"What Nursing Managers fail to see"

[Nursekat64]

As a nurse for 19 years in Memphis area hospitals and a local children's ER, I have seen many events that go unrecognized, unacknowledged.

As managers sit in their office looking at a computer, manuals and attend meetings, I believe they have forgotten the reason they became a nurse, so here is a refresher.

The unit nurses are the one that ultimately do the work, take care of the pateints and are the ones that the public look up to. Who the public turn to in time of need and despair. WE are the ones that hold the hand of a scared child who is alone, of a crying child during painful procedures, who calm parents down when they arrive not knowing if their child is alive. WE are the ones who offer our hands, our shoulder to cry on and our knowledge to them. WE are the ones who go in the room with the physician to tell the family that their child may not live. WE are the ones who are there in their most dreadful moments to somehow ease the pain of death and dying. WE are the ones who administer pain medication when bones are fractured, when stomachs ache and when sickle cell disease is out of control. WE are the ones that get coughed on, sneezed on and vomited on. WE are the ones that gets handed a "blue" baby with the mother screaming "she's not breathing". WE are the ones who laugh, cry and pray with the family. WE are the ones that are expected after one trauma ends to to immediately go out and care for the others, with no time for ourselves. WE are the ones who work short staffed, with no lunch breaks, and faulty equipment. We are the ones who take money of our pockets to give a family Christmas presents, who just lost everything in a fire, no matter how the fire happened. WE are the ones that continue to work a code when our bladders are about to explode, to hold ourselves together when a child dies, or is a victim of sexual abuse, as we question God, why this happened. WE are the ones humbled. WE are the ones that carry out the mission, the ethics and the moral attitude of the nursing profession.

Then we go home to our familes and thank God they are alright.

WE put our familes second only to the patients we care for. WE are the ones haunted by our dreams. WE seek no professional help in dealing with the multiple traumas. WE are a strong team. WE are the united front. We are the ones who make the difference in this community. With all of this WE are the ones who choose to work each day . WE are the ones whose blood, sweat and tears are wrapped up in the departmant. We are the ones who work for little money, because our reward will come in heaven.

This happens every day, in every department, in every city. Managers cannot see up because they are not there. How can managers evaulate us if they cannot see us?

So as a manger have you failed your staff, failed the community and failed your nusring ethic for not really seeing what and who WE are?

As you sit in your office do not forget the ones in which you work for. Yes you work for us, not against us, not above us , for us. For us to be able to make that difference, for us to be able to come to work each day.

Managers will never find a perfect nurse, and WE will never find a perfect manager. There is a happy medium. WE will be late, WE will call in, and WE may not get every piece of paper signed, but WE are the united front, WE are the ones who make the unit run. We are the ones that make a difference.

I am a LPN. I am a vital part of the united front. I make a difference.

I invite any and all LPN's to contact me as I head up the Tennessee Chapter of the NFLPN.

I want our voices to be heard. I want to change the attitudes and open the eyes of the nurse managers who fall into theis category. Not all do.

WE are not going anywhere. Our profession is strong and I plan to make it stronger.

Kathryn LPN

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Don't hold back. Tell us how you feel. j/k

Good post.

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

As a nurse for 19 years in Memphis area hospitals and a local children's ER, I have seen many events that go unrecognized, unacknowledged. As managers sit in their office looking at a computer, manuals and attend meetings, I believe they have forgotten the reason they became a nurse.

I'll have to count myself very fortunate. My Nurse Manager comes to work in scrubs because she gets in there with us, she recognizes and acknowledges our hard work and good deeds. My only complaint is concerning the things some people seems to get away with. I can ony assume that keeping adequate staff is more difficult than we realize. I wouldn't have her job for all the tea in China. My stress comes from the thankless patients and irritating family members. The NM, co-workers and doctors are awesome. I wish I had the stamina to work more. I just don't.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I invite any and all LPN's to contact me as I head up the Tennessee Chapter of the NFLPN.

Does this invitation include LPNs who do not reside in Tennessee?

[live4today, RN]

while i have had the challenge of working with many nurse managers who shouldn't have been nurse managers for reasons you describe and then some, i have had the great honor to work with some really great nurse managers who always gave the best of themselves as a nurse to their staff. let's not discount the good ones. they do exist.

[Nursekat64]

Yes,

feel free to email me

Kat:D

[oh2beinxtc]

Hi Kathryn,I have been an LPN in Memphis for 16 years.I fully agree with you.Could you please send me info on the NFlpn I would be glad to help.

Thanks Shannon

[Nursekat64]

shannon,

Thank you. I will send you the information. I need about 25 LPN's to join to become an active chapter in Tennessee.

Kathryn