DCC is a Hell Hole

by SJJD
(Iowa)

My Bully experience came from a variety of people. From the LPN who thought she was the DON, the MDS coordinator, and the Administrator. I had never received a bad evaluation in the 9 years I had worked in this nursing home. I was told over and over by the previous DON that she wished she could clone me. In fact she recommended me for the position when she was taking a new position.

My first year as DON was a dream come true. I loved my job. The residents, their families, and the staff told me they were so glad that I was there.

Then my nightmare began. BH we will call her came back from maternity leave, and all the lies started. I went from being a very confident hard working nurse, enjoying every aspect of my job to someone who didn't want to go in to work. I dreaded it everyday.

This BH would be seen in the Administrators office, and the next thing I know I'm called into her office, and being accused of things that I supposedly did or said. All of them were either taken completely out of context of what was going on when I said/did them, or were out and out lies -- never happened. The Administrator wouldn't even let me talk. She said that I could not talk to the staff without telling her everything I was going to say. How can a person be a DON if they can't even talk to the staff. If I would write someone up, it got ripped up. If I didn't write someone up, then I got in trouble for not doing it. I terminated someone as they were a "no-call, no-show for 3 days, and the Administrator told me I couldn't do that. But, then someone who was a "no-call/no-show one time, she fired them on the spot. Only because they were not one of BH's cronies.

The Administrator, BH, and the MDS Coordinator would meet, and when I came around they would laugh and tell me they were in a private meeting, and It wasn't any of my buisness. I was supposed to cut hours because of budget cuts, but I couldn't touch BH or the MDS Coordinators hours. I was like, what -- how can I cut any more nursing hours when there is only 1 nurse on the floor each shift. So if I were to cut nurses on the floor there would not be a nurse on duty. I was like we should cut office nurses, and BH and the MDS coordinator refused to work the floor.

I was told I was stupid everyday, but it was the MDS coordinator and BH who had never changed a suprapubic catherter or a peg feeding tube, and when I said that I would teach them, the Administrator informed me that I made them feel stupid. It's like -- they were the ones that said they didn't know how to do it. All I wanted to do was show them. I wanted to say "Well if the shoe fits -- wear it."