Originally Posted by CapeCodMermaid
I'm glad the last 2 posters don't work for me. And to the poster who thinks it's required for the DNS to fill in shifts...think again. Maybe you have a small place and you can adjust your work schedule. I can't. I have deadlines to meet every day and when I'm not doing MY work I have to stay late. I don't mind helping out but I say walk a mile in my shoes before you think I do nothing all day. Listen in to the conversations I have with corporate when I am telling them we need to increase the staffing ratio.....stand by the phone and listen when I am telling them we need to increase the pay for the staff...sit in my office at 8 oclock on a Friday night when I am trying to finish a report to DPH about an incident that happened when I wasn't even in the building and that no one who was in the building bothered to do a complete enough incident report so I have some information. No wonder so many DNSs stay in their office all day. It's hard to come out and get treated badly for things you have little to no control over.
Let's see my NM at Johns Hopkins, in her late 50s, published multiple times, co-author of CE booklets for them, consulted regarding a national aired program on preventing med errors, and has been quoted in AJN (or was it Nursing 2007) twice in a year, regarding unit research projects on the effects of noise reduction devices and and developing scales to predict delirium in cancer patients. When she had a problem employee, even if it was a traveler, she would work the night shift with them to assess the issue. She also came in when there was no charge on nights, and she took patients.
But then, being the top rated hospital in the nation consistantly for several years doesn't mean that much. And we all know that being published doesn't take that much time......(sarcasm intended)
I have worked with NMs at Thomas Jefferson and Hospital at UPenn, at New York Presbyterian and at Beth Israel Deaconess in Boston. All excellent facilities, with low turnover and good to superior reputations. And the manager put in occasional shifts on the floor. At TJUH, she did one to two per month, taking the same load as staff. And despite having lousy ratios at the time, there was less turnover and the staff had a lot more respect for management.
I would go to the mat for any of these women, as would many of the staff. And the fact they are consistantly ranked excellent in the nation has a lot to do with these awesome managers.
On the other hand, there was the community facility where the manager refused to meet with any staff at a time that wasn't convenient for her. She explained no policy changes to anyone not on days, because, well, she doesn't need to because she is "management". People may not have been openly rude, but they certainly said plenty behind her back. After she had substantial turnover, and refusing to come in to safely cover the unit in the aftermath, because it wasn't "convenient", she quickly her future time "freed up"....by demotion.
Many staff would not come extra, which would have prevented her needing be called in.......because they had no respect for someone who won't dirty her own hands.....and would just not answer the phone.
While we know LTC is different, management still has to earn respect.
You cannot force respect....you must earn it. And what is being said to your face, well...the buzz behind it is generally much worse.
Would you like to comment?
Just my two cents worth.
