Is your colleague a mind reader? Or just plain lazy

We have high expectations of our coworkers, but are our expectations realistic and have a sound basis? I find that although we have a lot of expectations of those around us, most of us do not know that others have these expectations. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

You are reading page 2 of Is your colleague a mind reader? Or just plain lazy

lhome, ASN, RN

1 Article; 11 Posts

Specializes in med/surg, homehealth.

Fear! From my experience, asking for help is usually time consuming in itself. Finding someone that is not as busy as you is usually the case. I was accused by a nursing assistant that I was dumping when I asked him to do something for me once. He was a gossip and trouble maker. I would find him talking in rooms with another employee far from his post. I use to ask myself how could a staff member such as this possibly think I was dumping when I had no break. I would find my patients personal needs not met and do them myself. After calculating the time a patient sits in their own feces, the time it takes to get assistance, and the time difference when I waited, I saw no hope. Many of these problems can be solved with proper management. Someone has to take the bull by the horn. Nurses on the floor have no time for such nonsense. A good supervisor will address it in meetings and get out on the floor and observe. A little team work would help too. Set an example!

People that are complaining constantly? Your solution is you. As a manger, you should know the pace of your unit and its challenges. Facilitating a teamwork atmosphere and try facilitating an atmosphere of compassion for each of your employees for each other. This is a key role of all nurses. Without it, our care is cold and the attitude of the unit rubs off on the patients.

I love the nurses who complete all their work on four easy walkie talkies while laughing/comaining at the nurses who cant handle their own assignment of 4bed ridden complete care trachs and pegs and q30 orders if some sort. yes this has happened often

nurseladybug12

161 Posts

I think it is really sad that many medical professionals do not believe in teamwork and have a "fend for yourself" attitude. I wonder how you treat your patients!

dudette10, MSN, RN

3,530 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

I have been working for about 18 months, and I have never gone running to mommy about colleagues or anything for that matter. Your employees need to grow the **** up.

Also, I've never been a nurse manager, so take this with a grain of salt or contemplate it. Your choice. If this happens often, maybe some root-cause analysis about the culture of the unit needs to be done. Because you are the leader, some changes can start with how you handle the complainers and what you do with the results of your root-cause analysis.

nurse4sale

61 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg., Geriatrics, Pediatrics..
I think it is really sad that many medical professionals do not believe in teamwork and have a "fend for yourself" attitude. I wonder how you treat your patients!

It is a shame, nurseladybug12, but it's not like that in every profession. Take the doctors for instance. Not only do they have each others backs, you never hear them talk bad about one another like the nurses do. Some nurses just never grew-up past grade school.

madwife2002, BSN, RN

26 Articles; 4,777 Posts

Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
I have been working for about 18 months, and I have never gone running to mommy about colleagues or anything for that matter. Your employees need to grow the **** up.

Also, I've never been a nurse manager, so take this with a grain of salt or contemplate it. Your choice. If this happens often, maybe some root-cause analysis about the culture of the unit needs to be done. Because you are the leader, some changes can start with how you handle the complainers and what you do with the results of your root-cause analysis.

What you say is very true, except where I work it has been a slow process of 2 steps forward 1 step back.

In the past couple of years we have made great strides if I look back at the whole picture. We are just not where we need to be yet.

If I could just focus on the culture it would be great, but there is a much larger picture outside the man management aspect.

I encourage each member of staff to look at themselves and decide what they can do to make a change because you can only change your own behaviors.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B

9 Articles; 4,800 Posts

If you are getting daily complaints on nurses by nurses, then this is an issue that needs to be addressed in a staff meeting with all present. And as a manager whos job, in part, is to foster a better team--bring it to them. Include the CNA's in this as well, and the clerks. "what can you do, what will you do, I expect that you do" What ideas do they have? Are the assignments evenly divided? Would it be feasible to have partners--2 nurses who help each other, spot for breaks, lunch breaks that type of thing? Have you worked your floor? If you have not, then this is another way to look at how the floor runs itself, and a better understanding of where things go awry. Include CNA's in group report. Everyone has a game plan. You could round and be present and sure that all are doing what they need to for patient safety and care. If you have a charge nurse (especially one who doesn't take an assignment) what can that person do to help if your partners are both busy with a patient? Once everyone is on the same page of the needs of the floor, and it can vary day to day, patient to patient, perhaps it is then easier to say "what can I do for you right now, I have a few minutes". When everything becomes a critical emergency all at once, then is when stress becomes overwhelming. Your charge nurses need to be pro-active. With all due respect, you need to be pro-active. Make assignments according to strengths, partnerships that compliment each other, and if you are an IV expert, rapid response proficient, or have a keen eye on subtle changes in condition, be part of your team. Often people will bring things to managers that they don't feel the managers are well informed on. Be present, be absolutely clear on chain of command, what to do if you are in the weeds, and who your go to people are. If the employees are empowered to problem solve independently, then they most often are more willing to do so.

amygarside

1,026 Posts

Sometimes peopel assume that you know what their thinking , which is not the case all the time. Hopefully we can make them understand that they need to speak up to be heard.

SCSTxRN

258 Posts

Specializes in Psych.

When I worked acute care, I noticed that there were three groups of people who were consistently behind:

- Newbies

- Smokers

- Gossipers

Everyone gets slammed from time to time, but these three categories were ALWAYS behind. My response varied according to what I saw and what I was asked to do.

I'd always get a pump, whether to replenish IV solution, flush a line, or disconnect. I'd always answer a call light, unless I was in the middle of my own patient care. With the newbies, I'd help them do pretty much anything they asked. With the other two groups, I had to be completely not busy to add to my load. I had coworkers spending 2 out of 12 hours on smoke breaks, and there were days I didn't get a lunch... team work does not flourish in such an environment.

chicagonurse89

33 Posts

I think everyone should just have good communication skills, initiative and common sense! good communication skills to convey to others that you already need help, and not just assume that they can read your mind; initiative and common sense to offer help even if you're not asked to.. Especially if you already saw that your co-worker is already struggling