Chronic Tardiness

Nurses Professionalism

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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"?

I'm surprized that no one mentions that chronic tardiness might also be a form of passive-aggression. I've been late for almost every event in my life. Arriving prematurely for my birth may have convinced me subconsciously either that earliness is a bad thing, or that I still have time to my credit. Seriously, understanding that there is probably more than meets the eye to chronic tardiness has helped me to deal more honestly with the problem.

Additionally, strong, fair supervisors don't let people get away with that sort of behavior. It creates ill-will among people that have to work very hard under great stress to achieve the best results for the facility and the patients. Thank God for managers who can balance a little leeway for the occasional honest screw-up with firmness for the chronic slacker.

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I've been late on more occasions than I'd like to admit-however,most every time I have felt somewhat guilty and usually apologized to the shift I was relieving.

But,the chronic tardy nurse,who never (or hardly ever) shows some kind of remorse for being late for the thousandth time definitely has a problem:this employee should be dealt with quickly and harshly-3 suspension,no question.

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Specializes in OB.

In the past I have dealt with this issue by putting in for overtime on my timesheet every time (daily, if necessary) that I am kept over by late arriving relief. I note on the time sheet or variance form exactly why I remained past the end of the shift. Management doesn't care for this but it forces them to deal with the problem.

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We have one nurse who is always late on the weekends. She calls every saturday at 6:50 and says"i'll be 30 minutes late". Well, we just changed our report system so that on time means 15 minutes till. I asked her,quite seriously what she was going to do then, as it seems she is always the nurse who follows me onthe weekends. She got real snotty saying "I am a single mother and they knew it when they hired me. I have a life you know." I know it may be hard for her, but I have a life too.

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FullMoon...guess HER life is more important than YOURS huh ? ppfftttt @ same old tired excuse givers:(

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i punch in at 18:56 or 18:57 all of the time. Why is that? my time is valuable to me. if you want to sit there for 15 min. unpaid that's fine. i just don't. i do not hold anyone up or fool around. i dress, sit down, and take report by 19:00. i have heard others say it drives them nuts. it's just a different personality trait i guess. i hit the ground running and i am ready to go. i've given so much of my time to the hospitals i've worked at over the past 16+ years. why should i give them more? i am not late. in fact, i tell them if it's past the time, please call me. i may have overslept. i don't get counseled for lateness, because i am not. i must say the person who is a couple of minutes tardy on occasion doesn't bother me much. the 1/2 hour late repeatedly needs to realize the rest of us have a life too. their salary should be docked or they should have their eval/pay adjusted to reflect this. lateness is bad. it is inconsiderate. i try my best to keep myself on time, but i know it can be very difficult for some of us to do.

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

I let the chronically tardy ones they are on MY time when they show up late. I then push them HARD to get thru the narc counts and report. Often, I will give them the very basics, and then tell them if they want more, check the chart cause I don't have time to dillydally. They get the message. I do not waste *their* time by showing up late, and I want MY time respected similarly. I am never afraid to tell them so CLEARLY.

Now most of the time when the PITA (me) is in charge, people coming in to relieve me are ON TIME, cause they know how nasty I get when they waste my time. It is a HUGE reflection of the utter lack of respect for others, as well as a lack of diligence and reliability that person has and to me, says a lot about them. Too bad it's so epidemic. I have a huge problem with chronic tardiness.:(

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Originally posted by FullMoonMadness

We have one nurse who is always late on the weekends. She calls every saturday at 6:50 and says"i'll be 30 minutes late". Well, we just changed our report system so that on time means 15 minutes till. I asked her,quite seriously what she was going to do then, as it seems she is always the nurse who follows me onthe weekends. She got real snotty saying "I am a single mother and they knew it when they hired me. I have a life you know." I know it may be hard for her, but I have a life too.

My response to her would have been, "and you knew what time your job started when they hired you!". Why should she be allowed to rewrite the rules for herself just because it the starting times is inconvient and interfering with her life. My sister is a single mother, there are millions and millions of single mothers in the world showing up to work on time.

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

Well, I am one of those wierd persons who actually comes in early

(My shift is supposed to be from 7:30-4:30)..but I come in at 6:30, in order to get ahead of the traffic..as well as a jump on the paperwork, phones, e-mails, etc. When I transferred from another department, my new supervisor told me that she saw no problem with me leaving at 3:30, since I come in early.

But, once I got into my new position, I was told that I was going to have to stay until 4:30...as well as come in on weekends, as three other departments had decided to dump their work on us. too.....:(

Hey, guess what?: When (or if) I get my arthritic back straightened out (I'm currently on a Medical LOA, awaiting to get an ESI done later this month), they won't see my :) face in that place not one MINUTE before 7:30! Because, like most of you have already stated in your posts, I am also fed UP with the slackers who seem (by some unknown power), to have been issued Gold Card Status, to come and go...and to do as little as possible and AS they please...with no repercussions whatsoever....and expect ME to tow the line! I don't think so!

If I sound like I am:angryfire...it is because I am. Enough is enough!

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Originally posted by 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?

Ya know-you are a grown-up...If you were told you would LOOSE your job due to your chronic tardiness you would get your azz there on time.If it was important to YOU and you believed there would be consequences for your actions you would be a responsible and dependable adult.If you were considerate of your co-workers you WOULD be on time....If they let you slide in habitually late and say "O -it's ok" Then it must be...It is not ok for me-and I let my relief know every time they drag themselves in and then start searching through their bags and chit-chatting...It is NOT OK with me-my time is as valuable as theirs....I treat others as I expect to be treated and It is not MY job to have to give them grief on a daily basis because that just makes my b/p go up and I walk out at the end of the day all pizzed off...It is the supervisors job to see what the heck is going on....If you ask me ahead of time to stay late because you have an appointment I'll BE GLAD to stay late for you-if you call and tell me you had a flat-no problem..I'll gladly cover for you...But don't treat me like sh*t on a daily basis,please.You are saying that YOUR laundry,e-mail and sink full of dirty dishes are more imporatant then your job and co-workers....Don't turn the computer on in the am...do the dishes after supper-do your laundry on your day off...Lay out your clean uniform and work supplies before you go to bed-have your lunch ready to go...Get up and GET the heck out...You are not in highschool.......
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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.
Originally posted by ktwlpn

Ya know-you are a grown-up...If you were told you would LOOSE your job due to your chronic tardiness you would get your azz there on time.If it was important to YOU and you believed there would be consequences for your actions you would be a responsible and dependable adult.If you were considerate of your co-workers you WOULD be on time....If they let you slide in habitually late and say "O -it's ok" Then it must be...It is not ok for me-and I let my relief know every time they drag themselves in and then start searching through their bags and chit-chatting...It is NOT OK with me-my time is as valuable as theirs....I treat others as I expect to be treated and It is not MY job to have to give them grief on a daily basis because that just makes my b/p go up and I walk out at the end of the day all pizzed off...It is the supervisors job to see what the heck is going on....If you ask me ahead of time to stay late because you have an appointment I'll BE GLAD to stay late for you-if you call and tell me you had a flat-no problem..I'll gladly cover for you...But don't treat me like sh*t on a daily basis,please.You are saying that YOUR laundry,e-mail and sink full of dirty dishes are more imporatant then your job and co-workers....Don't turn the computer on in the am...do the dishes after supper-do your laundry on your day off...Lay out your clean uniform and work supplies before you go to bed-have your lunch ready to go...Get up and GET the heck out...You are not in highschool.......

THANK you!:kiss

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I work for the federal gov't and we always say, "They wouldn't tolerate this kind of stuff out in the real world," but I'll be dang, I see it happens out there too...We're not alone... :uhoh21:

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