Read this email my NM sent to all the nurses.

VioletKaliLPN, LPN · Nov 15, 2012

Call me crazy, but I do not find the email unprofessional or inappropriate. I am a very direct person, however, and I am not easily offended.

This is the fastest, sure fire way to ensure everyone gets the message. If it is not directed at "you", general you, then no harm no foul.

netglow, ASN, RN · Nov 15, 2012

Hey it's work folks. I actually know nurses who would be offended by this email BECAUSE they feel they have some sort of constitutional right to constantly conduct personal business at work. A call once in a while is fine, but it's always overboard - a generational change, I think.

Go ahead and be annoyed. But know this, she has spoken, and I'd applaud her if she actually follows through. When you send an email drawing a line in the sand, you better enforce it, or you will be forever ignored - by me as well.

rita359 · Nov 15, 2012

Nurse manager has identified a problem, notified all staff of the problem as she sees it, and identified a course of action for not shaping up. Can she send somebody home if they don't comply? I don't know what your hospital policy says. However, I'm sure there should be some disiplinary action taken for shopping online or being on the internet etc, taking more breaks than allowed etc that hr has identied. Staff has been warned. Either shape up or ship out. You may not like the way she did it but all staff now have obvious choices. The consequences have been established. Your choice.

RNperdiem, RN · Nov 15, 2012

If this is going on, I am sure the NM is not the only one peeved about the work environment.

anggelRN · Nov 15, 2012

I can't believe she said "full throttle". WHile it seems like she does have a point, her delivery is less than professional.

netglow, ASN, RN · Nov 15, 2012

Well, if you had a job anywhere else and your own desk and computer, they'd be in your office when you're not and they would be checking what you've been doing on your computer. I've seen it done.

LynnLRN · Nov 15, 2012

Good for her for saying something rather than ignoring the behaviour!

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Nov 15, 2012

It sounds like the type of email no manager should HAVE to send. I agree, if staff is acting like this (shopping online, yapping loudly at the nurses station, gossip), the CN should be yanking their butts off of the shift....

"Nurses,
It has come to my attention that BREAKS are being taken at the BEGINNING of the shift DURING BUSY times on the unit. This is unacceptable and it is the responsibility of each staff member to come to work prepared to work and NOT shop online, take multiple breaks, and gossip. It is very unprofessional to be socializing LOUDLY at the nurse's station and I will not tolerate it. I need staff that are committed to making this the best unit and providing the BEST care. The charge nurse and myself do not have time to babysit and instruct you on how and when to do your job. The charge nurse is responsible for leading the team and if she feels at any time that a particular staff member is not performing standard care, she will not hesitate to take action and dismiss the staff member from work for the rest of shift without pay with instruction to follow up with me before returning. Please forgive me in advance to the staff dedicated and prepared to work full throttle each shift, this email is not directed to you."
...........
Really? This is the kind of work environment I have to deal with. Does this sound like something any manager should say? I had to laugh to myself reading this. Your thoughst?

roser13, ASN, RN · Nov 15, 2012

Wonder what OP thinks about the responses?

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2012

"Nurses,
It has come to my attention that BREAKS are being taken at the BEGINNING of the shift DURING BUSY times on the unit. This is unacceptable and it is the responsibility of each staff member to come to work prepared to work and NOT shop online, take multiple breaks, and gossip. It is very unprofessional to be socializing LOUDLY at the nurse's station and I will not tolerate it. I need staff that are committed to making this the best unit and providing the BEST care. The charge nurse and myself do not have time to babysit and instruct you on how and when to do your job. The charge nurse is responsible for leading the team and if she feels at any time that a particular staff member is not performing standard care, she will not hesitate to take action and dismiss the staff member from work for the rest of shift without pay with instruction to follow up with me before returning. Please forgive me in advance to the staff dedicated and prepared to work full throttle each shift, this email is not directed to you."

My thoughts.....my thoughts are that this is a manager who appears to be fed up and tired with the behavior/disrespect of the staff. That she has repetitively told them at meetings that this behavior needs to stop. The charge nurse is obviously been attempting to control/correct the behavior and has been disrespected and ignored. This manager is tired of the complaints from families and patients about the amount of the noise at the station. This manager has decided to change a culture of a unit and is requiring the staff to comply with the professional demeanor that is required for the staff.

This manager has decided to send the staff an e-mail to the staff in general to re-clarify her position and make it clear the charge nurse has the power and support of the nurse manager to halt this behavior. It is clear that this manager is no longer going to tolerate that attitudes and disrespect of certain staff and will be holding them accountable for their behavior.....and is willing to begin progressive discipline action plans to correct the staffs behavior.

I think it is something a manager can say to put all staff on alert. I do not think it should be the first line of communication but as a "Today is the first day we being to be held accountable" I think it is effective at making her plan clear to all so no one can say....I didn't hear you, I can't come to the meeting, I didn't understand, no one told me, I didn't know.

I would be concerned about the staff that felt the e-mail was a joke or felt it was amusing.....I think sometimes we need to look in the mirror at ourselves for sometimes we don't always project our accurate selves.....sometimes we need to really see ourselves and make corrections.

If I was one of her staff members......I would think she meant business.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2012

I agree with you Esme

GummibearsRN · Nov 15, 2012

The comments about the surfing the internet, breaks and loud talking were not what I really took aim at. They are the same problems in nurses stations everywhere.

Its more the part that I put in bold. The part where the NM thinks she can give power to the charge nurse (who doesn't take pt's on our floor) to suspend a nurse home for the day. THAT is the bigger picture I was trying to get you guys to comment on. The charge nurse only makes $1 more an hr than regular his/her regular pay. He/She is a "staff nurse" and I seriously doubt (would bet money on) that the charge nurse has no such power legally. Think about a co-worker suspending you without pay from your job. Cannot be legal.