Does it bother you when CEOs etc. get "excellence in care giving" awards?

RheatherN, ASN, RN, EMT-P · May 30, 2009

First i want to say, i am NOT a peon. you are NOT a peon unless you really make yourself out to be that.

I think that everywhere has its own way of doing things, some not so great. the prior place i worked at, the mgt was always getting kudos for crap, i hated them, they were never around though they wanted to pretend to themselves and the pt's and community they were a "personal" and "close" hospital family. BS! i call BS!! Where i am at now, yeah, it sucks to see the "uppers" get all the praise when what the "awards" mean are direct pt care things and they dont do that, but they are good, they are around a lot more, they actually make it a point to talk to us, doors are ALWAYS open, and i know i can totally really walk in when i want and say i want/need to talk.

-H-RN

PAERRN20 · May 30, 2009

We must work at the same facility! I have a great manager who will pitch in and help when we are busy, but I think I'm in the minority. The rest of upper management probably haven't touched a patient in years. It is frustrating. They sit in their offices, go to catered lunches, get awards, blah blah blah while the rest of us work ourselves crazy. Seems pretty unfair. Sadly I believe it is only downhill from here for direct caregivers.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · May 30, 2009

Thats funny actually. I've never heard of it.

At my first job, the administration was mandated by the CEO's and other people who manage from off site to do "employee interview rounds". In short, they were told by their bosses to interview the workers, find out what was going right, what was going wrong.

I watched these admin. types going around trying to do this and it was a riot. They looked so out of place, they were afraid to approach most of us. From what I understand, there was a list being circulated amongst them (and I was on it I am proud to say :cool: ) of people who should not be approached cause they might get their heads bit off. In fact, we referred to it as the Mad Dog List. One friend of mine did the interview twice, and the third time she got upset with the admin.

So, yeah, I understand what you mean about these people being so detached, how can they possibly have anything to do with pt. care. Like I said, when they were made to round the halls, they looked like they were trying to navigate a jungle or something.

oramar · May 30, 2009

Only consolation is that a lot of those BS jobs will go bye, bye when universal health care comes.

keithjones · May 30, 2009

i wouldn't have a problem if the management facilitated excellent patient care. to use an analogy if the captian is swabbing the deck he can't steer the ship. its not the job of management to provide direct patient care. however if the captain cuts the cleaning supplies on a ship by half and takes credit for the cleanest ship in port award that would be cause for upset. so, again, if admins are facilitating excellent patient care good for them they accept the award for everyone, but if they are killing the ones providing excellent care with forced OT and on call, cutting CNA positions etc. then they should be ashamed.

pennyaline · May 30, 2009

We must work at the same facility! I have a great manager who will pitch in and help when we are busy, but I think I'm in the minority. The rest of upper management probably haven't touched a patient in years. It is frustrating. They sit in their offices, go to catered lunches, get awards, blah blah blah while the rest of us work ourselves crazy. Seems pretty unfair. Sadly I believe it is only downhill from here for direct caregivers.

Wow, am I jealous of those of you with responsive administrators. Where I am, and in most places I've worked in the last ten years, the administration and corporate hot shots walk through once or twice a year and make a point of stopping and asking us our names then telling us by name everything they see as wrong with what we're doing. It's enough to make you want to :barf02: on their freshly-creased pants and shiny shoes.

But my favorite... absolute favorite show of administrative and corporate employee appreciation happens during Nursing Week, Nursing Home Week, and CNA Week, each of which invariably involves the cheapest-assed gifts they could find, carry out foods they bring in for us then consume themselves while we struggle to find the time to go to where the food is and get some of it, and (the capping event, every time!) the scavenger hunt! Clues are hidden around the building, and an overhead announcement is made for staff to go find the announced item. Sadly, department heads, office staff and mid-level administration are the only ones scurrying and finding anything, as the hunts are without fail held during med passes and personal care time (one year it was started during residents' meal time) when the pack mules of the facility are not free to go find anything. Every event, every year, department heads, office staff and mid-level administration wins the prizes while corporate idiots sit back and chant "Now isn't this fun? Isn't team building fun?" This year, in anticipation of the coming festivities, the nursing and CNA staff overwhelmingly voted for the facility to forgo these charades, as they don't have and never did have any meaning or significance for them AND (we made sure the administrator knew) we found the behavior of the department heads, office staff and mid-level administration insulting and demoralizing. :cry:

llg, PhD, RN · May 30, 2009

I agree with Keithjones' post above.

Also, "caring" is not limited to "hands on bedside care." People can "provide care" by properly managing the environment, the personnel, and the budget so that great direct hands on care can be given by the staff. Nursing administrators, educators, and researchers contribute to the provision in a ways that are different from that of the bedside nurse, but those contributions make the bedside services possible and are also important.

Now, that being said, some administrators etc. are better than others. Some are more caring than others. I have no problems with great manager, teacher, researcher, etc. getting an award if they are practicing in a way worthy of that award. It depends on the particular person and the particular award.

Riseupandnurse · May 31, 2009

Yes, I really relate to the insults that often ensue when out of touch administration tries to "reward" the peons (sorry but I do think we are thought of as peons). My favorite was the Employee Picnic one year. It was held about a block away from the hospital and the hospital provided a BUS so all the happy on-duty staff could ride over to the picnic and cavort away their half-hour lunch. WHICH WE NEVER GET. I heard one person actually rode the bus; must have been a housekeeper or something.

SweetLemon · May 31, 2009

It does not bother me so very much when they are given awards, I figure the award more or less goes to the hospital and they simply want a name to place on it. BUT.... It does bother me greatly when the CEO who is not in anyway a licensed Health care professional comes down to the units and begins dictating care!?!?! Seriously makes me want to scream, I realize that the business degree they are holding has taught them much about running a hospital, financially and maybe even logistically but it has in no way prepared you to dictate the care of the patients. :angryfire

mama_d, BSN, RN · May 31, 2009

i wouldn't have a problem if the management facilitated excellent patient care. to use an analogy if the captian is swabbing the deck he can't steer the ship. its not the job of management to provide direct patient care. however if the captain cuts the cleaning supplies on a ship by half and takes credit for the cleanest ship in port award that would be cause for upset. so, again, if admins are facilitating excellent patient care good for them they accept the award for everyone, but if they are killing the ones providing excellent care with forced OT and on call, cutting CNA positions etc. then they should be ashamed.

Wonderful analogy, this is exactly what I mean. We've been dealing with cuts in raises, benefits, and staff, and getting criticized and written up for small infractions, and here's Ms. Big Shot who visits the hospitals once or twice a year getting an award. We're the ones who are doing way more with enforced way less, and getting crapped on while doing so. We actually had people get called into manager's offices for "not maintaining a positive attitude" b/c they had the gall to complain about the increased staffing ratios, cuts to ancillary staff, and our raises, tuition reimbursement, and loan reimbursement getting taken away. Seems like a slap in the face when morale and care are plummeting, for those who the buck stops with to be getting awards for excellence in management and care giving in such situations.

SunRose7 · May 31, 2009

i have to say, it seems like mgt. will only remember or ask your name if you do something wrong, and take credit for the good works when things are going right.

case in point: we had a mngr. who walked the floors just to scare everyone, she once sided with a man whos legs where paralyzed but was insanely abusive verbally and physically to the nursing staff (cussing vulgar names towards staff, pushing, throwing, hitting if we came within reach, throwing anything within his reach at us: full water pitchers, tv remotes, flower vases), and the nurse who was assigned to him scolded him saying that he cant treat the staff this way, that we are trying to help him .

the mngr saw this and made an example of this nurse in front of the rest of the staff, the pts, and the pts families---> "whats your name?"

nurse," my name is *****,"

"well *****, what makes you think you can you talk to him like this?? hes paralyzed!"

as if the pt being paralyed justified radically abusive behaviour towards the staff????:selfbonk:

they obviously dont have the first clue about pt care & how hard it really is, i bet she had that pt satisfaction survey in mind. maybe it would've been nice to drop her in some scrubs and have her take him his supper tray & see how well that lead balloon flies?