If you were a supervisor.......

Nurses General Nursing

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In the 101 bed-hospital were I work, we have more supervisor than staff nurses. I was wandering if you guys were supervisors of your floor/or DON's etc, what would you do??

I personally will always try to keep an adequate staff for our census. Last friday we had only 4 nurses for 30 patients!! and 2 were Lpn's so I had to cover one. I fought with my supervisor because I said this is not fair. I wanted to see the list of the people that she called during the night but they don't let you see it, they suck.

SO, if I was a supervisor my priority will be to keep enough staff and If I couldn't find it I will tell my staff and let them know how sorry I am, I don't know why some supervisors can be so mean.

anyways, that's me.

take care :)

Our supervisor or charge will take a pt load if we are busy and short. Sometimes they will come from other floors if they are staffed (the supervisors). They know what it was like to work short, and I suspect they really don't want to hear the b*tching. Plus, they have to give us incentive pay when we are short, so they get in trouble if that happens too often. Everyone is required to help out. We have even had the VP of Nursing in the ER. We all do what we can.

Kristy

Specializes in MS Home Health.

I think a super should bail out the staff for safety, security and moral.

renerian

Specializes in ER.

More supervisors than staff seems to be a little top heavy. And what's the problem with letting you try calling someone, sometimes staff will come in when a coworker pleads, but not for a supervisor.

I do rounds Q2H and stop to help whereever people have a need. Plus being paged to floors with a crisis- so most of the time it's continuous rounds. Sups that don't help on the floor must have a whole different job description, because that is about 50% of the reason for having sups at all at our hospital.

Specializes in Critical Care.

I would have a backbone and fight with administration and tell them NO more admits until we have adequate staff, divert the patients elsewhere. I would call every agency in the area to supplement the staffing. I would never mandate overtime, that is a morale killer and the staff will call off in retaliation anyway. I would take a assignment if necessary. I would offer a bonus to anyone willing to work extra. I would order pizza or some type of meal for my employees. Mostly I would say Thank you for working so hard in such a difficult situation.

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm a charge nurse and help out with pt care all the time. I also try to get nurses to come in when we are short or there are call-ins. Personally, if you have more supervisors than staff, there is a problem.

Emily states that her supervisors will work on the unit if short. It would take an emergency medical situation for a supervisor to work on the floor at our hosptial,but I think that should be in their job description.

I was a supervisor a very short time and it was the hardest job I ever had...I simply could not stretch myself everywhere I 'should' have been...also couldn't hack the politics....

If you think floor politics are bad try being right out there in middle management...the politics will sink ya fast. :(

I was one to jump in and help also...tried to be a good leader...morale booster...these are qualities of a good supervisor.

But bottom line is...house supes are too frequently bound by rules of the managers/administrators.... and God help them if they step out of bounds.

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