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| |  Nurses were sick of their supervisor
Nurses were sick of their supervisor LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - MRSA didn't drive them out of Lancaster County Prison, say five nurses who quit their jobs in June: Management did.
The nurses -- about half of the staff at the prison -- said they left within three to four weeks of each other after changes in their schedules and working conditions by a new nursing supervisor made their jobs intolerable.
Their service at the prison ranged from 10 years on the job to two years. All of them said they had loved their work and had no intention of leaving.
"We gave 110 percent," Darlene Cauler said.
In a Sept. 18 Sunday News story on the jail, the prison physician, Dr. Robert Doe, mentioned that six of his 10 nurses left over the summer, mainly because of stressful conditions.
Full Story: Nurses were sick of their supervisor
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| | Advertisement Sponsored Links | | | | No. 1 | 
Oct 04, 2005, 10:50 PM
This happens in a lot of places, especially when a key member of management leaves, others tend to leave and follow. New management can bring many changes and some cannot deal with changes. When I accepted my current DON position, several staff from my previous facility came for jobs. I hand picked the ones I wanted.. some did not like the new changes (did not really want to work) and were either termed or they quit.
I have seen this all too often in LTC especially, but happens all over.
| | No. 2 |
Oct 04, 2005, 10:51 PM
OH Just noticed brian posted this.. Hello Brian.. nice to see you around!! Hope you are doing well!!
Monica
| | No. 3 |
Oct 05, 2005, 07:01 AM
times are changing Originally Posted by Monica RN,BSN New management can bring many changes and some cannot deal with changes. When I accepted my current DON position, several staff from my previous facility came for jobs.
The nursing shortage is growing worse. Now days these episodes of mass resignation can not be brushed off easily. These nurses that left will be expensive possibly impossible to replace. It is time for people in managment to change that old "take it or leave it, like it or lump it" attitude. I propose that turnover be included a managment persons evaluation. It should be possible to find a average turnover rate and when the rate is consistently high on a particular unit or facility the manager or DON should be the one that is out the door.
| | No. 4 |
Oct 05, 2005, 08:35 AM
Originally Posted by oramar The nursing shortage is growing worse. Now days these episodes of mass resignation can not be brushed off easily. These nurses that left will be expensive possibly impossible to replace. It is time for people in managment to change that old "take it or leave it, like it or lump it" attitude. I propose that turnover be included a managment persons evaluation. It should be possible to find a average turnover rate and when the rate is consistently high on a particular unit or facility the manager or DON should be the one that is out the door.
Although the shortage has lots to be blamed for, there are also many crucial factors affecting this and other aspects of nursing.
| | No. 5 |
Oct 06, 2005, 06:10 PM
I so agree Originally Posted by oramar The nursing shortage is growing worse. Now days these episodes of mass resignation can not be brushed off easily. These nurses that left will be expensive possibly impossible to replace. It is time for people in managment to change that old "take it or leave it, like it or lump it" attitude. I propose that turnover be included a managment persons evaluation. It should be possible to find a average turnover rate and when the rate is consistently high on a particular unit or facility the manager or DON should be the one that is out the door.
The "take it or leave it, like it or lump it" culture exists at an unprecedented rate in the medical industry. I don't know if it is the lack of skill or a means to cope with their own stress and frustration.
Having worked as a nurse for 31 years it breaks my heart to see a once caring/compassion driven service reduced to a dollar driven industry. I certainly understand progress......understand the need to be profitable (retention is profitable)........I don't understand assembly line medicine and the attitutes of administrative representatives.
I HONORED and VALUED the experience and wisdom of those that came before me. To be viewed as disposable is only one of the many reasons medical veteran like myself are making a mass exodus........................
I have a passion for my profession, I love nursing....................but I just took a postion in research (that I don't care for) to get away from the politics and attitutes in a hospital.
I love this site.
Thanks!
| | No. 6 |
Oct 06, 2005, 08:48 PM
This is true in NC also Originally Posted by brian Nurses were sick of their supervisor LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - MRSA didn't drive them out of Lancaster County Prison, say five nurses who quit their jobs in June: Management did.
The nurses -- about half of the staff at the prison -- said they left within three to four weeks of each other after changes in their schedules and working conditions by a new nursing supervisor made their jobs intolerable.
Their service at the prison ranged from 10 years on the job to two years. All of them said they had loved their work and had no intention of leaving.
"We gave 110 percent," Darlene Cauler said.
In a Sept. 18 Sunday News story on the jail, the prison physician, Dr. Robert Doe, mentioned that six of his 10 nurses left over the summer, mainly because of stressful conditions.
Full Story: Nurses were sick of their supervisor
I've been a nurse for over 30 years. We used to wait 7-10 years just to get off nights and work 7 off 2, 3 off 2. Now Supervisor's jerk you around on a whim.
My daughter is also a nurse. She worked at a NC state prison facility on nights and every week-end. When she asked for time off for her final court date on her divorce, her supervisor told her that she would have to go to evening shift as a disciplinary measure. When my daughter didn't object, she was told that she would also have to do the night shift paper work as well as the duties of the evening shift RN. She left the job after almost 5 years. Just short of accuring State benefits.
n
| | No. 7 |
Oct 06, 2005, 09:24 PM
Originally Posted by Monica RN,BSN This happens in a lot of places, especially when a key member of management leaves, others tend to leave and follow. New management can bring many changes and some cannot deal with changes. When I accepted my current DON position, several staff from my previous facility came for jobs. I hand picked the ones I wanted.. some did not like the new changes (did not really want to work) and were either termed or they quit.
I have seen this all too often in LTC especially, but happens all over.
Did you read the article?
Two of the nurses had their hours changed.
I don't know about the rest of you, but if I hire on for one shift, I don't want to have someone change it. I know of no other profession in which managers presume to do this.
Other new bosses will manipulate workers until the "undesirables" are out. It's so common that we have a name for it. In this case, it certainly does sound like that supervisor was "cleaning house."
Just my  | | No. 8 |
Oct 07, 2005, 09:38 AM
Originally Posted by Wellness_LadyRN The "take it or leave it, like it or lump it" culture exists at an unprecedented rate in the medical industry. I don't know if it is the lack of skill or a means to cope with their own stress and frustration.
Having worked as a nurse for 31 years it breaks my heart to see a once caring/compassion driven service reduced to a dollar driven industry. I certainly understand progress......understand the need to be profitable (retention is profitable)........I don't understand assembly line medicine and the attitutes of administrative representatives.
I HONORED and VALUED the experience and wisdom of those that came before me. To be viewed as disposable is only one of the many reasons medical veteran like myself are making a mass exodus........................
I have a passion for my profession, I love nursing....................but I just took a postion in research (that I don't care for) to get away from the politics and attitutes in a hospital.
I love this site.
Thanks!
And we wonder why there is a nursing shortage?  Or nurses organize and unionize. If we were treated fair maybe there would not be a shortage I am a house super right now and not apart of the collective bargining and those above have decided to change hours. I signed on for 12 hour nights for my family and budget (child care is expensive) NOw I am told "well, we are obligated to give you 36 hours...noone has set hours..." :angryfire HOw about the CEO being changed to nights!!!! And I am supposedly in administration!! Then we wonder why there is a shortage...the experienced RN's won't return because of inflexable hours or promises that aren't fullfilled ,the new nurses leave to go back to school to become administration because they refuse to work nights  The loss of complete respect of Nurses with YEARS of clinical experience. Example...I cannot teach as I ONLY have a BSN therefore my 25 years of critical care / emergency medicine mean nothing....In don't have a masters therefore I am incapable of teaching.  but I had a Masters educator at the bedside of a patient bleeding from the chest tube site...long story short she asked me in front of the staff "what does a pneonuthorax sound like? I was listening but I don't know what for?"  She is the Masters degree EDucator....Scary isn't it?? I am so tired of the bull that I too will find some obscure little corner somewhere just to be left alone....and god forbid any nurse become ill with let use for an example...Multiple sclerosis.....at least if I had cancer I would ultimately have the decency to die and not use my long term disavility!!!!  I've raved enough having a long week! Thanks for listening Boston
| | No. 9 |
Oct 07, 2005, 11:58 AM
Updated
Oct 07, 2005 at 12:20 PM by fiestynurse
First BIG MISTAKE that newly hired managers make - Come in like gangbusters and make a lot of changes, especially to people's schedules.
I recommend that new managers not make any major changes for the first 2-3 months. Spend those first months talking to staff and listening to their concerns. It is important to build trust and establish sound relationships with the staff first and foremost.
The fact that half the staff left within a short period of time is not good. This facility has lost the value of having experienced correctional nurses taking care of inmates/patients. Correctional nursing is identified by the ANA as a unique specialty (It has it's own certification - Certified Correctional Health Professional - CCHP) Good correctional nurses are in short supply and it takes months and money to recruit and train new staff. The quality of care in this facility will be hard to maintain with all new nurses.
Unless, she was purposely hired by the Warden to shake things up. (Angie O'Plasty appropriately refers to this as "cleaning house") That is a possibility. Maybe the last Supervisor was forced out because of poor systems and bad outcomes, like in-custody deaths. It doesn't say if this was a privately run medical department. It also refers to it as a prison and a jail - there is a difference. I don't always trust news articles that don't give you all the important or correct facts. Because this is a situation involving personnel the Supervisor can't tell her side of the story to the reporter because of confidentiality issues and they put her name in the paper and that bothers me. If you read the article carefully, it states that this medical department was without a manager for a long time. Also, if you research the previous articles about the county jail (which they keep referring to as a prison) it sounds like this facility is having all sorts of problems, including over crowding. One article talks about prostitute sweeps and large number of women being brought in to the jail without any place to house them. The poor working conditions that these nurses are referring to may not be the Supervisor's fault. She is trying to manage a medical department under extreme circumstances. The County jail sounds like poorly run hell hole.
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