Downtime=Productivity

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Dec 30, 2014

Hello, and Welcome to Allnurses!

I've been in middle management for a good portion of my career, and I've had to deal with situations like you've described---you're new, and you find yourself needing to change the culture. It's even worse when you don't have backup from your own boss. Nevertheless, you have to set the tone for your workplace and establish yourself as a supervisor, and one of the ways you can do that is to have a meeting with all your staff and outline your expectations for their performance. You may want to give them a handout for them to sign that will go in their personnel file so they can't come back on you with "well, I didn't know it wasn't OK".

I'm surprised that they've been allowed to surf the Internet during work time. Most places don't allow that. These people need some re-education and monitoring. Even if your own boss isn't particularly supportive, stay in communication with him/her as to who's doing it and when. I don't know how much say you have in hiring/firing decisions, but in any case you'll want to maintain a paper trail on your problem children. Usually there's a documented verbal warning on the first offense, then a written warning with a personal improvement plan, then a final warning (and/or suspension) if the problem behavior doesn't stop, followed by termination for a fourth offense.

I wish you luck. Sounds like you've got your hands full there. Hope it all works out for you.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Dec 30, 2014

Our HR policies prohibit use of personal cellphones, unless in a breakroom, during a break. Is there a policy about their use?

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Dec 30, 2014

Do the staff have access to any kind of online continuing education programs? That's what we're encouraged to do in our rare downtime.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2014

Hum...I think that you need to make some changes. Something always needs to be cleaned. Charts to organize. Heck rearrange the office and drawers. I think you can start by having little classroom sessions about current continuing FYI presentations for "downtime" ans include the staff to participate in giving these...presentations. Get a fish tank...a large one and have them care for it. Be creative. Then make a policy about downtime and a progressive action/discipline timeline for offenses.

You can present things like flu vaccine. Patient education. HIPAA refreshers. The proper stoirage of vaccine. Documentation of vaccines...stuff like that...they will not be "happy" but they need to accept change.

dishes, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2014

How long have you observed the behaviour in order to establish a trend? Is it possible that the current downtime is rare and the staff typically work very hard throughout the year?

Caffeine_IV · Dec 30, 2014

What is the issue with the one specific nurse versus all of the nurse staff? Are you saying that the others are receptive and she is not?

I've usually seen the manager send out an FYI email addressing everyone and hoping that the guilty parties will change their behaviors and then go from there to more direct method.