Does Your Unit Director Do This?

Hi soundslikesiren. This manager does not sound mature or people oriented.

I agree with the previous assessments. You do not use customer satisfaction surveys to routinely "whip" your employees. I also feel that you and your coworkers need to routinely document your encounters with the woman so that you all can be able to make your case in writing. With the nursing shortage, most employers can ill-afford to lose trained nurses and nursing staff.

Question. Are your job evaluations suffering as a result of the unit manager actions? Does she give you a copy of these results? I feel you have a right to know. These surveys are supposed to be used for improvement and corrective action as well as encouragement not punishment.

I would not be surprised that upper management is keeping tabs on her handling of the unit. Some posters have already aluded to her probable self-destruction.

All this 'customer service' crap makes me wanna go work with plants....dirt and leaves can't talk.

I think this whole 'customer service' junk has gotten WAY out of hand.

I disagree w/you, Michele. I'm sorry, but tolerating verbal abuse and threats is not in my job description, or sls's, or ANY nurse's for that matter. There's turning the other cheek and keeping a cool head, and then there's being a DOORMAT.... If a patient is an a**hole, it IS the patient's fault...not the nurse. Glad you don't get patient complaints. The rest of us will hopefully someday be as perfect and efficient as you...

sirens,

Is mdslabod your supervisor by any chance? LOL

Seriously, mdslabod's facility must be MUCH better staffed, maybe we should all work there?

our old unit manager used to instruct us not to tell the patients when we were working short-staffed because it was just something that should not be said to a pt./family. i ignored her instructions. i let my patients know right away by saying something like--"we are working two people short today so if you don't see me as often or if it takes a little while for your light to get answered i hope you'll understand." most of the patients i've had appreciate the honesty and try not to call so much. we are usually full staffed but they have cut our staff back so you still feel like your working short everyday. even though we are getting more acute pts. our manager just walked in one day and said the max # of staff is now 8 not 10 and continued to drop the rest of the numbers according with the # of patients.

Yep, my manager (who has a chronic case of cranio-rectal inversion...) is cutting staffing also, after we've already lost 4 full timers to either retirement or moves out of state, and will be increasing our admissions by 70%. Yet we're still expected to 'handle it' and give the same level of patient care we've always given...which is why myself and a lot of other nurses are now turning in their resignations...

So much for 'customer satisfaction.' The 'customer (gag)' will be lucky to get their call light answered...

Hello,
I also agree with PRMENRS, that to cover yourself, carry that little notebook....I'm an LVN that worked in a long term care facility that did basically the same thing......the residents knew we were short staffed, but never brought that up when complaining to the higher ups!......so thats when the lil notebook became handy...I took extra time out of my day to stop by the administrators office and let them know we made it through another day... and the book would come out.... I would share with them what happened with each potential complaint and they loved it!! I was soon promoted into admins!!
I try to stay ahead of the game and realize that "most" supervisors are trying to do a job too.....anyway good luck!!

If your truly frustrated at work take a mental therapy moment close your eyes and silently repeat to yourself, over and over:

The Sky is Blue, and the Grass is Green, the sky is blue and the grass is green.......

Hi. Yes, I tend to be one of the nurses that would recommend a round about approach to getting problems solved. But, in this case, the manager, if I understand correctly, is using customer satisfaction surveys to "whip" employees. How can your morale stand up to that for any length of time? Supervisors, managers, directors, etc. listen up! Beating up on subordinates is not doing your job. It does not make you a powerful person in the eyes of anyone but yourself. If you have professional pressures or personal problems that are causing you to do this, then you need to take time off and do an introspective examination to see whether you would want to continue in a job that you were required or felt a need to abuse, yes abuse your staff.

If you are required to measure quality by the use of customer satisfaction surveys, then use them as tools to help your employees and patients.