Threats from Management

hipab4hands · Jan 6, 2006

I love mandetory meetings. I love how they expect you to attend but fail to supply the needed coverage for you to leave your unit and actually attend. I love the way they schedule them but put up a brief little note on a window someplace near the nurses station and expect everyone to know about it and be there. I love they way they expect people to come in on their days off for their meetings but dont want to pay for your mandetory attendance,(like im going out of the goodness of my heart?), my time is worth something too.

Management nickels and dimes our paychecks for everything. They will take time off of your paycheck, if you have a medical condition and need to take a few minutes to do self treatment-- injections/ using asthma inhaler/ etc.,

I have told my supervisor that if they want to pay me for my time to come in on a day off, then I will be there. Otherwise, feel free to schedule meetings during the work shift or find some other means to communicate the information.

So far, I only had one supervisor try to write me up for not going to meetings on my off time. When I pointed out that my contract states that I am to be paid for any work related activities, then the supervisor backed off.

nursemaa · Jan 6, 2006

I don't make staff meetings mandatory, but I do post minutes and everyone is responsible and accountable for the content. Staff who come in on their time off for staff meetings or any mandatory activity are paid for their time.

Some inservices have to be mandatory, like new equipment and JCAHO requirements. We schedule several sessions at different times of the day. Sometimes we do traveling "road shows", going around to the units to demonstrate new equipment etc. We do alot of online training, and read-and-sign, to try and avoid so many meetings.

All jobs have certain requirements including training sessions. If it is an expectation for my job, I make the time to do it.

If your employer requires certain training, it's their responsibility to provide it during times that are convenient for everyone, or provide alternatives like computer modules and read-and-sign. If that's done, then it's the employee's responsibility to complete it. Talk to your staff development people about the needs of the off-shift and part-time staff.

kitty=^..^=cat · Jan 6, 2006

While I understand and agree that inservices are a vital part of nursing, I don't understand why inservices are not scheduled on 2 different days and at 3 different times. Perhaps administration needs to act like responsible adults when scheduling inservices.

I was a long-term night shift employee before making the transition to management, and I have always understood the needs and preferences of "non-traditional" employees (those who work nights/weekends/"crazy hours", as my husband has called them...)

We implemented computer/internet-based training modules with paper "to go" copies for those employees that are computer-phobic. Staff meetings are recorded with a digital recorder and saved as CD's that can be listened to on nights/weekends by the staff at the nursing station or in the breakroom while you're eating or whatever... I even got each desk a neat little sony boom box with a remote in case you need to pause quickly to answer the phone or if a family member walks up, etc.

Not only that, but we implemented "Night Shift Night" at my hospital... One Thursday night each month, I was at the hospital until 1 a.m. -- on a routine basis the nurse managers, Infection Control, HR, Quality and Risk Management, the Medical Records director, Compliance Officer and other "key personnel" also were available until the "wee hours" to assure that night shift had the same access to organizational resources. We did staff meetings on those nights, inservices, Nurse Week stuff, Hospital Week stuff (including a fantastic male beauty pageant involving a couple of members of our medical staff that will long be remembered as my fault... )

Anyway...

The policy is strict, but opportunities for compliance with it are pretty broad.

fergus51 · Jan 6, 2006

I was a long-term night shift employee before making the transition to management, and I have always understood the needs and preferences of "non-traditional" employees (those who work nights/weekends/"crazy hours", as my husband has called them...)
We implemented computer/internet-based training modules with paper "to go" copies for those employees that are computer-phobic. Staff meetings are recorded with a digital recorder and saved as CD's that can be listened to on nights/weekends by the staff at the nursing station or in the breakroom while you're eating or whatever... I even got each desk a neat little sony boom box with a remote in case you need to pause quickly to answer the phone or if a family member walks up, etc.
Not only that, but we implemented "Night Shift Night" at my hospital... One Thursday night each month, I was at the hospital until 1 a.m. -- on a routine basis the nurse managers, Infection Control, HR, Quality and Risk Management, the Medical Records director, Compliance Officer and other "key personnel" also were available until the "wee hours" to assure that night shift had the same access to organizational resources. We did staff meetings on those nights, inservices, Nurse Week stuff, Hospital Week stuff (including a fantastic male beauty pageant involving a couple of members of our medical staff that will long be remembered as my fault... )
Anyway...
The policy is strict, but opportunities for compliance with it are pretty broad.

You rock!

Wanna come be my manager;)

flashpoint · Jan 6, 2006

Our mandatory meetings were the first Monday of the month from 1200-1600...attendance was 100%mandatory unless you were on vacation or worked the night shift both Sunday and Monday night. No other excuses were accepted. It made it really hard on people who had to get up by noon on Monday and were still expected to work Monday night...not much better for the people who only worked Sunday night. It was also pretty hard for people who needed to pick their kids up from school, who took college classes on Mondays, and people who had other jobs. The new manager changed it so if you missed a meeting, you had to read the minutes and then take a quiz about whatever was presented at the meeting...you had to do it on your regular shift, so you didn't get paid extra or anything, but you didn't have to interrupt your life for a meeting.

hipab4hands · Jan 6, 2006

Taking a quiz? I'm sorry- how insulting and disrespectful to staff.

What other industry do you know that requires its employees to take quizzes to see if they understand what was said in staff meetings.

None --that I know of.

Marylou1102 · Jan 6, 2006

I am a DON in a LTC. All of our meetings are mandatory, but they are always held on payday and staff is payed for their time. I always post notices a week in advance next to the time clock, inside the employee restrooms, and in the nurses station on the med room door. Our meetings are held at change of shifts, 7am, for the night nurses and at 2pm for days and evenings. The administrative nursing staff covers the floor in the afternoon. I strive to keep the inservices interesting and to the point, usually no longer than 30 min. We almost always have pre and post tests. Generally only 5 or 6 questions, and we go over the tests at the end of the meeting. Everyone checks their own answers.

If someone has to miss an inservice they just need to talk to me and we make other arrangements. Usually our weekend supervisor will present the inservice on the weekend.

I do base pay raises partially on attendance, but I also take into account why meetings were missed. In Indiana CNAs must have twelve hours of inservice annually to maintain their license. I let them know at hire I will not renew the license if that requirement in not met.

I know some of this sounds harsh but if left to their own, nobody would ever come to the meetings. I try my best to make it convenient for all the staff.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jan 6, 2006

Taking a quiz? I'm sorry- how insulting and disrespectful to staff.
What other industry do you know that requires its employees to take quizzes to see if they understand what was said in staff meetings.
None --that I know of.

Other industries do not have the regulatory requirements of healthcare either: JCAHO/State/Medicare that require an employer to document competencies, minimal CEU for license renewal, CPR etc.

Florida require annual HIV education.

It' a Medicare condition of participation that CNA/CHHA's have minimum of 12 contact hours of continuing education yearly documented in employee files. First thing they do in homecare for state/JCAHO visit is pull random employee files to see if current....major deficiency if not.

Known of agencies shut down because this requirement not met. One local hospital in my area had to return over $60,000 dollars to Medicare for a hospitalized patients care due to ONE RN who provided care having expired license.

Why should a facility have to suffer over the consequences of a PROFESSIONAL not maintaining an active license?

Homecare even requires that if nurse travels by car to visit patients, we must have proof of active auto insurance upon hire.

ALL OF THIS IS TO MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND STANDARDS. Otherwise patients could be operated on by Martha the Candlestick Maker or Jack the local butcher, with Sara sewingbee as nurse.

Other bb colleagues have given great ideas on how this requirement can be creatively met....I do the audio tape/sign inservice sheet for my staff along with e-mails, power point, etc. Agency uses teaching packets with 5-10 questions, answers at the bottom etc.

Can you tell JCAHO's coming unannounced this year, most likely first quarter too,,,and my policy manual yet to be revised since 2003 so won't see me much on line over next two weeks.

lindarn · Jan 6, 2006

Management nickels and dimes our paychecks for everything. They will take time off of your paycheck, if you have a medical condition and need to take a few minutes to do self treatment-- injections/ using asthma inhaler/ etc.,
I have told my supervisor that if they want to pay me for my time to come in on a day off, then I will be there. Otherwise, feel free to schedule meetings during the work shift or find some other means to communicate the information.
So far, I only had one supervisor try to write me up for not going to meetings on my off time. When I pointed out that my contract states that I am to be paid for any work related activities, then the supervisor backed off.

Does management dock the paycheck of the smokers, who run outside for a quick smoke every hour on the hour? If I had to take medication while I was at work, and was penalized for it on my paycheck, I would call an attorney and make a complaint about discrimination under the American Disabilities Act. That is ridulous. JMHO.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

asilmk · Jan 6, 2006

I want to jump in on this mandatory meeting deal. I understand management's predicament aobut needing to give info to us...I know things change and we need to be updated. We had a mandatory ventilator inservice (because they started putting ventilators up on the med/surg floor!) that I wanted to attend for obvious reasons. I told my charge nurse I was going to be gone for an hour to attend the inservice and could she please watch my patients while I'm gone. When I returned I had about six sticky notes with such things as "206 needs pain medicine", "208 IV beeping", etc. She really watched my patients and ONLY watched them! I had a patient irate because he'd been waiting an hour for meds, an IV infiltrated and just a big mess. I will NEVER leave the floor during my shift again to attend an inservice. If they want us to know the information, they should see that the patients are taken care of while we're gone OR give the stupid inservice at different times!

jodyangel, RN · Jan 6, 2006

Personally I think its rediculous to think you have to come IN on your day OFF.

Not fair, period. They need to come up with ways that you can hear and do these requirements without coming into work on your day off. You're at work enough. You deserve a day OFF!!:angryfire

SmilingBluEyes · Jan 6, 2006

I am all for those who find more creative ways to impart information. A communications book/electronically recorded DVD, a class at 8 p.m., hey that works. A huge pat on the back to you "outside the box" managers and administrators.

Now for the rest who do not seem to care about "the other half".....

I am a night shift worker, and I really resent being told I need to attend a mandatory class/meeting on day shift hours. Especially do I resent this in an institution that has fully 1/3 of its employees working nightshift----accomodations need to be made---for us. We are routinely told "it's a dayshift world" and other such things. This is not very helpful if you want cooperation.

If accomodations are made, people will follow. We are not out to break rules or be rebellious; we just want to be treated fairly and our time off respected as much as that of you folks working Mon-Fri during dayshift hours. That is not an awful lot to ask.