Chronic Tardiness

[Tweety]

We waiting for a nurse to float from another floor this morning because we had two call ins. She was 25 minutes late. We bowed down at her feet "oh thank goodness you're here". She's 'sorry I'm late'. Earlier I had called her floor where they said "she's always late".

Have we created due to the nursing shortage an environment where tardiness is tolerated because we are greatful they even show up? Seem so at this hospital that tardiness is tolerated. The people don't even seem to have an excuse or care, they just want the hours to be 7:15 instead of 6:45. Of course they usually are the ones chomping at the bits to go home on time.

So the question is, what is your policy on tardiness. Is it enforced. Have we created a culture of mediocrity in nursing because of the "shortage"?

[shodobe]

I think alot has to do which department you work in. I work in the OR and we only run 2-3 rooms at any given time. We have the problem where we have quite a few surgeons who are always late, anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour! This brushes off onto staff and they have the opinion that if Dr so in so is svheduled then I know I don't have to be there until such and such time. It is bad but we deal with it. The only shift change comes at 3pm so it doesn't envolve many people. I use to be the guy that come in 30 minutes in the morning before shift and sat down and read the paper and relaxed before the day began. I now work a later shift and I am usually on time except for the times I am late getting over from the other hospital I work at. It seems the OR has the most trouble, at least here, filling open positions. Most grads do not even consider the OR therefore we do not want to lose people based on shoddy attendance. We have had two positions open for over 4 months without an application.I know most would still say fire them or what ever but that isn't logical. You just have to continually remind them that it isn't fair to their fellow employees. It helps for awile and then they get a little lax. I have to say the everyone in my department is extremely valuable and I would rather take up the slack than to lose them over this issue. If a department has the luxury of a number of applicants, mostly new grads, to choose from then I say watch out if you are one of these chronic, tardy individuals. I just remmbered we also have a policy for people that tend to call-off alot. If you call in sick more than 3 times in 6 months you get a verbal warning; after that you can be suspended. I don't think I have ever heard this being enforced though. There is no good one answer to this problem, remember, "what goes around comes around". Mike

[canadiannurse21]

Seems to me I have the problem of showing up too early. I like to feel calm and collected when I start a shift. I make sure I know what IV meds have to be given, what every pt's care plan spells out for what kind of day I am going to have, and get thorough report (written and verbal) before 0700.

3rd shift guy--there seems to always be "the late one" and sadly, managment never seems to do anything about it.:angryfire

What started happening at my hospital is that we switched completely to written report in the kardex--no verbal at all. This way, every nurse could leave their shift on time, and not even check in with who was coming next on shift--the benefit? Nurses get off on time, and those who are late take all rsponsibility for their actions, as well as have to pick up their OWN slack if things didn't get done during that half hour they should have been there:rotfl:

The drawback? risking pt safety(which is somewhat more important to consider) but thats the way things are done here.

No real solution in this case except........................

Get off your butts management and nail those chronically tardy nurses!!

____________________________________________________

--if you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain

[nialloh, RN]

My brother was also an RN in the hospital I work in. He found the perfect solution for the social butterflies who are on time but like to chat for 15 - 30 minutes before getting report. He would sit in front of an empty chair and give it a full report, and it was the other nurses job to make sure she was in it. (he told them all in advance he was going to do it). He only had to do it once. If he sits in front of a chair, the other nurse comes running over.:)

Worked for him :)

[Noney]

There is one nurse in particular on own floor that is always 10 to 20 minutes late. I used to get worked up waiting on her to fininish listening to report. Now I just give her my updates before she listens or just make her pause the tape at 730. I figure if she has questions after listening she's on her own. Of course she never ready to start when she arrives either.

I find it more irriitating when the person I'm relieviving isn't ready and wastes the first hour of my shift. Ther are some nurses that hang around in the way chronically for a little overtime.

nialloh, That's a hoot!! I'd never be able to pull it off.

[Nurse_RaRa]

As a newbie (student) it dismays me to see how rude some nurses are to others. I was raised also to not be rude and to be on time or early. It's very upsettng to me that management just puts up with it. Maybe some will be reading this thread and make some changes esp. with lots of us coming into RNing. I know life isn't perfect but respect is respect and responsible is responsible. Makes me just think - OK - I can do what I want, check in, have breakfast, etc. while my patients wait - YIKES!!!

[glascow]

CONFESSIONS OF A CHRONIC LATE PERSON: I am embarrassed to say I am chronically late. I have been all of my life. In fact, last night I was 15 minutes late for my shift. I felt horrible and embarrassed. I know, you're saying, if you wanted to be on time you could. I swear I try. I have set all the clocks early in the house. I wake up an hour earlier than normal...bad idea, then I'm usually even later. Why? I get so distracted and think, I have time to do the dishes, wash a load of laundry, check e-mail, whatever, next thing I know, I am late for where ever it is I am supposed to be. I have read info on chronic tardiness; says person is rude, inconsiderate, ... I don't want to be. I know I'll get flack for this post, excuses, excuses..... I'm sorry!!!!!!!!!!! I will never be late for work again. It's like the New Year's resolution I make every year, exercise regularly, eat healthy.. just doesn't last. When I walk in the nurse waiting to give report always says, "it's OK, do you need to go get some coffee?" Standard response from me: "No, it's not OK, I hate bieng late".

Please, nurses who work with chronic late people, give them grief when they are late, put pressure on us to be on time.

Ironically, if I accidently sleep late, and wake up with only 15 minutes to get ready, I usually end up early! Am I crazy or what?

[Caveman]

Of course there are good reasons for being late on rare occasions. If a wreck blocks the freeway and you're stuck behind it, what are you going to do except call in a say you'll be there as soon as traffic starts moving again. But...in most cases it's simply a matter of someone thinking (consciously or subconciously) that their time is more valuable than yours. Next time you have to stay over because you are waiting to give report to someone who is putting on their make-up, making personal calls, or enjoying some quiet time with their morning cup of coffee, just remember the message they are sending. "My make-up/phone call/cup of coffee is more important than whatever it is you do when you leave here." And, I don't mean this as a personal attack on anyone here, but those folks who say "I'm always late, and I hate it, but I just can't change," are among the worse offenders. They're just more polite about about disrespecting you.

[fergus51]

People who are chronically late are simply arrogant. You can not be late all the time unless you think that type of behavior is acceptable, and you think it's acceptable because whatever you do that makes you late is more important to you than showing up on time for another person.

We have to give verbal reports to our relief. I ALWAYS am there at least 15 minutes early. There is one nurse in particular that always shows up late. Completely inconsiderate. So if I come to the floor and see that I have her patients, I go back to the breakroom for 15 minutes and then go to relieve her (at the same time she comes to relieve me in the morning). She was 45 minutes late one morning and I just about hit her. I told the charge nurse that I would take her patients that evening when I came back and would be in 45 minutes late. The nurse was quite upset about this because she had a bus to catch! Like I didn't need to get off on time!

[cokie]

management needs to be aware of this, and something CAN be done. at one of my jobs if one is 5 minutes late the staffing office is called, so that they can call a replacement. i would like to see people docked 15 for anything past the time they are supposed to be ready. and to me, 3 means, you are in the chair, all items in hand ready to roll the tape AT 3. my first job in high school, one punched a clock. if one was one minute late they didn't get paid for the first 15. made an impression........is it easy to see i'm one of the early ones......i leave my house 45 minutes before my shift, even though i only have a 20 minute drive. i like to take my time. rushing is just way too stressful.

[WhiteCaps]

Glascow, thanks for your honesty and willingness to take the heat! One question... if you won the lottery, would you be late to pick up the check? I guess it is a matter of what is important to you.

Where I work we had so many problems with tardiness that the unit director had a "?solution". She changed our shift times to 15min earlier. Now, those of us who come on time still do, but had to rearrange our schedules to be there, and those that are late are still late or even later!

For the chronically late relief person, I have occasionally used the report time to write out my report, then hand it to them as they walk in the door and I walk out (always telling the charge nurse what I'm up to) Boy does the late one get mad!!! But she comes on time for the next couple days.

I sure hope management hits them where it hurts... no pay raises! That's the solution for the "good" late nurse!

[angelbear]

Being late is simply unprofessional and selfish. I know it happens to all of us at one time or another that is not what I am talking about. Chronic lateness is unprofessional and selfish. We all know who they are and I think it should be policy that we are allowed to write out report for these people and leave it at that.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by cokie

management needs to be aware of this, and something CAN be done. at one of my jobs if one is 5 minutes late the staffing office is called, so that they can call a replacement. i would like to see people docked 15 for anything past the time they are supposed to be ready. and to me, 3 means, you are in the chair, all items in hand ready to roll the tape AT 3. my first job in high school, one punched a clock. if one was one minute late they didn't get paid for the first 15. made an impression........is it easy to see i'm one of the early ones......i leave my house 45 minutes before my shift, even though i only have a 20 minute drive. i like to take my time. rushing is just way too stressful.

Unfortunately, at our hospital there aren't replacements. If a person is a no-show or very late for whatever reason there is no one else because we are barely staffed. That's why we're so greatful with relief when a late person finally shows up. Perhaps the chronically late person knows this, perhaps consciously or subconsciously thinking "what are they going to do fire, me...they are so short staffed already, they can't do without me."