Entire ER crew will go to mandatory retreat

Riseupandnurse · Apr 10, 2008

We had a retreat for the floor (mandatory) about 15 years ago. It was fun but management was there so no-one went near the real issues. We found out more about exactly why we didn't like the people we didn't like, but didn't like them any better.

TRAMA1RN · Apr 10, 2008

Any time away from work paid is okay with me. I do work ER and it is very stressful small ER or not.

whoofers · Apr 10, 2008

I would think that anything mandatory would impose hidden resentment. If they want something more cost effective, why don't they just try a giant group hug :hgu:?

RN1982 · Apr 10, 2008

I would think that anything mandatory would impose hidden resentment. If they want something more cost effective, why don't they just try a giant group hug :hgu:?

Huh? :lol2:

RN1989 · Apr 10, 2008

I've seen this crap and it was a crock. They intend to try to change the way the staff thinks because all the problems are because the staff "don't work as a team". Admin refuses to believe that it is their poor management that is causing the dissention in the ranks. All they will accomplish by forcing the staff to go is to make them more resentful of the admin. You cannot FORCE people to be happy at work, to smile all the time when you are wading in b.s., to turn the other cheek when your pt verbally or physically assaults you. They are wasting their money.

What I loved is the part about they are going to hire all agency nurses to staff the ER while the regular staff is on retreat. When something goes wrong because they have an entire staff made up of agency nurses who are unfamiliar with the routine, guess who is going to be blamed? The ER staff of course. Because if the ER staff wasn't such a problem, admin would not have been compelled to force them to the retreat which created the need for agency staffing.

I also wonder about religious issues here. I do not do unnecessary work on Sabbath. Caring for pts is necessary. A retreat for work in my book is considered work but it is not necessary to be done. Therefore if I were there, I would refuse to go to the retreat (if it's on the weekend) on religious grounds. I wonder if any of the ER nurses feel the same way and what the ramifications would be if they refused to spend their religion's holy day at a "work retreat".

EmmaG, RN · Apr 10, 2008

I heard yesterday that the entire ER crew is being mandated to go to a retreat so they can learn to get along better. The hospital will bring in all agency workers to cover the hospital for this event.
Our hospital has gone overboard in the last year or two trying out all the latest and greatest touchy feely stuff, spending a great deal of money. Mind you, it's a small town rural hospital where everyone is like a family in a way (albiet dysfunctional at times).
The people in the ER are probably typical for that dept everywhere. I doubt if they are as hard bitten as in large ERs. I have floated there and been treated okay. Yes, there are some blunt and opinionated people there, but I don't think it's totally out of the ordinary.
What do you think? Has anyone heard of this type of thing?

Just when I think I've heard it all...

So they're going to force you all to get along :lol2:

Here. You'll be needing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhY1fxQXa3A

time4meRN · Apr 10, 2008

I work in an ER , we get along very well . Sometimes we have little tiffs but for the most part I enjoy my co-workers. I've heard of this for other companies but it suprises me that a hospital is doing this because of the cost factor. Sounds like that hospital has more money than they know what to do with. Heck , we're checking charts for mis-documentation every night so that we don't loose 17 dollars a pt on IV fluid administration. Maybe we'll stop getting along (fake it) so that we can go on a "retreat".

RN1989 · Apr 10, 2008

Just when I think I've heard it all...
So they're going to force you all to get along
Here. You'll be needing this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhY1fxQXa3A

Thank you for my first outburst of hysterical laughter for the day!!! :lol2: :chuckle:D

bethin · Apr 10, 2008

I go on vacations to get away from coworkers.

I go to therapy to vent about the stress of my job.

Do they have to share rooms? I'd draw the line at sharing a room.

Guess I don't play well with others.

Rhone · Apr 10, 2008

I think a retreat could be a good thing if it's presented as a bit of a gift/thank-you to the staff--e.g. "you've all been working so hard, so we're going to take you on a retreat so you can have fun, relax, get to know each other better, and get paid for it as if you were at work!" That way most people go into it feeling positive about it, and it becomes a decent opportunity for people to get know each other better and improve their relations.

If it's presented as "you little brats can't get along so we're forcing you to come to mandatory retreat so we can teach you how to be nice to each other" then it's at best a waste of time and money, and at worst could even backfire. It's human nature; if people feel like they are being coerced into something, they will resist--either externally (not doing it) or internally (doing it but resenting having to do it).

webbiedebbie · Apr 10, 2008

I worked at one hospital where they did this BUT only for management!

Morettia2, BSN, RN · Apr 10, 2008

Team Builder-"..and you feel like your coworkers don't respect you why?"
Poor sap wearing a stupid hat- "..because of the hat."
Yeah, that was the first thing I thought of too...

This would be something I would imagine at a nursing 'team building' seminar that my hospital would give.....they hand someone, a mock patient with a mock history, a call bell, and say this is how we should respond r/t team building...and they have the mock pt. press the call bell over and over again ( the mock pt. has a paper with a list of things to ask for or they can make them up on their own), and ask for things like , is my food here yet, can you cover my feet, can you put the phone closer to my bed, why do I have to have this IV and fluid I don't want it, those sticky things on my chest with the wires attached are bothering me I am taking them off, can you have the doc look at my mom's hang nail, can you turn on my TV, where is the doctor, now that I have my food I don't like it, I want XYZ type of food, my brother sister mom dad kids aunt and uncle are here can you send them back to see me,ect.....all while the Nurse taking care of the patient is set in another room, not too far but far enough from the mock pt., running on a tread mill, using an exercise bike and a ellipitical machine , and has to respond to the call bell within x amount of time while doing said activities, but the nurse also has to complete so many steps on the tread mill, has to bike so for on the exercise bike and has to do so many rotations on the ellipitical, and has to keep a sense of professionalism (yea...) ...also the nurse has no help b/c all the other nurses ,involved in the activity with her/him ,have mock patients too pressing call bells, while doing the same activities as the nurse. There are 2-3 nursing assistants or patient care techs(even better b/c the nurse knows she/he can deleagte EKG's,blood draws, ect..to the techs) scheduled to work but one calls out sick, one is caught in a major traffic jam, and one was pulled to another floor/unit even though the nurse told management she/he need their help. The other nursing assistants or patient care techs have left b/c their shift is over. The nurses mock patient with the call bell all of a sudden experiences a crushing CP and the call bell is going crazy, as the nurse goes running to respond to the mock patient, while another nurse starts screaming for th nurses help b/c his/her mock pt. can't breathe, and is turning blue...this is purely hypothetical, by the way, and I don't mean that in a scarcastic tone but in this is every day situations of a nurse on the floors/units or in a critical care setting tone...ok to continue..in the mean time, the nurse, and all of the nurses haven't used the bathroom once and kidneys are about to explode, none of the nurses have had a drop of water at all, mind you they are using the tread mill, bike and ellipitical in another room in the mean time and responding to call bells, when the nurses have to make a decision, Crushing CP/ Respiratory Distress,...Here comes the team building dundunana we all do it, as nurses , with out even realizing it, in times of trauma...the nurses taking care of the mock pt's decide to put the tread mill, bike and ellipitical on hold eventhough the nurses know they have to do x amount of work on each, and as for the call bells, whenever the nursing assistant/PCT arrives can handle them. The nurses begin to delegate...one nurse calls a code for each patient, half of the nurses go to the respiratory distress with a crash cart and an air way box/cart and the other half go to the crushing CP with a crash cart,..the assigned nurses assess the 2 emergent mock patients....Finally the nursing assistant/PCT arrives, let's say it's a PCT arrives he/she can ans. the call bells of the other mock patients, escort the family of the mock patients to waiting area, do EKG's or labs if needed as long as the nurses deleagte to the PCT. So the mock pt.with the Crushing CP, needs stat EKG, stat labs, stat ABG, and let's say...MONA. The respiratory distress needs stat ABG's, stat labs, and stat CXR. Both mock pt's are on O2 Non-rebreather b/c it was the only type on the crash carts.....this would be something that my hospital would present to us at a "team building' seminar b/c I work at a high volume inner city hospital that is always stuffed to the gills with pt's,and we are on devert half of the time. I would say that the tread mill represents how much walking/documenting each nurse does per shift, the bike represents the miles ( i would like to say something else) we have to go through for some one..ah-hem, to examine the pt. and write the orders, and the ellipitial represents the round about cycle that we as nurses deal with(reporting, calling xyz, getting a patient history or even a name, finding a translator if communication barrier, clarifying orders,admin. meds, reporting labs, delegating, teaching, and trying to find a second to take a bathroom break, get a sip of water/eat if you are lucky, and try with alllllll of your might to keep a positive attitude and even if it is genuine,fake, or forced a smile on your face no matter how much of a **** day you are having. Yea it may suck but I think we all have a sense of team building when it comes down to it, even if you love/hate your job or you love/hate your collegues, if your pt. is going south, everyone drops the BS for that moment and that collegue you may love/hate becomes your best friend, b/c you know that no matter what, you are nurses for a reason and you are going to work as a 'team' to save your patients life. And I know it should be different, and we as nurses should work as a team all of the time, but in the reality, team building is something that only happens during a Critical/RRT/CODE/EMERGENT situation/at least where I work and some of my friends/family work (all in different states in the US). But I know some nurses that work in a "team building' env. all the time..unfortunatly those hosp. arn't hiring..hehe..but jokes aside ...If you work in a 'team building' env. be proud, I mean that..and hey if your hosp. is hiring and it's in the NJ/NYC area let me or any of us know!! :cheers: