As I post this, yes, I'm aware true bullying does exist.
Today, our clinic had 2 PCTs quit (call in and quit). Their claim when the exit team from HR called them? The nurses are bullies. They won't let me text, won't let me do my homework, won't let me go to my car and smoke, etc. Of course my clinic manager got a phone call from these HR morons who have no clue about the reality of what working directly in patient care requires. She told them that the nurses aren't bullies, and shouldn't even be considered as such, for just asking the techs to do their jobs. Right now, I'm so tired of the subject of bullying, I could scream. It makes it very hard for those who truly have been bullied to be taken seriously. Off my rant now...
I've seen coworkers like this, and because I'm bad with confrontation I did the stupid thing of picking up the slack when they didn't respond to my requests to do their jobs. Others were more assertive or reported them, but people rarely got fired because of short staffing and inability to hire more staff. It's a bad situation.
A few times I saw people get fired, because of so many complaints to management and the union, and maybe the hospital got tired of paying people to text/FaceTime/do homework. I don't think we need to generalize that it's always young people though. Maybe the millennial generation as a whole tends to be more entitled, want praise for nothing, etc, but not all of us. I know I work hard as a nurse, and care a LOT, to the point that I've had suicidal thoughts after making mistakes. That's why the generalizations bother me so much, because after all I've been through as a nurse it's invalidating for people to assume I'm lazy and don't care based on my age.
I never mentioned age, in fact, feel like any age could be guilty of not sparkling work habits
I feel like the term bullying gets used these days if you don’t agree or endlessly praise someone.
I have told techs before, you are here to work. Not to sit on your phone, not to take a test, not to do homework. We are paying you to work. These techs usually quit shortly after. I don’t care anymore. I’m tired of having to tell people to actually do their jobs.
It’s not that hard. There is never, ever, downtime on my unit.
It's not allowed on most dialysis facility properties, but management is so afraid to lose employees, that they don't reprimand. Also the reason for allowing phones and homework. It's a shame that they allow these scenarios to happen
Nurses with hiring/firing responsibilities and admin in general have been part of the problem.
Persons not doing the right thing need to be counseled then disciplined then terminated, yet I have primarily seen two main management approaches in my career:
1. Make it everyone else's problem (e.g. this 200% accountable crap which is one of the more recent iterations); make peers police each other
2. Address the group as a whole and essentially punish everyone for the misdeeds of a few offenders
I know that dealing with a group of people is not simple and I'm not trying to minimize the difficulties with it, but it seems like at some point we could try hiring motivated people, treating them with respect and removing those like the dialysis employees in this post. People who don't want to do their work create more problems than just not getting the work done. They affect others' ability to successfully do their work and in general create an unnecessary daily stressor. If management is worried about getting rid of non-workers their thinking is backward.
I know I work hard as a nurse, and care a LOT, to the point that I've had suicidal thoughts after making mistakes. That's why the generalizations bother me so much, because after all I've been through as a nurse it's invalidating for people to assume I'm lazy and don't care based on my age.
Making a mistake at work would make `most anyone feel bad, but if you've had suicidal thoughts. that isn't normal. Have you reached out for counseling? It really can help!
Nurses with hiring/firing responsibilities and admin in general have been part of the problem.
Persons not doing the right thing need to be counseled then disciplined then terminated, yet I have primarily seen two main management approaches in my career:
1. Make it everyone else's problem (e.g. this 200% accountable crap which is one of the more recent iterations); make peers police each other
2. Address the group as a whole and essentially punish everyone for the misdeeds of a few offenders
I know that dealing with a group of people is not simple and I'm not trying to minimize the difficulties with it, but it seems like at some point we could try hiring motivated people, treating them with respect and removing those like the dialysis employees in this post. People who don't want to do their work create more problems than just not getting the work done. They affect others' ability to successfully do their work and in general create an unnecessary daily stressor. If management is worried about getting rid of non-workers their thinking is backward.
We get the 2nd reaction. As far as hiring motivated techs...anymore, we're lucky if any applicants respond to a interview request, much less show up to job shadow. So I get the need to hang on to employees, but I'm sick and tired of, as a nurse, being held accountable for their actions
As far as hiring motivated techs...anymore, we're lucky if any applicants respond to a interview request, much less show up to job shadow.
Then something about the compensation or the perceived quality of life in that role is not appropriate/not appealing to citizens qualified to work there.
Then something about the compensation or the perceived quality of life in that role is not appropriate/not appealing to citizens qualified to work there.
Not your fault.
But it's the truth just the same.
I hear ya! Every year, my company does an employee satisfaction survey. I always state that as a nurse, I feel fairly compensated. However, the PCTs need a bump up in pay. They can go to area factories, eating establishments, etc, and start out at $5-$10 more an hour, and not deal with the factors involved in healthcare, especially bloodborne issues in the dialysis setting, and the entitled attitude of many patients and families in all settings.
I feel the same about CNAs. If the pay and staffing were better for them, there wouldn't be the shortages that we currently have. Some will complain some techs and CNAs are lazy, on phones, etc, but that goes on at any job setting. The difference between those settings and healthcare is that lives, or quality of life, is the factor at risk. I'm so disheartened by the greed of upper admin...
It's not bullying to ask someone to not to their homework and do their job.
I do think part of the problem around here is the tech shortage and they know if for any reason they want to leave they can get another job the same day. This weekend we had two different techs no show. Of course they get to keep their job and we just have to suck it up.
I agree they need to keep pay competitive for the back breaking work they do. My employer gave all the techs a raise last year and raised the minimum wage and will up it by $2.00 an hour within the next year.
Also, some RNs can be a bit arrogant and need some delegation skills. While it's not bullying one guy on nights where I work is borderline rude and bossy with "you need to do this....". Techs and new grads can pick up on a snotty attitude easily.
Hoosier_RN, MSN
3,968 Posts
I never mentioned age, in fact, feel like any age could be guilty of not sparkling work habits