Best Ways for Managers to Help Nurses and Other Colleagues

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Specializes in Rehab/Nurse Manager.

Lately, it seems that as a manager, my offers to assist with tasks or learn new roles are being declined.  For example: 

-Admissions Coordinator: No

-Infection Control: No

-Daily Charting and Other Assessments: Usually no

-Entering orders: No

-Scanning documents: No 

Clearly, I am not offering to help with the right things so am wondering what others would actually like help with or what I should be offering to help with 

 

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

You need to ask your staff. 

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Specializes in Rehab/Nurse Manager.
21 hours ago, Rose_Queen said:

You need to ask your staff. 

You're right.  With that said, today I did some rounding among staff to find out who needed help with what.  No one stated they needed help with documentation or orders so I did not even bring it up.  They were thankful for assistance with serving noon time meals, following up on orders that were no longer needed, assisting several residents to the restroom and assisting with transferring a patient from one unit to the other.  I'm sure the patient who I stopped from falling was thankful she did not end up on the floor.  Overall, by being more flexible,  I worked only 10 hours vs 16-20

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I think that most nurses just appreciate having someone available for the last minute things that come up. While you enjoy doing things like assessments and administrative duties, there may be some nurses that also enjoy that aspect of their job and feel their work is more complete when they do it themselves. Your offers being turned down may indicate nothing other than it not being something they needed done "in the moment". Just having a manager willing to help means a lot to staff. 

But yes, your stuff can best answer this question. 

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Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.

What were things you needed/wanted help with when you were working the floor? What things slowed you down, made your day less convenient, etc? Some things to consider, in my facility we have to call all lab results and imaging results to the provider when we receive them, a lot of the floor nurses during the day and evening while compliant with this find it to be a pain due to trying to get their meds/treatments etc done. Making those quick phone calls for them can be very appreciated and helpful to staff. Making phone calls to family members and taking their calls can also be extremely helpful to floor staff. Taking care of or assisting with incidents when they arise, falls, change of condition, etc. is also very helpful.

These are all little things but they can help tremendously. But as others have said I would speak with your staff and get their input on things that you can do to help support them.

Oh, and please don't be one of those managers that has to make a big deal of whenever they do something to help a staff member trying to illicit recognition or praise from staff. That will only serve to alienate you from your workers.

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Specializes in Rehab/Nurse Manager.
3 minutes ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

What were things you needed/wanted help with when you were working the floor? What things slowed you down, made your day less convenient, etc? Some things to consider, in my facility we have to call all lab results and imaging results to the provider when we receive them, a lot of the floor nurses during the day and evening while compliant with this find it to be a pain due to trying to get their meds/treatments etc done. Making those quick phone calls for them can be very appreciated and helpful to staff. Making phone calls to family members and taking their calls can also be extremely helpful to floor staff. Taking care of or assisting with incidents when they arise, falls, change of condition, etc. is also very helpful.

These are all little things but they can help tremendously. But as others have said I would speak with your staff and get their input on things that you can do to help support them.

Oh, and please don't be one of those managers that has to make a big deal of whenever they do something to help a staff member trying to illicit recognition or praise from staff. That will only serve to alienate you from your workers.

Thanks 

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Specializes in ER, Pre-Op, PACU.

For me.....servant leadership and the willingness to help with whatever was needed with a genuine attitude meant so much. This might have meant helping transport a patient upstairs so I could triage an EMS arrival, start the multiple antibiotics on a sepsis work up, or finish a stroke work up. It may have meant actually watching over my block of patients so I could grab something to eat. It may have meant helping discharge a lower acuity patient so I could take care of an ICU patient. Your staff likely wants and needs help - they need to know that you are genuine in your offers and will do whatever is needed to help them out.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
10 hours ago, speedynurse said:

Your staff likely wants and needs help - they need to know that you are genuine in your offers and will do whatever is needed to help them out.

This. As you experienced, Silverbells, the best solution is to ASK THEM. They will tell you what they really need help with. And then do it. Sounds like you discovered that, though.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
1 hour ago, klone said:

This. As you experienced, Silverbells, the best solution is to ASK THEM. 

And, SilverBells, be sure to phrase to your question... 

"Is there anything else that I can do for you?"

...with an appropriate follow up:

"I have the time."

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Reading assignment: The Servant Leader.

This will help you untangle any confusion about what being a true leader is.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
On ‎3‎/‎7‎/‎2021 at 9:44 PM, SilverBells said:

 -Admissions Coordinator: No

-Infection Control: No

-Daily Charting and Other Assessments: Usually no

-Entering orders: No

-Scanning documents: No 

Clearly, I am not offering to help with the right things so am wondering what others would actually like help with or what I should be offering to help with 

 

Hmmmm. Seems like all those paper-pushing tasks that you so like to do.

Curious - just WHOM are you asking to do those tasks (or any other ones)??? Like if to help a floor nurse, could you do the pre-lunch time diab BGM finger sticks? Volunteer to stop a GT feeding when it's time? Help a CNA to be the second person to assist hoyer-lifting a pt back to bed after lunch?

Like you've SAID, seems like folks don't want to or need for you to do your selected tasks.

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Specializes in Rehab/Nurse Manager.
17 hours ago, amoLucia said:

Hmmmm. Seems like all those paper-pushing tasks that you so like to do.

Curious - just WHOM are you asking to do those tasks (or any other ones)??? Like if to help a floor nurse, could you do the pre-lunch time diab BGM finger sticks? Volunteer to stop a GT feeding when it's time? Help a CNA to be the second person to assist hoyer-lifting a pt back to bed after lunch?

Like you've SAID, seems like folks don't want to or need for you to do your selected tasks.

Thanks.  I've been asking a variety of people, from the floor nurses to the HUCs.  I also attend meetings in the morning and whenever a role opens up that seems interesting, I do volunteer, but am rarely taken up on it.  Usually the things people are wanting help with or administration are wanting me to complete are the complete opposite of what I have offered 

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