Blame the weekend staff! It's fun!

Published

  1. Everyone today should just bite my butt?

    • 12
      Absolutely.
    • 30
      Hell Yeah.

42 members have participated

At work, the weekend staff get the brunt of the abuse, accusations, etc... We are not there during the week to defend ourselves so it is open season on us mon-fri as far as management and just about every other department is concerned. I was nearing the end of my shift today when a staff member from another dept decided to interrupt the shift change report to be abusive and nasty toward the nurses. She backed down once I stood my ground.

They don't staff correctly during the weekend and they want the world... Those of us who do show up for shifts that noone else wants anyway are unduly punished. They keep adding extra tasks for us to do while decreasing staffing. It's getting ridiculous. It's been many months since I have had time for a lunch break. I am always charting or passing medication or preventing residents with behavioral issues from falling. Sure, I could take a lunch break...then I get to fill out an incident report when our low staffing causes someone to fall...

Maybe mgmt should show up during the weekend and experience the love. It will be fun for everyone! LOL

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pulmonary, Transplant, Travel RN.

At your unit, its the weekend staff. On many units, its the night shift. I've been on one where it was the evening workers, and know of one now in which it is the part timers.

Everywhere you go, some group/clique/shift/whatever is getting abused. Unfortunately, you find yourself being a member of the group of choice on your unit. Not much you are going to be able to do to change that.

I think low moral and stress make it worse. Common sense/decency seem to go out the window when people are unhappy at work. The public in general has lost it's ability/desire to cope with stress. So much easier to use a "misery loves company" approach (tongue in cheek).

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well, I gave them some food for thought today... As I've said MANY times, it all comes back to staffing! Staff correctly and respect your staff and you won't have to call agency every time there is a call off. Take the low road and your staff will only work enough hours to pay their bills. There is zero money saved by understaffing! It causes high turnover, tons of call-offs (and agency calls), complaints from patients and family members, medication errors...etc... A penny might be saved but 10 cents will be paid out as a result! I know that upper mgmt likes those fat bonuses. I am sticking to my hookers and crack retirement plan... Screw this broken down broke azz healthcare system. I am going out in style! LOL

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in retired LTC.

Oh poo ----- Nurse-Wretched, I thought it was just me and my cronies on the night shift. I mean after all, don't you know pts all sleep, and we just read magazines, drink coffee with our donuts, and nap all night?!?! What a surprise!!! You and PennyWise cover it all too well!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I feel ya', amoLucia! I took up for every single shift today! Night shift runs their azzes off because they have to handle two units that are far from each other. Weekday days are busy due to management demands, MD orders, phone calls, etc... Eve shift is ALWAYS busy because of patient behavioral problems. Weekend days are when family members visit and call alot. Weekends also try to pick up things that were missed during the week. There aren't any nurses there who are lazy or ineffective. They are all hardworking and wonderful. It is a blessing working with all of them!

They do all of this "staff appreciation" crap at work but I wish that they'd staff correctly so that we could truly feel appreciated. After 2 weekend shifts I feel like a deflated old saggy tit...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

And, yeah...I'd work more just for the heck of it if my job wasn't so taxing and abusive... I worked alot in my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd jobs. I loved my job then and it wasn't an issue. None of these jobs exist anymore. Too bad. I had a boss who I adored and would do anything for at my 2nd job. I worked all kinds of overtime and crazy schedules.

At this point in time, I don't want to risk becoming burned out. I am getting tired of having to constantly prove my worth. I feel as if I am getting too old to have to constantly explain myself to anyone. My ability to care about all of that is going away... Must be menopause. It seems to have dropped itself on my doorstep. I don't mind. If I was sane, I wouldn't be going back to nursing school again... LOL

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

the thread may be in fun however, i dealt with this almost on a daily basis with my staff at the beginning, when i came into my present position. furthermore, it became such an issue that at times during meetings all you heard was the bickering from one shift to another, and let's not name the animosity that each shift had among themselves. needless to say, it took me several months to change what was known as "passing the bucket". at this level, now no one blames anything to the previous shift, since it was made clear that we are in this together. lastly, the staff now reaps the fruit of their labor in unison. admittedly, every now and then they get back to their old ways, but quickly they remind one another of the benefits of watching for each others back :cool:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, Neuro, Respiratory.

Where I work it is NOC shift that takes the crap from management. However, I have never seen a manager come in just to check in on the NOC staff and ensure things are going okay and to ask them if they have concerns. It would be nice to see our managers have to push a med cart (on any shift) and complete orders, paperwork/charting, deal with families and any other unforeseen situations that may arise...all in 8 hours. Alright, my rant is done.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

Astute and Wise Oservations coupled with Some Healthy Interventions, Romano.

It is Fun and Resposibilty-Relinquishing to play Pass the Bucket. However, Passing the Bucket is probably not the Healthiest Thing to do. If more Managers took an Approach such as you have, instilling Team Work Concepts, Organizations would generally run much more smoothly.

I worked for such an Organization back in the '80's in Chemical Dependency. Guidelines were Set and Enforced, such as No Gossiping, and Employees were Encouraged to Work A Program.

The System worked for years and just being a part of it was a Growing Experience.

Eventually, Another Organization took over the Chemical Dependency Program, and after a few years, the Hospital became defunct.

The Principles I learned from That Experience continue to guide me to this day but I still slip into "the old ways" of Game Playing. You know: "When in Rome..."

We all do the Best We Can with what we have to work with. So, I appreciate all of the Varying Viewpoints in This Thread.

Dave

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hehe, you want to REALLY find someone to blame? Weekend NIGHT shift! hehe!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Staff appreciation?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro ICU/Trauma/Emergency.

TYPICAL!

I used to work in an acute rehabilitation facility with geri patients( who also posses some sort of behavioral disability). Either way, there were 2 RNs and 1 LPN( if we had a good weekend). You have 4 admits coming in at 6am( shift ends at 8am), you have an irate patient, 2 MHAs to wake 42 other patients on 2 separate units, and all the while the next shift is coming in to have a report....Need less to say, my shift was blamed for everything under the sun.

That was until I smack a co-worker( I kid I kid). But, I have had to tactfully state my opinion on several occasions. I am no longer in the positions, because the DON saw no need to hire additional help. Therefore, if you won't increase the subjective staffing( as it was put), you can seek to find a new grad who will deal with the bull staffing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion