Pathway to (UGH) Excellence?

Nurses General Nursing

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Our hospital is promoting this Pathway to Excellence thing. Every week it's another long-winded spiel about leadership, nursing cohesion, great place to work, yada yada yada yada! I looked it up online and I see it's another credential the hospital is trying to add to show how wonderful we are, but I feel like this is just dreck being force fed to already overwhelmed and busy floor nurses. As a matter of fact, the only ones I see who are enthusiastic about this thing, are some of the managers and, those nurses in the Masters programs. To the rest of us it appears as nonsense that has little to do with doing our jobs.

Am I wrong? Is it me? Am I suffering burnout? Should I embrace this thing and happily share it with my coworkers?

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I think it has more to do with "big picture" stuff... which of course includes everybody to some degree.

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

That is how floor nurses feel. We are a Magnet hospital, and when we were in the process of receiving it, management/administration was very into it. When I worked on the floor, no one knew or cared. It was only when extra tasks where added to the already heavy nursing load, did I hear nurses say anything about it.

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Specializes in CEN, CPEN, RN-BC.

Our CNO gave us ER nurses this "heart mind heart" thinking process speech. She told us that when someone comes into the ED with a complaint of pain, instead of instinctively asking the questions we're trained to ask (onset provocation, palliation, quality, region, radiation, severity, time, associated symptoms, blah blah blah), we're to stop and think with our heart and make them feel all warm and fuzzy. Then think with our mind, then back to our heart. Looks good on paper, but I don't think the trauma surgeon would appreciate that during a level one.

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Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.

It doesn't take fancy philosophies to be a fully competent caregiver/manager. If nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, administration, patients, visitors, and family members would follow this one SIMPLE rule things would be much more tolerable:

Don't be an a**hole.

Very simple philosophy, very good results.

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As a nurse manager in a Magnet hospital we had a very enthusiastic nursing staff because it is a recognition of the great work the nurse do every day. I think it depends on how management 'brings' the message. All staff felt honored when we received Magnet, not just the nurses but housekeeping, care coordination etc were very proud.

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Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

It's all well and good on paper; it would be fine if TPTB would put their money where their mouth was. There's a lot to recommend a more mindful approach to what we're doing but the right approach would be to work smarter, not harder, as the saying goes.

Unfortunately where I work, TPTB rush around getting everyone in a lather with new assessment form and reports, new quizzes, skills to be checked off, etc, etc. Not only does it add to the already overwhelming confusion of paperwork we have to wade thru to get any patient care accomplished, but it seems every new thing we have to fill out is a rehash of existing info already available on the pt making it even more complicated to retrieve info that is actually usefull (and possibly crucial) on a timely basis. Then they rush home, leaving behind a blizzard of paperwork for us poor grunts to shovel. Sheesh! Save a few hundred trees, guys, and find something CONSTRUCTIVE to do with your time!

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg.
Our CNO gave us ER nurses this "heart mind heart" thinking process speech. She told us that when someone comes into the ED with a complaint of pain, instead of instinctively asking the questions we're trained to ask (onset provocation, palliation, quality, region, radiation, severity, time, associated symptoms, blah blah blah), we're to stop and think with our heart and make them feel all warm and fuzzy. Then think with our mind, then back to our heart. Looks good on paper, but I don't think the trauma surgeon would appreciate that during a level one.

that is, without a doubt, the DUMBEST thing I have ever heard. Who goes to the ER to feel warm and fuzzy!?!? You go because you think you are freaking dying and need someone to save your life. Wow. Speechless.

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.
that is, without a doubt, the DUMBEST thing I have ever heard. Who goes to the ER to feel warm and fuzzy!?!? You go because you think you are freaking dying and need someone to save your life. Wow. Speechless.

Don't you know? As part of the nursing profession, we need to be Suzie Sunshine ALWAYS! Who cares that the patient is high and is attempting to hurt you. Who cares that they came to the ER because say they might be pregnant but really all they want is for you to check for STDs. Who cares that they came in with multiple shot wounds and are bleeding profusely on the stretcher.

Your JOB as a nurse is to make sure they feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. :nurse:

Because as well all know its the other members of the staff that really do all the hard stuff. :uhoh3:

While good in theory, I honestly don't think these work in real life. :/ Every time I hear one of these projects to make nursing better or happier, I always sigh because they never really get to the root of the problem, it's just more work.

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Specializes in CEN, CPEN, RN-BC.
Don't you know? As part of the nursing profession, we need to be Suzie Sunshine ALWAYS! Who cares that the patient is high and is attempting to hurt you. Who cares that they came to the ER because say they might be pregnant but really all they want is for you to check for STDs. Who cares that they came in with multiple shot wounds and are bleeding profusely on the stretcher.

Your JOB as a nurse is to make sure they feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. :nurse:

Because as well all know its the other members of the staff that really do all the hard stuff. :uhoh3:

While good in theory, I honestly don't think these work in real life. :/ Every time I hear one of these projects to make nursing better or happier, I always sigh because they never really get to the root of the problem, it's just more work.

Not to be lame, but I do actually use it on the non-emergent bullsh!t patients that come in. One of my jobs is in a high income area (household income ~120k/year) and when I do my little :redbeathe mind :redbeathe spiel, they treat me a little less like the riff-raff uneducated doctor's hand maiden they think I am.

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.
Not to be lame, but I do actually use it on the non-emergent bullsh!t patients that come in. One of my jobs is in a high income area (household income ~120k/year) and when I do my little :redbeathe mind :redbeathe spiel, they treat me a little less like the riff-raff uneducated doctor's hand maiden they think I am.

LAMMMMMEEEEEE!

:D I am sure there are always exceptions to almost just about everything.

Generalization is wonderful. :up:

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I suspect that you come from a younger generation more suspicious of hype.

Anything that sounds like hype, BS or an insincere "taking one for the team" falls flat.

The teamwork talk would have worked with "company men" way back when, but anything that sounds like a reheorificed pep talk will not be regarded anymore.

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