Please tell me of your views and experiences and especially frustrations.

Specialties Management

Published

  • by gentle
    Specializes in Med-Surg, Tele, DOU.

Hello all,

I am at a point in my nursing career that I am finally ready to try and understand the management viewpoint. I apologize if that sounds rude it's just that it does take a longer time for some of us, to rearrange our thinking to align better with the mission of a nurse manager.

I am one of those annoying nurses who didn't consistently show up for that quick meeting due to a patient needing something that I thought was important. However, I later learned that this was a problem.

I couldn't reconcile "the understanding of quick meeting before patient" with what I believed nursing care was supposed to be. Instead I would ask myself, "how is what he or she saying regarding another policy (that will be posted for me to read) more important than attending to the patient?" I honestly mean you no harm or disrespect. Its just that this is where I was coming from over a very long period of time.

I am however, trying to learn and understand the demands on your time. I am trying to understand what you are going through on a day to day basis, what is important to you, and why it is important to you.

So far, the only way I can wrap my brain around understanding management, is to think: "the patient is a dollar sign that happens to be a person."

Meanwhile:

What are the things about your staff nurses that frustrate you? Is it their communication styles, their organization, or their knowledge base? Or is it all the above. And why do those things frustrate you?

I have had a few interesting experiences along my journey as a staff nurse. I am hoping that I will not only learn from you but also find ways to support my nurse manager.

I have several things that have driven me to this point; however, here are a few (#2 and 3 are the ones that started me thinking):

1). That is a good charge nurse if they don't listen to her then they must be difficult. . . said by nurse manager. the charge nurse stated "We tried to pacify them but nothing would help"

I didn't understand why I was pacifying instead of showing respect. I know this charge nurse, she meant pacify the way the word is defined. I had the angry patient and family. I was trying to show them respect and honor. {I don't always understand where the charge nurses are coming from.}

2). Another charge nurse said, "I just say oh okay, that way they (nurse managers) won't keep talking. I don't really care anyway." This charge nurse is a phenomenal nurse. She is so laid back and does what is within her boundaries. The nurse managers rely on her very heavily.

3) "That nurse A is very unorganized and doesn't prioritize well." yet, I watched that person, and they did more than sit and play video games which was what nurse B was doing on that shift. Now yes, the other nurse B did leave on time; but, that person's patients weren't nearly as well cared for. And yes, I do think that nurse A did leave late that day.

Any personal experiences, day to day frustrations, or day to day joys would be appreciated. I do care about what happens to the nurse managers that I work for and would like to be of support. I'm not looking for that type of job at all, BTW. I'm not even remotely interested. But, I would like to learn how to offer love and kindness in a way that I can understand as being supportive and that the nurse managers will understand as being supportive. (I tried talking this over with a trusted family member, however that person doesn't respect or understand the day to day struggle of nurses.)

I don't want anyone to feel pressure at thinking someone will come and flame them for their honest viewpoints. And I do value honesty. If you want you can pm me. I will respond though it may not be the same day I receive your message.

I am not here to do anything weird with your information other than learn how to be a better staff nurse and serve other people in a way that they will all understand (from patients to ceos to housekeepers). My goals are more along the lines of volunteering with the UN one day or some other organization that goes to underpriviledged nations and provides love through nursing care. I am the hippie born out of time, I suppose. (And yeah, I do like to wear the loud obnoxious colors from time to time :nuke:.)

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