so I caught the other nurse just as he was leaving, and gave him an earful about the sharps container. He responded that the aides are supposed to replace the containers. This was the final straw. Not only had he not given a stat med ordered on his shift, he had put me at risk for a needle stick, then used the "It's not my job" excuse. I let him have it with both barrels. After he left, I checked on my other patient, a GI bleed who was having frequent bloody stools. She wanted to be helped off the bed pan, but I had to make her wait while I went for gloves, because the box in the room was empty. :(
I was venting to some of the others on my shift, and we came up with a list of co workers' annoying habits.
Not emptying an overflowing garbage can.
Leaving packaging from meds all over the counter in the med room.
Starting the GoLytely prep an hour before the end of their shift.
Leaving the bags from discontinued IV meds hanging at the bedside.
Leaving a patient in a dirty gown after he has spilled food on himself.
Not giving pain meds on time.
Leaving a patient's room a mess.
Not making sure there are adequate supplies in the room so you don't have to run for everything you need.
Not doing mouth care.
Always coming 5 or 10 minutes late and delaying report while they pour coffee and "get organized."
Giggling and whispering in report.
Not answering call bells for any patient but their own.
I'm sure I could come up with many more if I thought about it some more.

Im interested in why the med wasnt given? Was it up from the pharmacy yet? Did he have time to go get it? And if he didnt, where was the charge nurse? Maybe they should of gone to the pharm to get it. How many patients were on this team? Was the nurse and cna "drowning?" Or was this a case of just not wanting to do the job?

Still the "Its not my job statement" Kills me.

nurse2002 · Apr 19, 2003

Originally posted by NurseMonkey
the thing that irritates me the most is the nurses in my facility that do not speak a lick of english. I was told in report that so and so had a blood sugar of 30. I asked her what she did about it... she smiled and said "I gave her her amaryl." Needless to say, I ran out of report started a line and pushed some dextrose for a while. The scary thing is, that nurse still works there.

Through agency I really like going to one particular hospital. I really enjoy working with the "recruit" nurses from diff countries.

They speak English pretty well. And are just as good at their jobs as their English speaking colleages. The only thing that bothers me is that they will all have conversations at the nurses station, in lets say spanish. I dont know why this bothers me.....it just does.

Maybe I feel like I am missing out on something.

mattsmom81 · Apr 19, 2003

Did anyone mention the nurse who won't let ya give report without continually interrupting? Not only is it rude but it interrupts my train of thought...and after 14 hrs on deep nights I am TIRED.

I have been known to raise my palms front of the interrupter and say " No questions. I may answer a few...but AFTER my speech." :chuckle

nurse2002 · Apr 19, 2003

Originally posted by mattsmom81
Did anyone mention the nurse who won't let ya give report without continually interrupting? Not only is it rude but it interrupts my train of thought...and after 14 hrs on deep nights I am TIRED.

I have been known to raise my palms front of the interrupter and say " No questions. I may answer a few...but AFTER my speech." :chuckle

Ditto

MandyInMS · Apr 19, 2003

That is a bit enraging when you are trying to give report and someone is interrupting you...have this nurse that I work with that used to do this alllll the time..butting in telling things about my pt, not giving me time to report things myself...finally I had enough one day (maybe I was pms'n er somethin..lol)..just looked at her, handed her my report sheet and said FINE..you finish MY report..she and the other nurses just looked at me like I was crazy(yes yes I AM crazy..hehe) but, she got the point and didn't do it again :)

Chttynurs · Apr 20, 2003

I think not being a team player is one of my biggest pet peeves, along with the dreaded war between the shifts. I've worked ALL shifts, and they ALL have their ups and downs. None is more difficult than the other. I get so tired of hearing "day shift just doesn't understand everything that we do", or "night shift isn't busy, why wasn't this or that done?" It actually gives me chest pain to hear these things. And one last thing, the chronic complainers. Not one good thing can come out of their mouths. They have the worst assignment with the worst patients with the worst problems, and they let EVERYONE on the unit know it!! Makes working conditions very uncomfortable. I'm not saying some of their complaints arent's valid, sometimes they are....but most of the time I don't think these people are doing anything more then every other staff person on the unit. Some of these things just get very discouraging.

tattooednursie, LVN · Apr 20, 2003

I hate to say it, but I am easily annoyed.

Things that annoy me are:

Not doing their job, and expecting some one else to do it for them.

Picking up whatever mess the previous shift did not take care of.

Head games

Taking 10,000 breaks when their work isn't ahead enough, or when the rest of the staff is too busy.

People not staying true to their word.

People telling me one thing, and then 15 minutes later tell me something different.

People who are snappy with me

People wo say "That's not my patient" pr "That's not my job." or "I'm not your hall partner."

OH! the list goes on.

But I'm sure I bug alot of people too.

Nursie30 · Apr 20, 2003

I'm an MDS Coodinator in LTC, occasionally I have to work the floor, more than occassionally I have to fill in for the DON, my list:

1) NCNS's

2) Calling in less than 2 hrs before shift

3) CNA's eating while feeding the residents

4) Laziness

5) Getting recognized for any little thing I do wrong, never getting recognition for OT or all the extra duties I do

6) Sloppiness

7) Other charge nurses that lack commen sense

8) Med cart never stocked

9) Leaving the G-Tube hanging w/ less than 5cc of feeding in it

10) Discussing pay

Brita01 · Apr 20, 2003

What we call "loud and common" here. Nurses who talk and guffaw loudly at 3am while patients are trying to sleep. It's like they don't have a clue.

Also, there's always one person who decides she's going to sing every song that comes on the radio. It's finally quieted down on the floor, and all you hear her singing. Then if you say something to her, she thinks it's funny to sing louder. Dumb( l )