What's the weirdest thing management has said to you?

Nurses Relations

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Based on the thank you card thread, what's the most bizarre thing said to you by management or administration? I can think of a few that will always stand out in my mind.

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When discussing our patient satisfaction surveys, our manager told me in a staff meeting, "Monkeybug, a patient would much rather have a nice nurse than a smart one. They don't care how smart you are, it doesn't matter. The "little things" are what matter! In fact, a family probably wouldn't care if you killed a patient if you were a really sweet nurse." My reply was rather colorful, and culminated with me saying, "give me the smart ***** any day if I'm the patient."

I had a negative survey once because the patient had rolling veins. The patient's comment was that I should have kept this from happening. I asked manager how I was to do this, for future reference. "Well, of course, you can't control rolling veins. But I'm sure if you just apologized enough, you wouldn't get these negative comments!" (my only negative that quarter, but enough of an issue to get called to the office)

I was so incredibly angry. My father was 61 when he died this last May. It saddens me that there are nurses with zero heart or soul.

Management told me that before leaving a patient's room, I should be writing down on their whiteboard the time that I will be returning to their room for the next round (we are expected to round on our patients q hour). When I explained to her that I left my crystal ball at home and didn't feel comfortable putting down a time that I have no idea whether I will be able to meet or not, she told me that the patient would be happier having a time to look forward to even if I was late, than not having a time written down at all. Really? Because it seems to me like the more important thing is that my patient trust that when I say I am going to do something, I follow through. I guess she expected me to just go flitting room to room all day writing times on boards and then putting the next hour's "dates" into my dayplanner so I don't forget that I am supposed to be back in room 823 by 9:23 AM!

Management in healthcare are beginning to remind me of these nit-wit politicians that run this dwindling country. Just WOW!!!

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
That's crazy! However, it happens to SO many of us nurses!

Where I work, we HAVE to clock out for our 30 min MANDATORY lunch breaks. However, we work through them -- and if we clock in ONE MINUTE early - we get written up! My 30 min breaks usually consist of me clocking out, setting an alarm on my phone, gulping something down WHILE working, then clocking back in. How much sense does THAT make?

We're not ALLOWED to EVER write "No Lunch." Because then, they have to PAY us for that time - also, if we DO take our lunch, and get interrupted, we have to do a time-adjustment sheet, and take ANOTHER 30 minute break

Obviously you are being abused as a result of incompetent managment. I encourage you to get with your fellow nurses and simply refuse to be dishonest. Clock no lunch if you don't get a luch. If all of you stick together managment will be helpless.

I had an employee health nurse tell my group in a updated educational session " There is no such thing as a violent ER Patient". Her statement was met with a round of laughter and jeers yelling " you have obviously never been in the ER!"

I was the clinical coordinator in a "premiere" LTC facility which had households. I was expected to cover the floor in my household, continue to get my MDS's and care plans completed, attend numerous meetings and also cover the rehab household which was having severe staffing issues. After working 50 to 60 hours a week in my own household I was told I was going to have to cover staffing in the rehab household and did so. It finally became too much and I had an argument with the DON because I told her I just couldn't function this way, working 10+ hours in my own unit and then expected to come back at 10 PM at night and cover the sub-acute rehab household. She was hateful to me and I didn't know where to turn so I phoned the administrator and asked him " what do you expect from me" to which he replied, " you will do whatever it 'effing' takes", 'effing was not the word he used but my delicate sensibilities prevent me from typing the actual word. Long story short, I ended up working 21 days straight between my own household and the other household. These were not 21 eight hour shifts either, and were day shift, night shift, evening shift, weekends. My reward, I got counseled for working 21 days without a day off. Go figure.

Wow, just WOW! I am a newer (less than a year) nurse employed at a small hospital on the tele floor (my first nursing job). All I have to say is that these stories make it clear that I don't think that I will ever leave there! Our charge nurses will only take lunch if all other nurses have taken lunch. At the end of the shift, if other nurses are still there, our charge nurse will stay and help with whatever tasks need to be done. Even our manager and PCL will jump in and help with patient care if we are short staffed or completely slammed. I count myself very fortunate!

"Don't punchout later that you are scheduled !" ,and this is in an extremely busy ER . Oh, just one more . "Please dont use the foam cups for yourselves ,they are for the pts-budget cuts !" hospital has estimated $2.77 billion in cash.

Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.
Oh please don't give The Powers That Be any crazy ideas!!!!!!!

You are the only other person besides me that I've ever heard complain about Reglan! I see it given out sooooo often to patients, and all I can think is, "I hope it doesn't make you bat-guano crazy like it did me!"

I am the kind of person who can sleep anytime, anywhere -- the only time I ever have trouble falling asleep is when I have had more than 10 cans of Pepsi Max in the previous couple of hours. But while taking Reglan in an attempt to increase my milk supply, I was a complete insomniac every time I tried to sleep! I was tired as all get out, but simply could NOT fall asleep when I tried. I was so drowsy that I could fall asleep sitting up doing my work or nursing my baby -- I could even fall asleep standing up!!! -- but I could *not* sleep when I wanted/needed to.

It actually got so bad that I felt like I was on the verge of a psychotic break... if my husband hadn't been home to take care of the baby, I would have taken him to my MIL's house to have her watch him, because I felt like I wasn't even competent enough to care for him anymore -- like my thought processes weren't even functioning.

I stopped taking the Reglan, handed the baby to my husband, and said, "Bring him to me in bed when he needs to nurse, other than that I don't want to see/hear from either of you until I emerge from the bedroom!" and I *finally* got some decent sleep. That was over twelve years ago, and I've never had trouble sleeping since -- it was just that stupid drug!

I actually see a sleep specialist for insomnia and a parasomnia, and he told me that he hates for his patients to be on Reglan. I once got an IM injection of Reglan for a migraine, and that was even worse than the po version.

Specializes in LTC and School Health.

CNS: Where were you for yesterdays class?

Me: I was at my great grandmothers' funeral

CNS: Well you should have cancelled the class earlier.

(There were not any, I'm sorry for your lost etc.)

My NM tells me I lost my focus after I got married.....

My thoughts were: Really????? If she only knew

Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.

Our VBDN (Very Big Deal in Nursing) has an office across from our unit and comes in right before day shift starts. We got lectured about "call lights not being answered" (because they are being answered elsewhere, 6AM to 8AM is a very busy time for us - potty calls, pain meds, etc) and "IV pump alarms going off incessantly" and how all of this detracts from the Patient Care Experience. She also mentioned that she can hear "staff talking and laughing in the halls". Like, at the change of shift. She added that if SHE can hear us, the PATIENTS must be able to hear us, and what must the patients think!?! *clutches pearls*

Specializes in LTC and School Health.

Have another one! I'm working my shift and get pulled my management for an unexpected meeting. This meeting took 30-

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