What's your problem???????

[sasha2lady]

For the past 2 shifts Ive worked Ive gotten a really bad vibe from an aide. Im not for sure why exactly...but a few weeks ago the day nurse had asked me if we had ever had problems from her...the aide has the WORST attitude Ive ever seen. She wasnt like that at first but shes turned into a monster. She has caused alot of trouble, she tries to watch aides and nurses and tells on them for things that usually arent true...she makes alot of assumptions but rarely if ever has a known fact. Shes not a team player. Shes sneaky. ive seen her watching me before. She's had numerous complaints from patients that are with it and can name her by name..she threw linen at one of the patients and nothing was done...they keep putting her right back on the unit that has complained about her being hateful, rude, mean etc. to them. Anyway, a nurse reported it on day shift. I stayed out of it because I havent witnessed anything with my own eyes/ears. What that nurse told me happened on her shift, not mine. The nurse had told me in report about it and that she was going to say something..well....now...this aide looks at me like she could rip me in half every time I go to work...she wont speak to me which is good but when I say hello i think its only courteous to say something nice back., she rolls her eyes at me, ignores me when I ask her for my vitals or my outputs, in fact...last time she didnt give my vitals to me..she gave them to the day nurse to give to me....the very nurse that in fact reported her! I think she may have had something said to her by the powers that be and thinks I reported her. I jut dont appreciate it. i have done nothing to her. She would be more suitable to work on a construction crew diggng holes and laying pipes in 4 foot ditches or something. The attitude has got to go! have you ever been around someone who just made you feel so uneasy? When Im around her, I immediately get a deep seeded bad gut feeling about her...like there is something pure evil about her...and Im serious when I say evil. Put it this way, when shes near me, I feel like satan himself is next to me in the form of a female!!!!! Demonic is the only other way I can describe her.I just avoid her if possible but they keep putting her on my units and wont switch me to the other one.

[Doc Lori, R.N.]

As if you don't already have enough to deal with, sasha2lady! Co-workers can really make the difference in the workplace. They can make a tolerable situation hellish and visa versa. Sometimes, as in your case, co-workers can be just about the hardest part of our jobs.

Doc Lori made a reference to your work being "all business". When it all comes down to the bottom line, that's what our jobs are. Bummer. Our work has the potential to be fulfilling and rewarding. It just takes one fly in the ointment to spoil the whole mixture.

At times like this, I think of the words of Edgar Caycee: "You can't getgetsomebody in more trouble then they can get themselves into." This concept has buoyed me on in similar situations and the outcome has always been the same.

Of course, I may have acted as a catalyst in the situation by driving a nail or two into their coffin, but it was always they who drove the final nail.

If the co-worker is insubordinate and not fulfilling their assigned duties, they need to have to deal with the ramifications of their actions. Or inactions.

It doesn't matter how you FEEL about her. Whether you dislike her or love her intensely, put principles above personalities.

Good luck to you, sasha2lady.

Nicely stated, Davey Do.

[Doc Lori, R.N.]

I believe some people to be total soul suckers.. this woman sounds like she is one of those people.

I agree. Having said that, you can only allow someone to suck your soul. It doesn't just happen. Thankfully!

Sure, we can get all wrapped up in someone else's toxicity (co-dependent tendencies), or, just rise above, be sure of yourself and offer compassion.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Did someone here really say that aide needs a hug??? Cripes...you can not allow people like that to sap the strength of the other people working. She threw something at a resident? What is the matter with you people? She might be psychotic but she IS abusive psychologically and perhaps physically. Get her out of there before she hurts someone. Why put up with bad/lazy/arrogant/crummy/mean workers??? The world is full of people looking for a job. She gives CNAs a bad name.

[DizzyLizzyNurse]

She threw something at a resident? What is the matter with you people? She might be psychotic but she IS abusive psychologically and perhaps physically. Get her out of there before she hurts someone.

I was thinking the same thing. Since your administration won't do anything, it is your duty as a health care worker (at least in my state you'd be a mandated reporter) to report this aide to the state. It is hard to get someone fired for that kind of stuff....I speak from experience.

[DizzyLizzyNurse]

If she acts like this in public, imagine what she does behind closed doors with a poor defenseless resident who might not be able to speak up for his or herself.

[blessedmomma247]

I would be extremely concerned on how she is with the pt's when she is giving care to them when no one is looking. I would be doing some spotting checking and reporting any kind of verbal or physical abuse to the DON asap. If she that rude to you, then how is she with the pt's who can't tell you anything? I know in my state, if I witnessed or heard a staff member do something that was abusive in anyway...It is my responsibility to report it. So if you know of anything (hitting a resident with a sheet or linen..that is abuse) its your job to report it. I would be on this girl like a tic..giving her more tasks and double checking her residents and my hand would be tired from all the documention that I would have done.

[sasha2lady]

Well, I was right. I found out that she DID think that I told on her in relation to pt.complaints. She asked one of the aides that works regularly with me If I had said anything about her and pt x....which I hadnt. The aide told her that I hadn't said anything. But before the aide could even get it out that I hadnt said anything about her and this pt....she was calling me a B**** and threatening to do physical harm to me......why? I dont know.

She would be surprised to know it was the day nurse that she seems to suck up to so well that reported her.

Now, I really dont want to be around her. I was nice enough back in the freezing winter to get up early & help her get supplies to keep her family warm! Might I add that I was the one who supplied everything she needed for her family to stay warm!!!! Free of charge! And I did it because I knew she couldnt afford to get the things she needed on her income. I have never asked for return payment or anything. I did it to be nice and with the idea that if I needed some help maybe someone could return the favor to me also.

I cant say anything to anyone, esp mgmt because if I do, they 1. wont believe me 2. I dont have actual proof, its just heresay from a super reliable source and 3. she didnt come out and say these things directly to me.

I would be fearful that she would try to burn my house down or something since she knows where I live.

If I could find a job close by that paid the same or more Id be outta there soooo fast.

I cant stand working with the devil. thats what she is. The more Im around her the evil mean vibe I get from her gets stronger, its almost overpowering at this point.

I honestly have never felt such a bad vibe from anyone in all my life, and ive met alot of people.

[sasha2lady]

Ive been keeping detailed documentation of this with times dates everything...you name it Im documenting it. Intimidation only goes so far.

I have write ups on hand to use for the time when she wont do whats asked. I agree also, about what she might do behind closed doors.

I dont worry as much when I can hear what she says and does from outside but I too feel like she has the potential to be harmful, whether its to coworkers she gets ****** off at or residents that annoy her.

i overheard her trashing the facility to one of our brand new aides that was orientating. Now, if I was a new nurse in a place and heard it trashed my first shift, Id probably not go back...shes already run 2 good ones that we had off in their first 2 weeks. I guess these other ones are next.

[Kellyma]

In my old LTC facility, the aides absolutely run the place. They live by their own rules and to heck with standards of care, patient rights, scope of practice or any other term you can gin up. Management at that facility is concerned only with profits and could care less.

Everyone once in a while, some horrific tale of aides abusing people hits the papers. People say, "How can this happen?" and the answer is that the aides believe there is no authority above them.

In some LTC facilities, they are correct.

the only aides I've worked with that you described were fired or quit because they were mad about people reporting them in a few weeks. most aides work very hard to and have very high personal standards for the whole place. that's why those bad aides would quit were I worked, we didn't put up with CNAs who miss treated or neglected OUR RESIDENTS. We took a lot of pride in our work and I for one always got along great with which ever charge nurse I worked with and did whatever i was asked even if it wasn't my resident or I was supposed to be clocking out. Only tales of abuse gets talked about, no news paper will ever tell about all the aides that go the extra mile, put 22 residents to bed that night by herself or worked 20 hrs straight. You obviously worked in a bad place but please don't bad mouth us.

[Kellyma]

...y'know, it's aides like this that give all of us a bad name. I've only been an aide a couple weeks and I am starting to count down the time until I can quit. Politics (from aides AND nurses) are disgusting. Aides only run the place because GOD FORBID you ask a nurse to help you change a resident - it's almost funny to see the horror on their face. Well...I guess my definition of this is different than yours, probably.

And please stop generalizing about how we "don't think there's authority above us". That's not all of us.

I'm lucky I work nights and have about half good-coworkers, but...days and evenings don't quite have that.

sometimes when I read stuff like that I wonder were the heck the person worked? The aides were I worked for the most part always went the extra mile and worked very hard. I have actually worked with nurses that will help you do something though. I think people just need to realize one bad aide or nurse isn't every aide or nurse!

[Kellyma]

We have problems like this on the floor that I work on. It is a tele floor, and is very hard to keep care partners satisfied on... so it seems like they keep any help they can get. It is so frustrating, and hard to watch when you know patients deserve better. The best thing you can do is to kill her with kindness, because at some point or another you may be assigned to work on a team with her in the near future. Alot of times it seems that there is some other underlying issue when things like this happen, and you have to realize that it is not your fault but you do not want to contribute to the problem. Do your best for your patients, and don't let her negative attitude infect you. Good luck, this is tough!

I agree with you, sometimes being nice no matter how mean they are can actually guilt them a little. I had a charge nurse like that once, everyone hated her, but once I decided to be kind to her no matter what she actually seemed to change, she was polite to me, and she actually turned out not to be so bad. She showed me and taught me little things here and there that I didn't know and we actually ended up having a great working relationship. Some people just don't have great people skills. She even convinced in me a little once and a while about how she knew all the aides hated her but she just didn't know how else to do her job. I could tell she was kinda hurt to be known as the one every one hated. Sounds like this aide is a little different and I know I kinda went on and on, but I agree with you, just do your best and be nice.

[Kellyma]

I would be extremely concerned on how she is with the pt's when she is giving care to them when no one is looking. I would be doing some spotting checking and reporting any kind of verbal or physical abuse to the DON asap. If she that rude to you, then how is she with the pt's who can't tell you anything? I know in my state, if I witnessed or heard a staff member do something that was abusive in anyway...It is my responsibility to report it. So if you know of anything (hitting a resident with a sheet or linen..that is abuse) its your job to report it. I would be on this girl like a tic..giving her more tasks and double checking her residents and my hand would be tired from all the documention that I would have done.

I agree. Not being so nice to your co-workers is one thing, abusing residents is another. I would call the state and report her myself.