[Valerie Salva]

Originally Posted by Noryn

I always liked and respected my managers and supervisors who lead by example, just my preference. I personally feel and I dont think I am alone that nursing homes in general are horribly understaffed. I am not blaming you, it is just the way it is. 33 patients I think is too much with med passes and all the paperwork involved. I dont care what a matrix or the state says, that is just my opinion--and I have been wrong many times

She could be acting out of frustration but again she could just be that type of person. Unless your nursing home is different, every one that I have seen is extremely hard work, in my honest opinion too hard, especially for the pay. Maybe not for the RNs, but the lpns and aides, wow they have to work their butt off to finish.

Just wanted to add, that is how I have always supervised. Gotten in the trenches with the troops, allowed them to vent, agreed with them and gave them support instead of nit picking.

I agree with everything you said except for one thing-

I'm an RN in LTC. I take a hall of 20 pts, do all meds & tx, plus do incontinance rounds, turn & lift pts, wipe butts (not just occasionally, but several times a shift), take v/s and I am responsible as charge for 40 other pts. My 0600 med pass is overwhelming with 200 meds for 20 pts.
It may be just my facility, but as an RN, I work harder in LTC than I did as an LPN.

Whether you are a CNA, LPN or RN, LTC is grueling work.

[rgroyer1RNBSN]

Well Cape Im sorry you had to deal with that bad attitude, Im the NM of the SICU at barnes, and if it was me she should have been written up, I would have written her up, she deserved it, or you could just send her over here to barnes to the SICU and Ill work the he** out of her. LOL

[noc4senuf]

CCM definitely NOT okay. As I said twice before, she needs to be written up.

[Noryn]

Originally Posted by Valerie Salva

I agree with everything you said except for one thing-

I'm an RN in LTC. I take a hall of 20 pts, do all meds & tx, plus do incontinance rounds, turn & lift pts, wipe butts (not just occasionally, but several times a shift), take v/s and I am responsible as charge for 40 other pts. My 0600 med pass is overwhelming with 200 meds for 20 pts.
It may be just my facility, but as an RN, I work harder in LTC than I did as an LPN.

Whether you are a CNA, LPN or RN, LTC is grueling work.

I think you missed my point. I didnt say it wasnt hard--in my other post I even admitted it was too much for me and I am a RN. My point was the work/pay ratio. These aids work for like 8 dollars an hour and bust their butt, RNs around here get about 20-25 dollars and also bust their butt. Lpns about 13-15. So yeah us RNs do have hard work but at least we make a decent amount of money.

[michelle126]

Okay.....I get all of the post, but back to the original issue. The fact remains she was rude and out of line. I don't care if she was a lpn, rn or cna..that was her superior and she didn't need to talk that way. As far as having compassion or empathy for the work load. Yeah...LTC stinks sometimes and we have a million and one things to do, but guess what....no one forced us to pick that job. There is no gun over her head. She could leave and get a different job. Thats the aweful truth.

[dream'n]

Originally Posted by CapeCodMermaid

I'm a relatively new DNS, but I've been a nurse for 25 years and have had every nursing job there is to have in LTC and then some. How do all y'all deal with disrespectful staff? I don't mind a spirited discussion but I am mighty tired of nurses saying "How do YOU know?" Mind you I've been a nurse longer than they've been on the planet. They complain about everything, feel 'entitled' as new nurses, and are so rude it's unbelievable. One of them today was complaining and said she was over worked because she had 33 patients on a 2p-10p shift. I explained to her that she had no sick people, no IVs, no trachs, no dressings...she said 'Why don't YOU try it'. I told her that I had worked on a true sub acute floor and had 30 patients for meds, treatments, 5 IV's with antibiotics every 4 hours, 2 fresh trachs, 3 central lines for TPN, 2 people at life's end from AIDS AND I had to do my own MDSs. She said "You did that and got out on time?" Yes I did I told her. "Then you must be a better nurse than I am and besides it was probably 20 years ago." I was speechless. I wanted to tell her I AM a better nurse than she is and it wasn't that long ago. Instead I told her if she was going to speak to me in that tone of voice, she could leave the office. She slammed the door on the way out. I am at my wit's end on how to deal with these totally unreasonable fresh nurses. Any advice?

My . I don't know the nurse in question or her tone of voice, but personally I don't think she needs written up.
From my perspective-I worked in a position not too long ago that was impossible. Now I'm not a complainer, so when I went to my boss about it, it was serious. I work hard, but what I was up against was not possible, I had done everything I could and had got to the point that I was at the end of my rope. I went to her and got the brush off. Kinda like your answer above. I tried on two seperate ocassions to get her imput/help. Again got nowhere with her. So guess what, I left. Got a great, wonderful job with a fabulous boss that I totally respect and that respects me. And my last boss, she tried and tried to get me to stay....but by that time I was just done. Like I said, when I get to the point of taking my problems to the boss they are serious and I expect to be listened to and helped.

Perhaps the nurse that came to you was truly at her wits end, your answer to her was belittling. She came to you for help and you brushed her off, telling her that her job wasn't too hard, that you could do it easily.

[CapeCodMermaid]

You're right. You didn't hear her tone of voice. It started when she raised her voice to me as soon as she came in my office. I know the nurses work hard....been there done that with sicker patients then she has. I don't need to defend myself or my actions to you. Suffice it to say that the nurses think they run the building and do not accept any kind of advice or criticism no matter how constructive it is.
A nurse from a different floor came down and said she was over worked because the 8pm med pass was too heavy and what should she do. We sat together and arrived at a good plan which will make her job easier.
I am not a tyrant, but I am the boss. If you disagree with me, that's fine but don't come in my office yelling at me and telling me I don't know what it's like to work hard.
By the way, a few days later the nurse told the administrator she was sorry for 'yelling and being mean and disrespectful to me. I told the administrator that she didn't apologize to me. The administrator said "She told me she's afraid of you because you're so tall."....I've been called many things in life, but tall isn't one of them. The nurse and I are exactly the same height.

[Freedom42]

Originally Posted by CapeCodMermaid

I'm a relatively new DNS, but I've been a nurse for 25 years and have had every nursing job there is to have in LTC and then some. How do all y'all deal with disrespectful staff? I don't mind a spirited discussion but I am mighty tired of nurses saying "How do YOU know?" Mind you I've been a nurse longer than they've been on the planet. They complain about everything, feel 'entitled' as new nurses, and are so rude it's unbelievable. One of them today was complaining and said she was over worked because she had 33 patients on a 2p-10p shift. I explained to her that she had no sick people, no IVs, no trachs, no dressings...she said 'Why don't YOU try it'. I told her that I had worked on a true sub acute floor and had 30 patients for meds, treatments, 5 IV's with antibiotics every 4 hours, 2 fresh trachs, 3 central lines for TPN, 2 people at life's end from AIDS AND I had to do my own MDSs. She said "You did that and got out on time?" Yes I did I told her. "Then you must be a better nurse than I am and besides it was probably 20 years ago." I was speechless. I wanted to tell her I AM a better nurse than she is and it wasn't that long ago. Instead I told her if she was going to speak to me in that tone of voice, she could leave the office. She slammed the door on the way out. I am at my wit's end on how to deal with these totally unreasonable fresh nurses. Any advice?

I'm a student nurse. I'm a longtime former manager. That's my perspective. Since you asked for advice, here's what I think.

It sounds like you need management training. All new managers do. Should your supervisee have slammed the door and spoken to you in a rude tone? No. But consider what she was reacting to.

She came to you with a problem. Instead of helping her, you essentially told her she was incompetent. You say you're sick of hearing nurses complain. So you responded -- in this case -- by essentially telling her to shut up. Why not spend five minutes listening and talking about ways she might reorganize her work? Why not let her benefit from all the experience you claim to have? (Of course, if she repeatedly acts in an insubordinate manner, that's another issue.)

As other posters have noted, respect is earned, not awarded with your management title. Managers earn respect in part by treating their employees with respect. That's leadership by example. If I were you, I'd track down that supervisee, tell her you regret how the exchange ended, and spend 10 minutes talking about how to reorganize her work. Will it make a difference in how she does her job? Maybe. But either way, she'll know that you do listen and that you don't consider yourself infallible. And that might help you win some of the respect you feel you deserve.

Flame on. I'm wearing my asbestos panties today.

[CapeCodMermaid]

I'm a new DNS NOT a new manager. Spend some time in the real world (with or without your asbestos panties on) and perhaps read the post again. At no time did I belittle her or tell her she wasn't a good nurse. Do you think I was hired because I don't know anything? Sometimes things are the way they are and there is no getting around that. LTC is a business and all businesses have budgets. I have to stay within mine. I was and am more than willing to try to help the nurses, but not when they come and scream at me. I do not scream at them, ever, and I would expect the same courtesy from them.

[CapeCodMermaid]

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