I am a new grad nurse and I have a conflict brewing with another nurse. I gave her report for the first time last week and left very upset. Almost everytime I said that a patient needed something she would roll her eyes as if doing things for them was an inconvenience to her. I had just spent the previous 12 hours as an advocate for my pts, and I did not feel comfortable passing their care to someone who didn't care. Any advice?
As an experienced nurse on a Med-Tele unit I have had this same problem with a nurse on the day shift. She seems to think I should hand her the patients with everything completed. (I'm just one part of the nursing process!) She huffs and puffs when I leave her things to do when central supply and materials management open. I have learned to just give her report and walk away and let her deal with the consequences if things aren't done.
It was very disheartening the first couple of times I left her with slings to get or C-collars to apply and she failed to do the job, but she is an adult with a liscense to protect too.
You can't make everyone care.
I was a new grad nurse only three months ago. The rolling of the eyes during report is quite common. It could mean a variety of things, but not that she doesn't care about the patient. Sometimes, it's because you're telling her things that are obvious to her because she is more experienced and may have the same patient she took care of the night before. #1-Don't take it personally. Nurses often use the report room to vent their frustrations with patients. Better there than at the patient. #2-You'll need to learn to hold your own with bad attitude nurses. If you get eyes rolling, I would ask her what she needs to know and what she doesn't. Keep reminding her that you're a new grad and you won't know unless she tells you. You may get a big sigh and more rolling eyes before she tells you. Take it all in stride - it's a right of passage.
