can you help me formulate an answer to a colleague who is not my boss but feels entitled to tell me how I have to work?

Nice: "Thank you for the input, I prefer to do it the way I have been, which is equally effective and works for me. If you believe it is causing issues elsewhere in our workflow we can bring it up with manager "

Less Nice: "I understand, but no thank you."

Less nice than that: While maintaining direct eye contact, "No."

Not nice: "Shouldn't you be doing your job and not mine?"

Satisfying, but likely get you fired: "Fuck off."

Rule number 1 in a work dispute is to always place yourself as the better person. Even if there are a million things you'd like to say to that person, say whatever is needed to make sure that an outsider looking in would see you as the more sympathetic.

The proposed message seems a bit too direct and harsh, and if scrutinized might be seen as confrontational. I would probably word it more like:

"Hey, thank you for all the advice. I've had a lot of time to try what you've suggested, but in the end I've decided that the way I've been doing things just makes more sense for me after all. I appreciate your perspective though, and I'm glad you have a workflow that works better for you."

Based on the "charge nurse" mention, I am assuming you work in a hospital setting, so you could also throw in a "My main priority is patient care, and I would hate to cause any potential harm if I end up messing something up because it's not the way I'm used to doing it."

That being said, again assuming this is a hospital environment, I'd also like to encourage the following:

• Be mindful of potential regulatory slip-ups that you can get dinged for. The technology and documentation that you work with isn't the authority on following best practices, you are. The EMR won't always stop you from doing something wrong, even if it seems "easier".

• Confirm with the charge/manager that there isn't some other necessary element that your coworker's workflow satisfies but yours might miss. They are just as stressed as everyone else and can't watch every instance of care during every hour of the day. That's what periodic audits are for, and sometimes things may not accurately paint a picture of your performance if they measure one metric but you are using another.

• If your IT people tell you that X is the new way of doing things and Y will be going away, do your best to get used to X as quickly as possible. Sometimes the change is overblown, Y still works even after X is added, but you don't want to have 8 patients on your list for the day and suddenly have to make significant workflow changes if that turns out to not be the case. And similar to what was mentioned before, sometimes changes are regulatory in nature.

"Thanks for your interest, but I'm not looking for input on my work process."

Don't assume you know what is going through their mind, if you want to neutral and polite.

"I believe I'm fulfilling the duties of the job. What am I failing to get done?"

Focus on the requirements of the job and the fact that you're meeting them.

Ask them to show you how it’s done.

Do the same thing next time.

Back away slowly and leave them to it.

Go and have a coffee.

Ask for a raise as you are good at managing people to do the work.

Is the end result the same? Sometimes the right process gets better end results. Especially if you're a new hire, it's worth considering doing it their way just out of humility.

I feel you believe you are my boss. You are not. Stop telling me how to work. It's tiring. You have your way of doing things, I've got mine, both equally good. Should you have a problem with this, contact the charge or manager. I'm gonna go work now.

This is an extremely aggressive way to speak to someone. It's a little wild that this is what you came up with trying to be neutral and diplomatic. Genuinely makes me question if you're understanding this person and your role correctly.

If you're certain that doing it your way is just as good then I recommend the following message:

Hi [person's name]! I wanted to thank you for your help getting me situated into this new role at [company name]. I really appreciate the difficulties of integrating a new team member, and I want you to know I'm 100% committed to doing good work together.

My personal experience with projects like these involves a work flow that looks more like [x, y, z], and the clients that I've worked for using this process were always happy with the results. The process you showed me where it's [a, b, c] doesn't make as much sense to me, perhaps we can schedule some time to go over why it's more effective doing it [a, b, c] rather than [x, y, z]? Otherwise, just for the sake of completing the project ASAP I would prefer using the way I have more experience with.

Happy to discuss this with you further at anytime and excited about the great things we'll be making together 😁

That's a bullet proof corporate email any manager would take a look at and know you're not the problem.

"Thanks for the advice, but this way is working out for me. If <your superior> prefers I do it differently, they'll let me know."

I feel like this is just the right amount of curtness.

I would say something like:

Thanks for the ideas, [person's name]! I have found another way that allows me to get the same to outcome that is quicker for me. To keep things moving efficiently, I recommend that we each use our own techniques. If they clash at any point, we can discuss how to work though that when it comes up. Cool?

Consider the possibility that your way is causing issues somewhere before you have this conversation otherwise you sound really tonedef.

Top of my head something like "I appreciate your input however I prefer to handle things in my own way. Both our methods are efficient and can coexist. If you do have concerns, please direct it at our supervisor. Thank you for understanding." But I would wait for more answers first just to get more feedback

Edit: in case things do escalate for whatever reason do yourself a favor and keep copies of your communications with her. Just document everything

Congratulations on your promotion!

Oh, I thought you got promoted to my command chain.

Maybe more blunt: Please stop interrupting my work.

First, Ask the colleague why she feels her way is better.

If she says something like "it just is", reply that while you're open to other ways to do things, you have a way that currently works for you, and would need a reason to switch your workflows.

If she gives an actual answer, consider it. Maybe it is better than what you're use to. maybe it's possible to incorporate both ways to have the best of both worlds. Assuming you still think you way is better, say something along the lines of (I'm basing this on something I said to a co-worker in order not to be too abstract): "I get that doing it your way [is simpler and requires less troubleshooting], but it can also [give wrong results if a thing changes and we forget to correct for it]. My way [corrects for it automatically]. For me, eliminating the risk of [forgetting to manually correct] is worth the need to [do some troubleshooting]. Maybe that's because you have [better memory] and I'm better at [technical stuff], so we each have a way that works for us, but will not work for the other. I appreciate that you took the time and explained your way of thinking, and I hope you understand why my way is better for me".

After that, if she still insists, tell her you clearly aren't able to come to an agreement among yourselves, so maybe it's better you both talk to the charge nurse if manager or whatever.

First question: is there a documented Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) you or she is breaking?
If there is an SOP, follow that and only that. When coworker complains, point to the SOP and tell her that you're following the SOP and will let management know that she isn't. If you're not following the SOP and the coworker is trying to get you to follow it, then start following the SOP. Those often exist for very good reasons. If there is no SOP, and it's something which needs to be done regularly and might impact either life-safety or business operation if it's not done correctly, then see if management is open to documenting the procedure and creating an SOP. Offer to lead the effort.

Second question:

The message has to be neutral and polite.

Why?
"If you would like to do it, I would be happy to let you. Until then, please fuck off and let me do my job."

"It's great you've found a way that works for you, I do it a little differently which works great for me", smile and leave.

"I don't answer to you."

Thanks for sharing! (then go on and do it whatever way you prefer as long as you feel it's equally correct and are willing to defend that if called in by your manager)

I would just say thanks for your opinion, but I will do this the way I want to.

"You're not the boss of me" :-)

I would start telling them how to do EVERYTHING. But I'm petty

My coworker said she writes things and then asks AI to make it sound professional.

Do not go to your unit manager with this shit. Take report, give care, give report, leave. Otherwise acknowledge and move on. Every nurse thinks they're the best nurse. It's just how it is.

If you don't want to talk to someone, just tell them you forgot to chart something and then ignore them. They'll get the hint.

This is a profession that, for better or worse, attracts type A personalities.

Edit: and most charge nurses would not intervene in this either.