Threats from Management

Nurses Activism

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Hey, I just wanted to know if anyone else has had threats from management for stupid stuff, like not showing up for "Mandantory Meetings". I just started this job and have noticed that at the bottom of all the flyers it states "if you do not show up disiplinary action will be taken". I've worked for 40 years (15 in nursing) and have NEVER NEVER NEVER once been told that I would have disiplinary action for not showing up for one of their meetings that was scheduled on my day off. Is this standard practice in healthcare now or are these people just predatory violence seekers. And isn't this considered "horizontal violence" (or maybe lateral, lol):uhoh3:

I work weekends only. I do so because I have other commitments during the week. My DON recently told me that I am required to be there, despite the fact that I took the weekend position in part due to these other commitments. She informed me that she REFUSED to tape these inservices so that the weekend staff could watch them on the weekends and she REFUSED to relay the information in these meetings. She said if we didnt come to her meetings then we could just find out about new policies from other staff members. I challenged her and reminded her that communication is our worst problem in our facility and that will only make it worse but she said we had to come in. She never ever has inservices scheduled on the weekend (we have alot of weekend only staff) unless it is an inservice that I give as the nursing manager. Drives me nuts:o

What happened to 24 hour accountability. That goes for management also. It also seems that many places want you to work only 12 hour shifts, not 8 hours anymore. So, if they can't find you coverage for your patient responsiblities on the days that you work and they have meetings, then whose fault is that-----THEIRs. No one should expect staff nurses to come IN on their days off !!! end of discussion

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Specializes in Geriatrics, WCC.

This DON does still work the floor when needed. For example, after having been up since 2am and just going to bedthat night at 8PM, I got a call that the noc nurse had called in abd no one would work her shift. I did speak to that nurse on the phone and her reason was that her "17" yr old son had a temp of 101 degrees, i told her it was unacceptable and she needed to show-up... needless to say she refused. So, off to work I went until 6AM. I then crawled in an empty bed and slept for 1 1/2 hours, then I was in my office d/t having the need for RN coverage in the building for another 8 hours.

I'm not saying I am unsympathetic when a child is ill, I just feel this little repeating routine of hers has gotten old. I am a mother of 4 myself and have never missed a day of work d/t an ill child, i have always had back-up plans in place.

Many days I am on the floor in the morning an hour or two before I get to my desk. And the staff come and get me throughout the day, that's why I work 10-12 hour days at salaried pay and they don't.

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:uhoh21: i have worked in nursing homes for over 20 years. only twice, has administration considered the problems inservices cause for the night shift. they were considerate enough to hold inservices at night, because they realized that we needed to get our sleep, and not have to cut it short to attend inservices during the day. i agree that inservices are an extremely important part of job education, and need to be attended faithfully. what is needed, is more consideration in the way they are scheduled more choices are needed, because what is convenient for one shift, just won't work for another! i believe this would help solve the problem of attentance.i totally agree with this quote!

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.
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Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.

I'm not saying I am unsympathetic when a child is ill, I just feel this little repeating routine of hers has gotten old. I am a mother of 4 myself and have never missed a day of work d/t an ill child, i have always had back-up plans in place.

Twice since I started working in a hospital as an RN one of my kids have been hospitalized. The first time it happened to be right at the beginning of my weekend off and my 6 year old had a severe croup attack (cyanotic, pulse ox 50's:uhoh21: ), so I spent the weekend in the hospital with him and then went to work a few hours after he came home, and didn't miss any time, but was extremely exhausted at work that night. The 2nd time, my 4 year old ate 15 of her brother's 0.5 mg Risperdals and ended up unresponsive in the ER :crying2: (she's okay). I called in on the way to the hospital, and the supervisor told me "that's okay, we'll manage, just take care of your child". I guess my whole point in this monologue is that sometimes nurses who are also parents have to speak out and say "no, my child comes first this time".

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Specializes in Psych.
This DON does still work the floor when needed. For example, after having been up since 2am and just going to bedthat night at 8PM, I got a call that the noc nurse had called in abd no one would work her shift. I did speak to that nurse on the phone and her reason was that her "17" yr old son had a temp of 101 degrees, i told her it was unacceptable and she needed to show-up... needless to say she refused. So, off to work I went until 6AM. I then crawled in an empty bed and slept for 1 1/2 hours, then I was in my office d/t having the need for RN coverage in the building for another 8 hours.

I'm not saying I am unsympathetic when a child is ill, I just feel this little repeating routine of hers has gotten old. I am a mother of 4 myself and have never missed a day of work d/t an ill child, i have always had back-up plans in place.

Many days I am on the floor in the morning an hour or two before I get to my desk. And the staff come and get me throughout the day, that's why I work 10-12 hour days at salaried pay and they don't.

Bravo! You set a fine example for everyone who works under you. Unfortunately, not all nurse managers are willing to do what you do. Most of them I know would not even be capable of working the floor if they had to. It's true. I'll bet you do a great job just by virtue of the fact that you know the realities of the jobs you are managing. You are one in a million!:)

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Specializes in Psych.
Twice since I started working in a hospital as an RN one of my kids have been hospitalized. The first time it happened to be right at the beginning of my weekend off and my 6 year old had a severe croup attack (cyanotic, pulse ox 50's:uhoh21: ), so I spent the weekend in the hospital with him and then went to work a few hours after he came home, and didn't miss any time, but was extremely exhausted at work that night. The 2nd time, my 4 year old ate 15 of her brother's 0.5 mg Risperdals and ended up unresponsive in the ER :crying2: (she's okay). I called in on the way to the hospital, and the supervisor told me "that's okay, we'll manage, just take care of your child". I guess my whole point in this monologue is that sometimes nurses who are also parents have to speak out and say "no, my child comes first this time".

I don't think anyone disagrees w/that. I think the poster's point was that this employee had a pattern of lame-excuse call-ins and, eventually, enough is enough. People need to realize that, as human beings, we ALL have a life outside of our job. Some have kids, some elderly parents, some just need a mental health day. But, when it comes to REPEATEDLY begging off shifts you have been scheduled for, we ALL need to be more considerate of other's needs. As I wrote, we ALL have a life outside of our job. But, responsible adults live up to their responsibilities unless there is an OVERWHELMING reason not to.

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