New ADON feeling overwhelmed

[LittleMamaRomeoRN]

This is only my 2nd week in my new position as ADON of a 212 bed non-profit SNF. I'm very excited about learning new things and hoping to be a positive influence on staff, but our survey window is opening up and I'm getting flooded with information and I'm starting to second guess myself. Any advice would be much appreciated! Help!

[DalekRN]

Respect is earned. Show them that you do care by getting your hands dirty. Answer lights help with the dining room or food trays. I'm not saying this is an everyday thing, but it helps them realize that you're a nurse first and making sure the residents are being taken care of is your # 1 priority. When you get there in morning, walk the halls and see if staff is doing ok. Say good morning to the staff. I had a housekeeper thank me once for saying hello to her. She said in the 10 years she has been working at this facility, not one member of upper management ever said hello to her. Trust me this works!! Showing that you're a team player will open their eyes and also make your job much easier. Hope this helps![/quote']

Beautifully stated.

[LittleMamaRomeoRN]

The way the job market is i bet you can find some nurses that really care and are job hunting...

I would love to just get new nurses in the building, I know many that do care and strive to do their best work. Unfortunately, our LPNs are covered by the union, which makes getting rid of nurses who practice poorly extremely difficult. I can't believe this behavior at work is actually supported/defended by the union. Wouldn't you think they would want to have a clean image as well? Hmmm...