Do your nursing supervisors do anything?

chas2000_19711 · Apr 15, 2008

Sometimes it depends on the supv. I have found most supv to be fair when it comes to the flow of the facility ie: staffing issues, ratios, acuity. However ther are the one who are just plum tired of the bedside, so they escape to the staffing office. bad idea! They eventually become just as burnt out in this capacity and for the most part begin to not care abou the patients or the nurses. :rolleyes:

ChocoholicRN · Apr 15, 2008

At my last job we had a horrible nurse manager, she would be more concerned with cleaning the counters than concerns with patients and was never ever on the floor. I was a tech at the time and felt no support from her and I spoke to the nurses and they felt the same way - zero support from the nurse manager.

Fast forward to where I am now - absolutely wonderful manager, couldn't ask for anyone better. She helps out on the floor, its not unusual to see her in heels and all helping to clean up a room after a patient expired or was transferred, or to see her answering call bells and phones and getting tissues and towels for patients. When I had my meltdown moment a few weeks ago she whisked me away to her office and sat there and listened as I told her how overwhelmed I was feeling. She was so supportive and gave me such great advice and at the end gave me a huge hug. I am so grateful to have a wonderful nurse manager now and I wish everyone could be so lucky. I

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Apr 15, 2008

Wow, nursing supervisors and managers who actually walk through the floor?!!

They help out when it's overwhelmingly crazy?

Huh.

I think our supervisor/ manager believes that if they walked outside their office, a magical force would cause them to implode.

Go figure.

allnurses Guide · Apr 15, 2008

Nursing supervisors are also the ER nurse and also must do OB. And yes, the sup does help out - a lot.

steph

chicagobsn · Apr 15, 2008

I like our manager.. she helps out often and always is there when we really need her and she covers when we dont have anyone.

I must say, she is one of the easiest people to talk to, she always makes time for us and she stands up for us when we need her to. Shes supportive in being an advocate for her nurses and the pts..so I cant really complain. :nuke:

2006RNCS · Apr 15, 2008

I have a question. What do your nursing supervisors do for you and your floors? Do they merely walk around looking cool,having the title,not wanting to be bothered? Or do they actually still do some nursing things? I was just wondering if they are all washed up has beens who can't handle the floor anymore or if any of them actually still do some nursing things to help the staff out in a pinch.

I am a third shift supervisor in a LTC facility, and believe me, I do PLENTY!!! I give meds, help the CNA's out , cover staffing, do reports, do stocking of supplies, take care of pts, do assessments, do admissions, do rounds every 2 hours, do employee evalutations, discipline employees, counsel employees, attend meetings, give inservices. The list goes on and on!!! I know supervisor responsibilities vary, but I am really involved in pt. care. I LOVE my job, and I feel very proud of having the opportunity to do it.

When I worked the hospital setting, I saw nursing supervisors in a different light. Now that I am working in LTC as one, I understand what it takes to do the job right. I think the key is to stay involved in pt care. Really get in and be hands on, and offer assistance when needed. Let your fellow employees know they can call on you. I know when I started, so many said for me to be careful, that everyone would use me if I offered my assistance too much. That is part of my job description, to help out when needed. I am not above helping anyone to insure excellent patient care.

I hope to retire in this position, or possibly as DON of our facility. I have the best of both worlds. It isn't easy, but boy is it worth it. :heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

oramar · Apr 15, 2008

It has been my experince that there are two kinds of supervisors, the workers and the sitters. When the crunch comes you will turn around and the worker will be standing there saying "what do you need". The sitters finds out where it will be quiet and that is where they hide. When they are on the floor they avoid the busy units like the plague has broken out there or they are in their office. I used to have one that would tie my aides up making her coffee and beating their ears about personal problems. I used to say if she walked any slower she would be going backwards.

keeptryin · Apr 15, 2008

Something to keep in mind is that there is always two sides to every issue. I am not in an administrative or supervisory role, but my husband is (not in the medical field, however), so I get to see the other side of the desk, so to speak. I am always more than annoyed when someone will approach him and "joke" about how nice it must be to have such a "cake" job:that it can't be that hard to sit around in a suit all day, hiding out in the office, etc... They have no idea all the things he is responsible for. Many things that he must attend to have legal ramifications if they aren't handled just right. And often times, if he must be out of the office, for meetings (always work related) then he gets to stay down there late into the night to catch up on things that didn't get done during the day. Supervisors and administrators have a heirarchy that they must answer to as well as we do. I'm not saying there aren't some duds out there, there are, I have worked for a few... but they don't seem to stick around long, as productivity is always the bottom line. I guess what I'm trying to say is , just because you don't see your supervisor doing anything, it could be just that... you just don't see her. It's very unlikely that he or she is just hanging out looking to pounce on some poor unsuspecting nurse. A supervisor's job description is different than a floor nurse's. I't s huge waste of emotional energy getting irritated at a co-wroker because you don't feel she's doing her job well. I have found that my pt's and I am better served if I worry about my job performance and not that of my fellow nurses. just my two cents...

MzMouse · Apr 15, 2008

My manager will tell everyone who will listen how she is always willing to help and pitch in when we need it. Could have fooled me. The place has to be just about crisis mode before she can be prodded into giving a hand. She either completely ignored us or over-manages and tries to fix problems that don't exist.

tirednursedude · Apr 16, 2008

I am mostly referring to off shift nursing supervisors that run the whole place while the floor managers arent there,particularily on evening and night shifts.

SoundofMusic · Apr 16, 2008

Our supervisor came in to be a tech one night when we were short. I was new there, but you could tell the staff was really impressed with her decision to do that.

On the other hand, she seems overly concerned with customer service part of the job, which can drive you crazy in a practical way.

I feel I can talk to her about things and she doesn't freak out. Same with the floor manager. Our new hire preceptor, however, drives me nuts.

But overall, I think they're just trying to do their jobs. It's not easy to be in management -- I don't envy them. They probably earn a lot more, but they have a very tough job to run these units and have such responsibility on their hands. To run herd on our crew has got to be a tough job.

bethin · Apr 16, 2008

Depends.

Our current NM doesn't do anything, claiming she doesn't know how to do nursing.

She's been a nurse for over 25 years.

Our house supervisors are great! I've had them come help me (an aide) answer call lights, help with baths, feeds, etc. without me asking. They help nurses with IV sticks, meds, etc.