Radical Management Strategy

chevyv, BSN, RN · Nov 19, 2012

I have to agree and I tell my pts if I'm busy or there is a serious situation going on and occasionally I get someone who only thinks of themselves (and I work psych), but the majority understand and cut me a lot more slack than me lying and fumbling an excuse. I am a terrible liar!

kcmylorn · Nov 19, 2012

Managment does it for the same reason they demand unemployed nurses go back for their BSN. Business people will never tell the truth, they sugar it up with something so 'fantastic" any reasonable person with an ounce of common sense has to get away from them or they will reach out an "touch them" they will lie and say they are checking with the boss, when they are not, and never had any intention on doing so; they will tell you your paycheck they shorted you is in the mail and it isn't, hoping you'll forget about it. They treat you like a child-" oh, if we don't remind them about it, they'll soon forget about it". How insulting is that mentality? It's called dumbing down a workforce!!!!!

oldenurselady · Nov 19, 2012

I am seriously burned out. It makes me sick, literally, to put up with some of this stuff. This is not nursing. It is some kind of twisted BS marketing strategy concocted by administrators and gobbled down like nectar by mid level managers. These mid level managers see these patients, the staffing, and know what the "real" and "really crazy" issues are. They need to grow some gonads and speak up for staff and patients. Last time I checked, being a true patient advocate was a role of the professional nurse. If patients do not like the food, it goes against our department or if the furniture for visitors is uncomfortable, they count it as negative. Dumbest of all, we have started to give a "gift" card for the hospital shop or cafe if they are unsatisfied. Really??? Guess what they are still gonna say that they did not get their meds when they asked or that they had to wait to long for a diagnostic test. We do see that they SOMETIMES appreciate the "gift", but many times see it as a meaningless token or even worse a buy-off. It doesn't improve the HCAHPS because they still complain. It also may encourage griping because some of our patients (not all, but a few) want their free card too and expect it for any concocted gripe. I wish I was younger and could do something else. I have never felt like this before, but I am totally toasted!

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Nov 19, 2012

Ya! During an extremely busy/understaffed time (ok that is ALWAYS but this was a particularly brutal time with an exit seeking man who would take a swing and run...) we were told to have this reply

"we are doing things a little differently today" in a nauseating sing song voice....

grrrrrr :banghead:

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Nov 19, 2012

Pts aren't stupid. They know when we're short handed. What gets me is when they look at me and ask me "are you busy", when I'm sweating profusely, breathing heavily, and generally looking panicked. Denying the obvious makes me a liar on top of everything else.

"Sure I can get you that coffee, recliner, warm blanket, and WIFI code for your laptop". I guess that dying pt will just have to wait for their Morphine.

My biggest resentment against management has always been, expecting me to be able to do something they know is impossible.

Walmart gives out free gift cards to customers who are disgruntled.

Do we really want to model healthcare after retailers?

Maybe my hospital will start giving gift cards to staff who are overwhelmed.

tewdles, RN · Nov 19, 2012

In hospice we are honest with our patients from the start. We let them know if they are at the distant edge of our service area because it will impact our ability to get there quickly...requiring everyone have a plan for care. We tell them that we may have to change appointments if we have other patients who require our presence on an urgent basis...that we will spend time with people who need our presence the most at a particular time.

In hospice care, we are partnering with patients and families so our honesty about what they should expect helps to improve their satisfaction with the service.

cienurse · Nov 19, 2012

" People have to wait at WalMart, the grocery store, and by golly in their PCP and other physician offices. They know it is busy and they deal with it. Why is the inpatient setting some other planet."

I'm gonna try this quote on the next DPH surveyor who tags me for staff not answering the call lights "timely!" :yes:

oldenurselady · Nov 19, 2012

There is a BIG difference between answering a call light and immediately acting on a patient's complaint of chest pain and instantly fulfilling their request for Hawaiian punch and cookies.

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Nov 19, 2012

Weeeeeeird, I was just thinking about this the other day. When I went through orientation at my hospital, we had to take a customer service class -- where we were told to never, ever tell a patient that the unit was busy, short staffed, or to imply that there was someone sicker than them who needed to come first -- no matter how long the patient had been waiting or for what trivial reason, etc. Because that's not what the patient wants to hear. More like...it's probably not the impression that the hospital wants to give its patients -- your nurses are understaffed and overworked!

I think it does patients a disservice to assume that they are incapable of taking into account what is happening on the unit. Obviously, you're going to have that patient who would still be unhappy if you flew to the moon and brought them back a goose that craps golden eggs, y'know? But when you acknowledge that, yes, I am very busy right now or yes, there is someone very sick on the unit right now which is why everyone is in their room -- you're also acknowledging that you're not sitting on your butt at the nurse's station reading Facebook instead of fetching them a glass of water.

edit - sorry, I didn't realize that this was in the management subforum!

DSkelton711 · Nov 20, 2012

I am so-called "management", but I don't get a say so in how my unit is staffed. That is a much higher-up decision. I can try to do my best to ask for more help, but it ain't gonna happen. Then if I complain too much, my job will be on the line. We are staffed according to regulations, but many times that is not enough. I also feel burnt to a crisp--trying to keep everyone satisfied enough to keep on coming back, which they do for various reasons, obviously. I am fortunate to have great people, but I know and realize they can't do it all forever. I just wish those above me realized it. I often feel like I am not made for "management" for these reasons.

kcmylorn · Nov 20, 2012

Weeeeeeird, I was just thinking about this the other day. When I went through orientation at my hospital, we had to take a customer service class -- where we were told to never, ever tell a patient that the unit was busy, short staffed, or to imply that there was someone sicker than them who needed to come first -- no matter how long the patient had been waiting or for what trivial reason, etc. Because that's not what the patient wants to hear. More like...it's probably not the impression that the hospital wants to give its patients -- your nurses are understaffed and overworked!
I think it does patients a disservice to assume that they are incapable of taking into account what is happening on the unit. Obviously, you're going to have that patient who would still be unhappy if you flew to the moon and brought them back a goose that craps golden eggs, y'know? But when you acknowledge that, yes, I am very busy right now or yes, there is someone very sick on the unit right now which is why everyone is in their room -- you're also acknowledging that you're not sitting on your butt at the nurse's station reading Facebook instead of fetching them a glass of water.
edit - sorry, I didn't realize that this was in the management subforum!

Managment doesn't want the staff telling the truth to patnets because if a mistake is made- the patient has a legitimate leg to stand on that is the managment's fault. Managment staff the hospitals not the worker bees who are run ragged.

If the nurses are running around and too busy- it does look bad for management. As it should. It says they are not doing their job correctly. Which they aren't. If a patient asked me - or commented"your really busy today" I answered them honestly Yes we are down x number of nurese. I don't fluff anything up for managment. Mid levels are kissing but to keep the million dollar baby earning the million dollar paycheck so the million dollar family continues to live well, meantime, our lives are hell, burned out, fed up and shopping at Wal Mart to make ends meet, buying every kind of cheap- presevative pack crap food meal stretches just to pay our light bills or mortage company! Keeping the HTN and obesity states going.

Managment is the only ones who get to look forward to the holidays anymore-everyone else holiday is filled with not only work BS but wory of where the next bill money will come from, Do we pay bills or celebrate the holidays. We should be able to give managment a good hard back hand when they mutter Happy Thanksgiving or Merry Christmas-we all know they don't mean it, its a forced gesture. Personally what would make my holiday- knowing some Ceo was indited for embesslement or fraud and thrown in jail for the holidays at the big house!