We Are ALL On The Same Team

You know what I'm freaking sick of? Mixed-unit and mixed-discipline hostilities. Or at least that's what I call it. We're all on the same team. We all want what's best for the patient. We need to start acting like it.

We Are ALL On The Same Team

I'm talking about the constant complaints about everyone else in the hospital. Now granted, I've only ever worked at one hospital, but having talked to both my mom and my sister who both work at separate hospitals, it seems that it's the same no matter where you go.

It goes something like this ...

Quote

RT giving attitude because the nurse calls them about a patient.

- Don't worry, I'm only assisting with an intubation. I'll be sure to rush to your 89% O2sat.

Quote

The nurse is mad because the telemetry monitoring people keep calling them.

- I've got BM up to my elbows and all they care about is that the stupid batteries are dead.

Quote

The telemetry people are mad because they can't see their patients.

- Replace the freaking batteries already, it's been 15 minutes!

Quote

The ER's mad because they're on hold.

- Sure I'll sit and listen to the hold music for 10 minutes, I don't have anything to do.

Quote

Everyone's mad at the ER for bringing them patients.

- Just before lunch, of course they're dumping all their patients now.

Quote

Hospitalist is ****** because he's overloaded and you're calling him.

- I don't care about a morning K of 3.4!

Quote

The day shift nurse is mad because the night shift nurse doesn't know how much O2 the patient is on.

- What do you even do at night, the patients are sleeping?!

Quote

The floor nurses are ticked at the house shift manager

- We always get slammed when Suzi is on!

Quote

Pharmacy is mad because the nurse is calling about the STAT med.

- Well they need to chill, the order got put in 2 minutes ago.

Are we getting the point? And this isn't even scratching the surface. I could go on for hours.

It seems like lately, absolutely everyone has an attitude with absolutely everyone else! Over everything!

I'm here to say I'M SICK OF IT. It makes for a hostile, unpleasant work environment that causes people to have more stress than is good for them, and is the main cause for massive burnout.

So what can we do to help it?

  • Well for one, we can stop getting mad at everyone around us. The next time someone's giving report and they don't know something that you ask, instead of sighing or rolling your eyes, how about giving them a little grace? Maybe they had a really rough day. The next time you're getting a patient from another unit, maybe try giving them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they're getting another patient just like you are.
  • Maybe we could assume that we all got into health care for similar reasons.
  • Maybe we could value each others opinions, even if we don't like them.
  • Maybe we could stop judging other units until we work a day or two on them.

We're all on the same team.

We all want what's best for the patient.

We need to start acting like it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Mully

About Mully

SRNA. Just a friendly guy making a name for himself.

3 Articles   272 Posts

Share this post

This should be posted on every unit. Someone recently posted "are nurses respected?" And one reply was "no, because we don't even respect each other." And the messed up thing is that we all want the same thing. We want our patients cared for, and we want to go home and love our family. I don't know the solution. All I can do is try to be an example by not engaging when I hear complaining about someone. My cousin and I have been doing this thing together, where we catch ourselves when we are thinking negative thoughts of someone and turn it around. We used to call each other and gossip and complain about our MILs. We've stopped. We started biting our tongues. And now I'm actually having more positive thoughts. I don't even feel like complaining about my MIL anymore. We're trying to be better people, and it's working. To change everyone needs to self reflect and MAKE a change. Lately when I catch myself starting to judge, I think "am I perfect? Have I not made really dumb mistakes and poor choices? Then I have no room to judge." I'm retraining my thought process, and slowly, its working. My compassion and tolerance are coming back. I can't retrain someone else's thought process, but I CAN control my actions and what I say.

I wish we could all ban together and fight the root of the problem instead of each other. But I think so many are scared to fight the root of the problem, because then they are seen as trouble makers and are given the boot out the door, their shoes being filled gladly by someone else looking for a job. Then the cycle starts all over with that new employee. At first they are happy they got the job. Then the crappy reality sets in, and they start adding to the negative environment themselves. Sigh....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I love your post. I want to scream when I hear co-workers say that their particular unit is so much more....busy....hard...understaffed....important...misunderstood, than another area of the hospital.

These same co-workers will huddle together complaining about how busy they are and tired of being dumped on instead of just shutting up and doing their job!

As you said, we are all on the same team.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well said OP, well said.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Amen! I hear this everyday... Every job has its own trying responsibilities from janitor to CEO.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Cardiology.

Great article!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

SleeepyRN: Thank you so much...and same to the OP. Especially for: "But I think so many are scared to fight the root of the problem, because then they are seen as troublemakers and are given the boot out the door, their shoes being filled gladly by someone else looking for a job. Then the cycle starts all over with that new employee." It is the unfortunate truth regarding the world...in any field we are in...and, to think, we, inclusive of myself, can do so much to make the world a better place.

It is one thing to complain. It is one thing to fight the root of the problem, but it is also something different if we could all constructively act as a whole to change the root of the problem into something positive.

Like what you are saying...to both...well said!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Oh my goodness!!!!!!!!!!! Do we work in the same facility and unit?! This is ALL too familiar!!! I am guility of a few of these, I have to remember to be mindful of my co-workers and the obstacles that they face in their position. Everyone always thinks that their problems are the absolute worse, and everything that someone else does is just to screw with them!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes! I don't understand why people don't get that it's much easier if we work together instead of against each other!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Amen! I'm so fortunate that I left a facility just like that after I graduated. I love the facility I'm at. We work as a team - all disciplines! I love it!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED.

Oh do I ever feel you! I work in the ER, and I get frustrated when I am trying to call report, then get put on hold, then am told to call back in ten minutes, then get put on hold AGAIN....not because I am trying to "dump" my patient on anyone, BUT...they are sick, and tired, and they want to go to their room, and I keep having to tell them "just a little longer!", while they get more and more upset with me because they have already been in my ER for 5 hours. I take no pleasure in loading down our already overworked floor nurses, but what else can I do? There are nights that I am rushing to admit patients because I have ten more in the waiting room! And I get so frustrated with calling report sometimes as well. I got chewed out by a nurse the other day for trying to review admission orders with her while calling report...generally if I DON'T do that I get hollered at, I feel like I can't win with the floor nurses :( I'm still kind of new, I don't always know every bit of info that they need, although I try to review the labs and charts before I call and jot down everything I think I need to know. I don't TRY to make anyone's life harder, and I'm trying to keep a running list of certain nurses and what they expect from report, but it's going to take awhile and I get upset when they act hostile towards me for not being able to read their minds.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Oh my goodness!!!!!!!!!!! Do we work in the same facility and unit?! This is ALL too familiar!!! I am guility of a few of these, I have to remember to be mindful of my co-workers and the obstacles that they face in their position. Everyone always thinks that their problems are the absolute worse, and everything that someone else does is just to screw with them!

Most of us have found our selves add to the negativity at some point or other. So kudos to you for recognizing it. Now next time you can stop for a moment and be mindful as you stated. These small steps can make a difference. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×