I am a 3rd shift nurse at a nursing home and one of my co-workers are just impossiable and I am just reaching out for some advice. First let me give you a little background, I have worked at this place for about 6months. When I started everyone told me about things she did like picking fights with the aids, gossiping about things that weren't true, she pulls her 6am pills at 2am and places them in the top drawer of her med cart in labled cups. I didn't want to beleave any of it, I try to see the best in people but she really does make it impossiable. I have tried to have conversations with her and she seems really nice but in time things I have said have been turned around and I have heard it from some one else totally not what I have said? She is 47 years old and been a nurse for about 2 years longer than me. HOwever I am not saying this to be mean but most of the staff really beleaves she may have the beginnings of Dementia. She will tell you the same story 3 times in a 30min period. She has been in 3rd shift meetings where we were talking about some issues with the DON and a week later see says things like I think I remember that conversation? She really does try to play one aid aginst the other, I have aids come up to my station at night cring because of something she has said. She has some paranoid issues because if the aids laugh at something she gets up set and thinks they are talking about her. About 2 weeks ago one of the aids stoped and asked how my dog was because my dog had to have surgery and she told another aid I just hear Lori and so-n-so down there talking about you. I have gone to adminstraters about all this but nothing is done because no one is there at night to see all this bazzar behavior, I am tired of tring to be a peace keeper between everyone and I don't know what to do anymore. There seems to be no end to her up stiring.
Can some one give me some advice?
Thanks
Lori
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October 25th, 2008 at 11:33 am
This is what administrators are for. Bring up your concerns with your facility’s Director of Nursing.
October 25th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Buy a small pocket-sized notebook and start recording any inappropriate, unprofessional, or unsafe behaviors that you witness. Document as specifically as possible, including dates, times, location, names, and quotes. Make sure that you write down exactly what happened and nothing else – don’t include your opinion or evaluation of it in the documentation. Do this for a few weeks, and (privately) ask other staff who have witnessed these behaviors to back you up once you take your information to Administration. Presented with this much documented evidence that is being verified by multiple staff, they should take action in response. If not, you may need to look towards working elsewhere or on a different shift. In the meantime, try to avoid having any sort of unnecessary conversations with this woman.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:59 am
DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT! Don’t let this person run you off the job, she is the one that needs to go. It will take a while, but with thorough documentation and persistance she will eventually go away. Encourage your coworkers to document also, so that it is not just you making complaints. Oral complaints can not be used to discipline someone. They must be in writing. We had 2 coworkers who had unacceptable, bazzar and abusive behavior that went on for a year because no one would document anything. Finally I convinced the staff to document and when a patient was involved, both were terminated, with sufficient supportive documentation. Use the chain of command: charge nurse to nurse manager to director or what ever the leadership model is there AND speak to human resources AFTER you have spoke to those in the chain and have the documentation. And involve the nursing supervisor. The nursing supervisor can advocate for you and has to document complaints and follow through with those in administration. Pay particular attention to any involvement of a patient, even if it is just a patient or family witnessing an incident as any involvement of a patient or family/visitor whether direct or indirectly will carry the most weight as it affects the unit/hospitals reputation and patient satisfaction: VERY IMPORTANT to administrators. You need to play the right cards, no one cares if you are inconvenienced, or your feeling are hurt and gossip happens EVERYWHERE TO EVERYBODY. Focus on how the behavior affects the patients, family, patient satisfaction, and RN satisfaction, directly impacting administration. I am curious as to whether your facility is a Magnet facility or pursuing magnet, as for magnet RN satisfaction and patient satisfaction are a priority.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:12 am
If and when you document, please type it out; do not hand write your report. AND be sure to use your spell check…there are many misspelled words in your account. Believe it or not, it counts. It lends credibility to your documentation. I agree with the other writer that the focus should be on how these behaviors affect the quality of care to your patients. At our facility, the RN is the least supported by administration or HR. The patient is always right. If the patient receives fall-out from the behavior, it will count more with administration.
November 7th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I agree with “adair bench” above. Spellcheck, use it. I had trouble reading and understanding what you wrote above because of typing/spelling errors.
Most of witch kan bee eazilee korected by speltsek.
But you are right to be concerned and bring it up again to your superiors.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
I have a person I feel the same way about. I stopped talking to her unless it was absolutely necessary. I go in, do my job, and leave. It has worked out pretty well so far. Others (management) are probably aware of her behavior as well, but you can’t really fire someone if they have a personality problem (unless they are continually breaking protocol or doing something really outrageous). It takes a lot of crap for management to have to step in.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:01 am
It almost sounds like she is on some type of drugs. I had a similar experience with a nurse that was taking the pts meds. They caught her on camera injecting herself and then pulling up saline into the syringes. I hope that you get some help from your management!
November 19th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Please forgive me if I am stepping on toes by saying this but, why are you working in a nursing home? Hospitals are crying for nurses. You may encounter similar situations, but they tend to be corrected more easily in the hospital setting. Again, any LPN’s out there, I don’t mean this as a put down. I believe we all paid a dear price for our education, not to mention studying for boards. Why not find happiness in the job.Good luck!