The Unwritten Laws Nurse Managers Live By

Specialties Management

Published

1. Always believe the worst about your subordinates, no matter how glowing a reputation or history of competence they may have. Never give anybody the benefit of the doubt.

2. Never praise or give an "attaboy", and always discipline for any minor infractions. Floor nurses are not allowed to be human.

3. Always wield your power like the hammer of Thor.

4. Be as acerbic and abrasive as possible in all dealings with your subordinates.

5. The patient, er, customer is always right, no matter how confused or crazy or vindictive or evil they may be. Patient satisfaction scores are more important than the truth.

6. Clinical nurse leaders do not make mistakes. Only non-management nurses do.

7. Always make sure that your employees shudder in fear at the sight of you; smiling is not allowed.

8. Always be sure to forget what it was like to work on the floor with actual, you know, patients.

9. Always work your hardest to make your subordinates feel as bad as possible about themselves and their chosen career, no matter how much they pour their heart, soul, and mind into it.

Just a few tidbits I've learned from working at a world-famous magnet hospital that strives for "nursing excellence" and attracts "the best and the brightest."

My question is, Was it always this way? Why or why not? And does it always have to be this way?

Specializes in Pain, critical care, administration, med.

Interesting comments but I have to say there are bad manager and there are good ones just as there are good and poor staff. I worked in a magnet hospital for 20 yrs and for 10 of those years as a manager. I lost my job and went to a hospital that is in a very urban area, unionized and run by the state. So what was better? Magnet for sure a much better environment. I cant even begin to tell you of the bad behavior i witness and the crap the staff do on a daily basis. As for the list of issues that was presented I have to say there needs to be a list for staff that we must manage.

1. Make sure you thank me everyday I show up for work. You are privileged to have me here.

2. Yes I can do whatever I want. You should have no expectations of me.

3. I am not accountable for anything it's everyone else's fault and never mine.

4. Patients are not first I am first.

5. I don't have to be a team player.

6. Don't expect me to show any respect for anyone but you must respect me.

7. Gossiping is what I do best. When you have a issue with me I feel the need to make you look bad.

8. I need all my sick days and then some, my life is so overwhelming.

9 I get many personal calls because that is my right.

10. I have many personal issues and you need to understand them.

11. Why isn't staffing 1:1. I have way too much to do.

12. Being on time? Right... I have a long commute, my kids , etc.

13. I love to complain but do nothing to be a change maker.

Yes I could go on and on. We made the choice of the profession we know the work and the expectation. So lets all come to work, be on time and truly give 100% when you are there stop complaining and focus on the goal.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Interesting comments but I have to say there are bad manager and there are good ones just as there are good and poor staff. I worked in a magnet hospital for 20 yrs and for 10 of those years as a manager. I lost my job and went to a hospital that is in a very urban area, unionized and run by the state. So what was better? Magnet for sure a much better environment. I cant even begin to tell you of the bad behavior i witness and the crap the staff do on a daily basis.

*** Interesting! I left a Magnet hospital in large part due to chronic unsafe staffing levels, very low moral, tyranical supervisors and administration who treated nurses as disposable, poor patient out comes, and poor treatment of staff my admin in general. I now work in a wonderful, non-Magnet. union hospital (not run my the sate though). Moral if great, nurses are treated fairly and decently, our patients love us and our satisfaction scores reflect that. It's nice to work in a professional enviroment, unlike the constant infighting I have experienced in all the Magnet hospitals I have worked in (4 of them). I hope my living never depends on a Magnet hospital again. Among my little group of friends who are ICU, ER, transport nurses and CRNAs Magnet hospitals are employers of last resort.

Specializes in Pain, critical care, administration, med.

Sorry that was your experience because it wasn't mine. The place I am leaving is so scary and the ones I feel sorry for are the patients. It's attached to a prominent medical school.

1. Administration hate each other.

2. No collaboration and/ or respect between any discipline

3. staff turn off alarms that annoy them.

3. Press Ganey about answering concerns 1%

4. Patients call bells for hours with no response.

5. Patients often lay in their own filth for hours

6. Patients are not suctioned and the RRT team responds to suction.

7. Nothing is anyone's job.

8. Staff do not talk to patients and given little respect because they are black and poor.

9. No idea what evidenced based practice is?

10 patients mouths are disgusting you can actually pick the crust out.

11. No reinforcement of anything good just the negative.

12. Staff will not use the facility for their own healthcare

The list go on and on so I just have to stop because it makes me sick. So to save myself I am leaving after 8 months. While no place is perfect I refuse to work in hell.

Just wondering...why is this discussion in the nursing management section of AN? The point seems to be to complain about management which seems like a different issue entirely.[/quote']

My guess is the management team of healthcare should gain some insight into their behaviors and character from their staff. Just a guess....? Ya think?

Sorry that was your experience because it wasn't mine. The place I am leaving is so scary and the ones I feel sorry for are the patients. It's attached to a prominent medical school.

1. Administration hate each other.

2. No collaboration and/ or respect between any discipline

3. staff turn off alarms that annoy them.

3. Press Ganey about answering concerns 1%

4. Patients call bells for hours with no response.

5. Patients often lay in their own filth for hours

6. Patients are not suctioned and the RRT team responds to suction.

7. Nothing is anyone's job.

8. Staff do not talk to patients and given little respect because they are black and poor.

9. No idea what evidenced based practice is?

10 patients mouths are disgusting you can actually pick the crust out.

11. No reinforcement of anything good just the negative.

12. Staff will not use the facility for their own healthcare

The list go on and on so I just have to stop because it makes me sick. So to save myself I am leaving after 8 months. While no place is perfect I refuse to work in hell.

Sounds like a poorly managed staff.

Specializes in NICU, Educ, IC, CM, EOC.

I am going to assume that the snarky tone I read was not intended. I know that to many people manager = evil idiot. I just don't think that the tone of this thread is to help managers manage better; it is more about how awful managers are. That's not a terribly helpful approach, but I guess it does help people vent. I am just saying that constructive feedback is one thing, attacks and belittling are something else.

Specializes in Pain, critical care, administration, med.

I always see staff perspective if their managers but rarely see manager perspective if staff. It is not fun at either end. Usually those that say managers are terrible are usually from staff that are problematic. I have reporting to a interim director for 8 months. She is a monster and doesn't know how to manage except to cause dissension among staff. She has double standards for different staff, allows bullying as well as being a bulky herself. Everything is her way regardless of what others think. I reported her to the CNO and even sadder nothing was done. So to save myself, my professionalism and drive I am leaving. The poor patients will have to suffer in silence while no one foes anything to make it better.

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I always see staff perspective if their managers but rarely see manager perspective if staff. It is not fun at either end. Usually those that say managers are terrible are usually from staff that are problematic. I have reporting to a interim director for 8 months. She is a monster and doesn't know how to manage except to cause dissension among staff. She has double standards for different staff, allows bullying as well as being a bulky herself. Everything is her way regardless of what others think. I reported her to the CNO and even sadder nothing was done. So to save myself, my professionalism and drive I am leaving. The poor patients will have to suffer in silence while no one foes anything to make it better.

That's because one must assume managers use the tools at their disposal to change what they don't like. Even in a union environment it's not an equal power arrangement. Horrible job culture isn't made in a day, or fixed in a day. Everything I've experienced since I was first licensed a looooonnnng time ago tells me that culture reflects management. I guess you can only hope somebody comes along who is willing to go through the stress of trying to change things.

Sorry you lost your Magnet hospital job, though. I know it's hellish and often the experienced nurses get their walking papers.

I am going to assume that the snarky tone I read was not intended. I know that to many people manager = evil idiot. I just don't think that the tone of this thread is to help managers manage better; it is more about how awful managers are. That's not a terribly helpful approach but I guess it does help people vent. I am just saying that constructive feedback is one thing, attacks and belittling are something else.[/quote']

If managing people is what you do then you should know how to handle different styles of communication. Why would a nurse try to help a manager manage better...? If the feedback is belittling and attacked feeling from staff do you walk away saying well I hope that helped him/her to vent and just walk away. That's just silly. If you cared, you'd explore those negative feelings and try to resolve conflicts. That's YOUR job. If the staff thinks a manager is evil and an idiot, that's very real.

I guess you can only hope somebody comes along who is willing to go through the stress of trying to change things.

Sorry you lost your Magnet hospital job, though. I know it's hellish and often the experienced nurses get their walking papers.

This response is just so sad. This is exactly the problem. Management is just putting in the time and nothing more. Going through the motions acting like a manager. This nurse left the Magnet Hospital...did NOT lose it. 'Going through the stress of trying to change things' is just pathetic. Please do us a favor and either leave or get back to work. Shame on you!

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I guess you can only hope somebody comes along who is willing to go through the stress of trying to change things.

Sorry you lost your Magnet hospital job, though. I know it's hellish and often the experienced nurses get their walking papers.

This response is just so sad. This is exactly the problem. Management is just putting in the time and nothing more. Going through the motions acting like a manager. This nurse left the Magnet Hospital...did NOT lose it. 'Going through the stress of trying to change things' is just pathetic. Please do us a favor and either leave or get back to work. Shame on you!

Who are you addressing this post to? I was responding to lmccrn62 who stated "I lost my job and went to a hospital that is in a very urban area, unionized and run by the state."

Expressing sympathy that someone lost their job is not endorsing their attitude. I meant that the patients at that hospital deserve better, that it's difficult (it takes persistence and motivation) to change things and that if she didn't feel she could do it hopefully somebody else will take on the challenge.

If you believe she made up all the problems at the new hospital, that toxic workplace culture either doesn't exist or is 100% the fault of management, I just don't agree.

Specializes in Pain, critical care, administration, med.

Absolutely they deserve better. Unfortunately this culture is so pathetic change is rather impossible. I need to save myself and believe it is both staff and management is the problem. The union interferes with making change and ridding the place of unsafe practice so management retreats. I have witnessed staff at patient bedsides talking on their personal phone or wearing headphones listening to music. I am not in management there and caught 2 nursing assistants in a headlock in a patients room. Their excuse is that they were goofing around. I told them the patients need plenty and the behavior is unacceptable. Nothing was done. Most see it as why try when nothing happens. I respond to ERTs and I perform basic nursing care such as suctioning. Really? My list is endless. Staff need to be accountable and mAnagement needs to do their job. Yes we can point fingers but who speaks for the patient.

+ Add a Comment