Really?

My facility is restraint free.  We are there to watch out for and assist our residents in what is now their home.  They can move around as they please.  So when I see someone not allowing one of my residents to move about as they please, I will step in.  I don't care how many years of experience you have as a caregiver, you can't block the elevator and tell that resident they can't go downstairs just because its going to be inconvenient to you to have to keep an eye on her downstairs.  You also shouldn't put yourself in between a hard elevator door and that resident's walker, because now your safety is at risk.  I'm gonna guess a walker doesn't feel too good when it gets slammed into your gut and legs because you are royally pissing off this resident.

So, when I intervene because I see the resident's rights being violated and both the resident's and your  own safety being at risk, you don't get to tell me I was wrong.  If you felt embarrassed, you should have because you made a situation escalate that didn't need to.  You can throw in my face your tens of years of experience, and that I'm obviously younger (and I'm assuming your way of saying I'm young and stupid) in my face.  I'm not your boss, but what I say goes in this situation.  You can put words in my mouth if that is what helps you feel justified in going into a full on attack when I was trying to smooth things over with you because we still have to work together, and I didn't want there to be any tension.

I remained calm talking to this person despite their choosing to attack me for doing my job.  But I went into the nurses office and closed the door so no one would hear me cry.  I felt so pathetic calling my boss to inform her of the problem so that in case this person makes good on their threat to complain about me, she isn't caught off guard.  It did feel good to know she thought I was in the right.  I cried some more so I could get it out of my system because I don't want my residents to see me upset.  I also didn't want this person to think she got to me.

I hate conflict.  I really do.  I could have just not bothered with her the rest of the night. However, leaving it to fester is no good either.  I wanted to come to a middle ground with her because I'm sure I will have to work with her again.  It's not fun to try and talk things out sometimes, but I believe wholeheartedly that it is necessary to do.  I have also learned some people just aren't capable of doing this.  Some people are just going to believe and hear what they want, and have no ability to see any other perspective.  As much as I hate leaving things on bad terms, I know I can't fix it if the other person is content to do nothing.  This the point where you just have to shake your head and give up.

I have to work in a couple of hours.  I really hope today gives me problems other than this.  I'll take a fall, or someone feeling sick, or having to call the pharmacy because they didn't deliver a med I need to give tonight.  I'd rather be so horribly behind in my med pass than to have conflict with a fellow coworker.

Then tomorrow is a sweet day off with my hubby! :)