Vent: Recognition from employer

[tokmom]

This sounds so petty, but I need to vent anyway, because it's really bugging me.

At our facility, we have a recognition paper that someone is to fill out if they catch a co-worker doing something nice for a patient or other co-worker. They are then posted for everyone to see.

What bothers me is this seems to be a popularity club. I swear the same people are always tagged. I have been at this facility almost a year, and have never had one filled out.

What really rankled me, was the one I saw the other day. It was filled out by the manager for a nurse that is as lazy as they come. I guess she FINALLY got up from the desk to help when asked. The manager saw this and filled out the form that made her sound like a saint. What about the other zillion times she's ignored her patients and pretty much passed meds and sat at the desk?

My pt's tell me all the time how good their care was, and I was the 'best' nurse they ever had. I help any co-worker at any time. If I see someone struggling pt load wise, I'm right there to hang an IV or give pain meds. No questions asked. The other day, I was 40 min OT helping with a grieving family, who's family member passed away toward the end of the shift. They thanked me profusely for the hugs, and caring I gave them. My manager asked me why I was so OT (that I didn't put in for, because I wanted to stay, I wasn't forced)and I told him I wasn't putting in for OT, but just wanted to stay with these people toward the end, because they trusted me and were scared out of their mind.

Now did I see my name up on the wall?? NOOOOOOO.

See, I told you it sounds like I'm petty and doing good care because I only want recognition;), but that is not the case. I'm not going to quit doing the good job I do, because it's my work ethic.

I guess I need to sit at the desk for a few months and then suddenly jump up and help someone.

[RNnbakes]

I disagree with giving cards to patients to fill out. It depends on the manner in which it is done. At work, the appreciation cards are included in the paperwork given to the pt so they see it and have the option of filling it out.

Also we are encouraged to carry the cards in our pockets so that when a patients compliments a nurse eg you've been so kind,attentive helpful etc, you can pull out the card and tell them that your manager would like to know that you are doing a good jpb. IMO it works. So I believe what the OP needs to do is that the next time a pt compliments her, get them to actually fill out what they said.

For me it helps to see the nice things pt writes in the cards and it is a confidence booster to know that a pt not only thinks said something nice to you but that they took the time to write it. On my floor, each nurse is given a folder on orientation that they are supposed to fill with the compliment cards, projects worked on and such. They show it to the manager at their review and this determines that % of the raise they get. No cards, no compliments, or no +ve contribution to the unit = below average performance = find another job/no raise.

[labrador4122, RN]

OMG to the OP.

same thing in my facility. I work a lot and help EVERYONE on my shift. & guess who is the nurse of the year? the one that sleeps in the lounge after 2am on every shift. The one that you hardly see at the nurses station answering patient's bell's. the one that when you ask for help, they give you an answer instead of going to the patient where the help is needed.

I don't get it. I don't get how these people get recognized when they are always sleeping & you end up picking up on their slack-- putting iv bags when their patient's iv bags are empty, or giving their PRN meds.

so not fair.

[BEDPAN76]

At my former job, LTC, you could write ( or tell ) the social worker something good about another person. He would type them up and post on a bulletin board. Worked OK. No one "got" anything, which was OK. But then the sorry excuse for a DON had him bring them to her before posting and she would tear them up if she didn't like the person. That DON was one of the most pathetic, nasty people I have ever run across, for a lot of reasons! :barf01:

[makes needs known]

We have same recognition thing where I work. I think it's stupid. Management wants us to praise each other, so that they never have to say anything nice about our work. All of the people I work with are hard dedicated workers.

[elkpark]

That's the way this sort of thing has worked everywhere I've ever worked -- the few "in crowd" people get all the recognition, completely regardless of how well they actually do their job. The big joke this year at the facility at which I work prn was that the RN who won the "Nurse of the Year" award is so lazy and unpleasant that the hospital can barely keep her unit staffed because nearly everyone in the nursing staff refuses to work with her.

It's not worth getting worked up over -- just ignore it.

[UnionRN2]

We used to have a recognition program and one of the first shift nurses told me once "no one will ever recognize you so you have to do it yourself". He filled out the cards for himself using patient and patient family names. That program went by the wayside. Now he puts in Daisy award nominations for himself. The ironic thing is.. he is a great talker... loves to talk with the patients... but his work is never done and the rooms are a mess.

When I see all those daisies on someone... I just laugh and wonder how many they really earned.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

It's really nice to hear that these programs are lopsided in many places. I feel a little better, thanks.

[kanzi monkey]

This whole thread makes me want to stick a pencil in my eye.:nuke:

Not because of you, OP, just because, well, I've been there, felt like poo, told myself not to feel like poo, felt more like poo, etc etc.

The way I try to deal--do what feels right in every moment. Sometimes that means getting off the floor even if I know a patient is looking for me. Most of the time it means taking a few extra moments to spend with a patient/family member to feel that a teaching point has sunk in, or get a plan straightened out with the team. I have the ability to recognize and praise my own efforts. And to reward myself in my own way when I'm not at work.

Try not to get yourself sucked in to a world that is beyond your control.

[Chaya, ASN, RN]

Yeah, we have the same program with the cards and all. There is a bulletin board with these things tacked all over it; the people whose names get up there are the ones who are the most perky and outgoing for the most part, which is OK...I'm friendly but just not as chatty and I never get my name up there. I have had many patients and family members tell me what a good nurse I am and thank me for taking the extra time to make sure they understand what is happening, and I know in my heart that this is what really counts (I tell them to please tell it to my manager but they never seem to...). Thing is, the cards that get posted DO have a certain currency in the way you are perceived; management puts a lot of stock in them so for my part, they only serve to make me feel rotten and underappreciated.

[ozoneranger]

I'll go you one better.

I worked on a unit where we did peer evaluations. The CNA's were allowed to evaluate the nurses, so...if you got on the bad side of a CNA...they'd all sit down in the conference room with their eval's & gang up on you. Since the eval's were anon. it couldn't be verified if the person who wrote the thing ever even worked with you.

They'd go to Kinko's to make copies of the blank form so they could all take a shot at you. (mgmt finally caught on that more responses were coming in than forms were sent out....did the math & numbered the forms to prevent it from happening....)

We had one CNA that was without a doubt, the strangest person I've ever met (and that's sayin' a lot...) she got it in her head to go after a nurse she didn't like & it cost the nurse her raise.

Even after we pointed out that CNA's don't understand why we do what we do, yet were allowed to critique our performance was like allowing a nurse to evaluate a structural engineer......hell-o, to no avail....

They never did change the policy, but karma did win. The CNA's decided they didn't like the supervisor that put the policy in place.......and used the evaluations to get her fired.

You gotta love that karma......