"The last place I worked, we did things differently!" (and correctly)

[GardenDove]

What about nurses who come from other facilities, who constantly critisize the way things are done where you work? They are always talking about where they previously worked, as if it were the gold standard.

[GardenDove]

Yes, I agree about keeping an open mind. A good answer, I think, is to suggest that they bring their ideas to the appropriate person/committee in charge of that policy for review.

There is a type of person of whom I'm speaking that is just constantly critisizing the way things are done in comparison to the way things were done at their previous facility. Also, they constantly talk about their old facility. It does get old after awhile. Yes, I think asking them to do some footwork, get on a committee, present their rationale, is the best way to deal with it.

[jetscreamer101]

Have you ever had the one that says, "just because you have always done this this way, doesn't mean it's the right way"?

Just because YOU think it's the right way doesn't mean it's the right way either.

Now give me evidence based practice, references to back it up, and maybe I'll believe you.

[Bluehair]

Sooooo - from reading the posts to this point it sounds like more people have been on the receiving end of this situation. I have been on both sides, having had to move a number of times during my career. I have made it a point to specifically NOT say things about 'the last place I worked'. I have on occassion, though, said things more along the lines of "one place I worked they did this a little differently, more along the lines of _________. It seemed to work well there because of ________. I wonder if it would be worth seeing if any of that would work here also?" Or even "Wow, this is a lot better way of doing things than some places I have worked!".

In retrospect I think it WAS my way of trying to fit in, trying to interact with my new co-workers and look for an exchange of ideas while I learned how things work in my new environment. It was NEVER my goal to try to come off as some Smarty Pants, better-than-you sort of person. I could see where some may have taken it that way in spite of my best efforts. I guess that raises the question about whether or not the insecure person is the one making the suggestions or the one hearing them..... Can work both ways, I suspect! Anyway, just a little different perspective here.

:typing

[GardenDove]

Bluehair, I think you make a good point. Sometimes people at my current hospital appear to be threatened when someone comes from elsewhere with suggestions. We are a small hospital and sometimes I think this is a sign of insecurity.

Another point is that a rationale for what works at a small and large hospital might be different, because of many factors.

[CritterLover, BSN, RN]

i think also, sometimes it's a way of saying, "this is what i'm used to, please tell me how it's different here so i don't do it wrong...." it's a way of saying, this is who i am, this is what i know.... not necessarily a criticism.

:yeahthat:

i've moved around some in my fairly short nurisng career, and those words have come out of my mouth. it was very frustrating to me, because i was trying to tell my preceptor where i was coming from. but it was always taken as a criticism of how things were done at the current facility.

it is amazing how very different things can be from one hospital system to the next, even in the same city. blood transfusions, for example. in hospital a, we always put blood on a pump. my first preceptor "wrote up" another nurse one night for letting it run in via gravity. in hospital b, there was no such thing as pump tubing for blood. if you had to give blood, it had to run in by gravity. now at hospital c, it can go either way. when you go to the blood bank to pick up your blood, they ask you if you want pump tubing or gravity tubing.

[Mulan]

On the other hand, one can be new to a facility and treated like an idiot because you don't know their way of doing something as if that is the ONLY way to do it, never mind that you've worked in a half dozen other facilities that didn't do it that way.

Some people really need to get out more.

[GardenDove]

On the other hand, one can be new to a facility and treated like an idiot because you don't know their way of doing something as if that is the ONLY way to do it, never mind that you've worked in a half dozen other facilities that didn't do it that way.

Some people really need to get out more.

That type of attitude is just what rubs people the wrong way. Sometimes people come to our facility with a less than respectful attitude that we are all unenlightened country bumpkins, and that definately gets old fast.

[LydiaNN]

Worse than that, we have a woman who works for us, but her time is donated by a local education agency. Besides the fact that she makes half again what we earn and doesn't work as hard, she is always driving us crazy with the "(My agency) does it this way" crap. Um, look around, sweetie, this isn't your agency and we don't have all the money your agency does.

[CritterLover, BSN, RN]

that type of attitude is just what rubs people the wrong way. sometimes people come to our facility with a less than respectful attitude that we are all unenlightened country bumpkins, and that definately gets old fast.

you're right, that attitude does get old fast. i've worked at some very small hospitals, and have seen my share of eye-rolling at the way things are done.

but i have also been on the receiving end of the "you've got to be kidding me. how dare you do it that way" at new facilities, when it never occured to me to do task x a different way.

it is fine to let me know how things need to be done. i just didn't appreciate being treated like an idiot becasue i was used to doing something differently. :)

now, that said, if a new employee is going to constantly tell me that their old facility was so much better than the current one, i think i would ask them why they chose to "lower" themselves by coming to work with me at the new facility.

[Mulan]

That type of attitude is just what rubs people the wrong way. Sometimes people come to our facility with a less than respectful attitude that we are all unenlightened country bumpkins, and that definately gets old fast.

That is not what I meant. Just the opposite.

It is the people that have worked at the facility since Adam was a pup that are disrespectful, being very condescending to newcomers. Just because you have worked forever at a facility doesn't mean that you know the only or the best way of doing things.

They DO need to get out more.

[TazziRN, RN]

Most people who say that constantly are not insecure or wanting to improve things, they are putting down the way things are being done. I worked with a nurse like that also, and I finally told her "If we do things so badly, then go back to Perfect Hospital." She would constantly argue policy and tell us we were doing things wrong. "Different" does not mean "wrong".

[LydiaNN]

Introducing new ideas is all well and good, but the wise person uses discretion in the time and manner that she chooses to do so. Walking into a new job and presenting a laundry list of all the things that your new facility is doing wrong just isn't going to endear you to your new co-workers.