What do I do with a nasty nurse?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I am at my wits end. I am ADON/ House Supervisor in LTC facility. We have several new grads hired to work PRN. We do give them lots of orientation. They orient on all shifts due to their PRN status.

One nurse on second shift consistently is nasty to her orientees. They have to orient with her because of the need to fill that track if needed.

Anyway, we have talked with her and counseled her, verbally. Then this last week she has a new nurse with her in tears. Now the new nurse has lots of issues. She's scared to death and has very little confidence. But people are different, and some require more feedback than others. I just want this seasoned nurse to provide POSITIVE feed back. I have done all that I know to do, short of writing her up. (I really don't like to do that unless it's a care issue or absenteeism).

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

If you have given her the allotted amount of verbal warnings then write her up. If she still does the unacceptable behavior then suspend her for a couple days.

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

With all due respect, IMO, it's a failure of leadership/management to not recognize the limits of their employees.

If the second shift nursing job clearly included precepting as a requirement, then both parties are at fault.

The nurse who took a job they couldn't perform, and the person who hired an employee who couldn't do the job.

There are those nurses who can be plugged into any opening anywhere in the facility and perform exceptionally.

There are those nurses who are inflexible. They work in their comfort zone, and can only excel in areas that are familiar.

Most of us fall somewhere in between.

It just rubs me the wrong way to punish someone for being what they're not, instead of valuing them for what they are.

I agree imintrouble, but the OP described this nurse as being nasty - not simply being without the love of teaching.

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
What would you do if this nurse gets hit by a bus tomorrow? Nobody is indispensible and if they are, there's something wrong with the way things are being managed.

:yeah:

Exactly. No one should be indispensible. Her behavior should not be tolerated and she should be told that in no uncertain terms. If orienting new nurses is part of her job duties, she must be competent in performing that responsibility or be fired. Period.

If you have sufficient senior staff members so that precepting is not required of her, then you can do that. But you cannot allow her to continue being incompetent in her job. So, if orienting is part of her job -- she has got to be competent at it. And bullying should never be tolerated.

It is your job as supervisor to assure that ALL of your staff is competent to fulfill their duties and to take action if someone is not -- even if that staff member is a senior member of your staff. Allowing such bullies to get away with it only lets the bad behavior continue and causes more problems than ignoring it avoids.

Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.
I have no choice with whether or not she precepts. And I don't have a choice of whether to write her up or not. I must. Thank you all for your imput.

First of all we all have choices and you as the ADON have the right to deal with this situation as you see fit. Furthermore, make sure you have everything in writing and signed by her, for example: all of the times her manager has writing her up & counseling has been offered. Moreover, this same situation occurred where I work, the nurse continued her behavior & was placed on leave for 1 week without pay; it changed her attitude. Unquestionably, this nurse is setting an example to the new recruits and not a positive one. Keep in mind if this continues others will follow. Best luck to you and your staff, Remember keep everything in Writing~

Specializes in Geriatric/Sub Acute, Home Care.

Have you heard both sides of the story, The nasty nurse and orientees privately?

Have you actually heard the way she speaks with the orientees?

Obviously she(the nasty nurse) has issues that she is not speaking of that bother her and she appears to be taking it out on the most vunerable of nurses.

Maybe she was orientated this way and fiqures its payback time.

It sounds like anger thats redirected at these orientees.

Does she focus on one particular thing all the time when she IS nasty? Like meds, hygeine of the patient, etc.

She may be protecting herself so that SHE isnt the one to get blamed for things going wrong especially with orientation. She may worry that a new nurse will do something wrong and she will get the heat.

This isnt an isolated incident , she may have personal problems underlying her outbursts, maybe alcohol or drug abuse or family situations at home that she isnt talking about.

have you talked with nurses that are close with her in a round about non threatening way?

Hope I helped.......keep me posted...Good luck.

Hardest part is disciplining? Our manager gets this nasty screwed up smile when she writes people up all day. She loves it lol.

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