beligerent boss - Vent warning

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The director of the ER has been in his position for approximately 6 months. He is one of the coldest, uncaring, and frankly just rude people I've met. He lies to us in attempts to staff split, he ignores questions/emails, prefers to let staffing issues be resolved by the charge nurses - usually resulting in understaffing, he criticizes when staff ask him for help, and in general can be a difficult and unpleasant person to work with.

For months he has staffed the psych ER in such a manner that there is only 1 nurse for 4 horus periods every other weekend. His solution, "when you don't have a tech I told you that the ER is supposed to give you a tech. If they don't want to, call me" Ummm, why must this be an arguement (and trust me the ER doesn't want to give up their techs understandably so) every other week? Wouldn't it be better for everyone if he just SCHEDULED SOMEONE? Not to mention that he has, more than once, scheduled the same tech to work both areas. Since we work behind a locked door, people are scheduled in one area or the other. Not possible to work on both sides at the same time.

Of course, try to point this out and he tries to make you look like an idiot. I was going to ask for time off at the end of this year to get married (made the plans 2 days ago), but frankly I'd prefer to call out sick and know that he'll sweat trying to get coverage. I'm not normally vindictive, but how much can one humanly put up with stuff like this?

Not to mention that he'll praise the psych nurses for being independent, self reliant and such - then turn around and complain that we're not telling the doctors to "discharge patients that don't meet criteria". None of us are clinicians and it would be far beyond the scope of an RN to tell a doctor when to admit. What got me about that was that he's a freaking RN himself, he knows the scope of practice. He said he'd spend time with us to "learn and understand what you guys do". I'm not holding my breath (that statement was 2 months ago, and he also said it 6months ago when he started).

Sorry, had a run in with him tonight about the staff issue and just can't stand his arrogance.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.

I'm not sure I am understanding you. Is the Director of your ER a physician, who was once a nurse? If so, I think that explains his attitude. Most males, sorry guys, who were once nurses, when they become a doctor, they like to forget they were ever a nurse. And it generally shows in their attitude towards the nursing staff. I understand he is director but in most ERs, the nursing administration is responsible for the staffing of nurses. And they are the one's who set nursing policy, not the director of the unit. It is kind of having the Medical Director or the Director of ICU Services, set the number of nurses working on their units. And setting nursing policy. And that doesn't happen.

Woody:balloons:

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Why don't you find another job?

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Why don't you find another job?

That's already in the plan but I'll be moving out of state so I have to wait until my lease is up in May of next year. For the moment I just have to put up with him. The job over all I love.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, Heme/Onc.
That's already in the plan but I'll be moving out of state so I have to wait until my lease is up in May of next year. For the moment I just have to put up with him. The job over all I love.

Go agency or per diem somewhere else. That's the beauty of nursing, you have your pick of hazardous working conditions...:monkeydance:

Blee

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I'm not sure I am understanding you. Is the Director of your ER a physician, who was once a nurse?

Woody:balloons:

No, this gentleman is the Nursing Director of the ER. He is responsible for supporting the nursing and allied staff and scheduling as well as, I'm sure, other responsibilities that I'm not directly aware of. He is still an RN but it appears that being in a position of power over other people does not bring out his better qualities. To say it nicely, the man lacks tact but seems to have abundant ambition.

What I can't get over is that behavior like I see everyday among staff in hosptials would never have been tolerated in the corporate atmosphere I came from.

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