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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you report both of these staff members

65 replies

Hca8 · 28/09/2022 13:06

I’ve recently started work on an acute female ward as a hca. Yesterday night a young woman engaged in a dangerous form of self harm. The alarm was pulled and staff responded. The young woman is on 15 minutes checks. The first staff member said she takes advantage of the fact she’s on 15 minute checks she likes the attention. I’ve found this young woman engaging in the same behaviours on hourly checks so it’s not too so with her level of observation clearly. The second staff member replied to this woman and said he careful what your saying. I would take this to mean the other staff member could say it behind the patients back but not in front of her as he knows she makes complaints. Doi report both of them to our line manager or just her?

OP posts:
steff13 · 28/09/2022 13:09

I don't think I would report either of them.

GiantSpider · 28/09/2022 13:11

I don't work in this field, but personally I wouldn't report either of them.

Original poster
Hca8 · 28/09/2022 13:11

i believe the comments made the young woman worse and it pains me to see people who have been through trauma being made to feel bad by people who are meant to care for them

OP posts:
Bretonbear · 28/09/2022 13:13

Report them for what exactly?

maddy68 · 28/09/2022 13:16

They haven't said anything wrong and probably an accurate statement. This with me tal health issues often attention nseek. It's part of the condition

Original poster
Hca8 · 28/09/2022 13:20

It’s not a nice thing to say in front of a patient personally in mind even if someone is attention seeking it’s for a reason not to be used as insult

OP posts:
Bbq1 · 28/09/2022 13:21

I wouldn't report them. What they said isn't particularly pleasant but in nor harmful to the patient. Also the second woman told the first not to speak like that. I was once in hospital a number of years ago. I'd had an emergency ileostomy and just moved from icu to a normal ward. I was in absolute agony and groaning in pain. I was behind myvdrawn curtain and I heard an older nurse say, "She's getting on my nerves". Turned out to be cancer but I wouldn't have thought about complaining about her later as it was I suppose just a throwaway comment. Not very nice from a caregiver but she didn't not care for me.

Danikm151 · 28/09/2022 13:22

I would ask to speak to management about concerns you have. Not specifically the staff members but the overall attitude of the place
everyone should have training on what can and shouldn’t be said so maybe a refresher is needed?

Enko · 28/09/2022 13:22

I would not report either.

It can still be to do with liking the attention if she did it at 1 hour checks too. And it could not be to do with it for either
How would you prove or disprove that

I would engage to get more action taken to support the girl I doubt its fixed by checking on her every 15 mins

Blueberrywitch · 28/09/2022 13:22

I would absolutely report her? Telling a suicidal patient that they’re just doing it for attention is a massive breach of ethics and would call into question the nurses ability to be an empathetic caregiver surely? And would of course make a suicidal patient feel horrendous and judged?

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 28/09/2022 13:27

Having a minor frustration with a difficult patient is not cause for reporting.

SleepingStandingUp · 28/09/2022 13:34

OK so 1 said it to the patients face and 2 basically told her to shut up. What exactly are you reporting 2 for??

Original poster
Hca8 · 28/09/2022 13:36

She didn’t say it her face she said it to another staff member about her. Two to me was just saying don’t say it in front of her but feel free to say it not in front of her. I would have said please don’t make comments like that about vulnerable patients

OP posts:
Bookworm20 · 28/09/2022 13:37

I would absolutely report the staff member who said to the patient she was doing it for attention. That is disgusting given the issues around the patients mental health. The other one, may just have been warning the other staff member to shut up as its not appropriate? Depends on their demeaner when they said it really which only you can judge.

AirFryerNinja · 28/09/2022 13:37

No, I wouldn't report her.
When you've been doing the job a good while, you will understand why.
Particularly with the boomerang patients.

Relevanceiskey · 28/09/2022 13:39

So the staff member is venting about a difficult patient nowhere near her and you want to report her? And the person that told her to be careful what she says? Jesus, this is why people quit these jobs in the masses. Not paid enough to deal with the shitty patients let alone the shitty colleagues too.

ItsJustLittleOlMe · 28/09/2022 13:41

Jesus, it's hard enough working in psych, especially acute, without having a colleague like you waiting to pounce and land your fellow colleagues in the shit. If you want to be that person, fine, but in an environment like that, you really need your colleagues to have your back. Good luck with that.

MrsCarson · 28/09/2022 13:43

So one nurse said to the other that the pt is attention seeking? Then told you that she is attention seeking, but you aren't to say this in front of the patient? I'm assuming it's a mental health unit of some sort.
Sounds like you are very new to being a HCSW If a pt is attention seeking staff need to know so they can react to her appropriately and not be sucked in by her attention seeking. They gave you a heads up about her and reminded you not to say this kind of thing in front of the patient.

CountingCrowns · 28/09/2022 13:46

you’re new. Google the Dunning Kruger effect

Proteinpudding · 28/09/2022 13:48

Have you seen the BBC report about similar today?

I totally understand the need for staff in MH to let of steam - at the appropriate time and contained - but they also have to be aware of the culture that a team creates through comments like this.

I wouldn't report in a formal route but I would have a conversation with your manager about the first impressions and how this came across and try it that way. Learning/reflection rather than policing, but it shouldn't be ignored.

RoseAndRose · 28/09/2022 13:48

Staff member 1 says something inappropriate
Staff member 2 tells her off, mildly, by telling her to mind what she's saying

I don't see anything to report in that

sillysmiles · 28/09/2022 13:50

She didn’t say it her face she said it to another staff member about her. Two to me was just saying don’t say it in front of her but feel free to say it not in front of her. I would have said please don’t make comments like that about vulnerable patients

Surely sometimes patients are attention seeking and other staff members need to be aware of this behaviour.
Absolutely do not report them. For doing their job - factually. More of this #bekind bollocks.

Original poster
Hca8 · 28/09/2022 13:51

I’ve worked in other mental health unit Camhs in the past. This is my first experience in adult acute and in Camhs we definitely didn’t treat our patients poorly

OP posts:
MRex · 28/09/2022 13:52

Hca8 · 28/09/2022 13:36

She didn’t say it her face she said it to another staff member about her. Two to me was just saying don’t say it in front of her but feel free to say it not in front of her. I would have said please don’t make comments like that about vulnerable patients

You're being massively unreasonable here. They had a conversation; attention seeking is important for staff to know, but of course the patient shouldn't hear that said.

Next up, don't comment if anorexic patients don't eat enough.

FixitJesus · 28/09/2022 13:53

What a good way to make enemies straight off the bat.