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I would go even higher up the food chain to the VP or CEO level, since my experience has been that managers are often between a rock and a hard place. They know they should staff more nurses, but are not given the budgets to hire them. And they are not allowed to publicly take issue with this, lest they be seen as "disloyal" to the hospital.
Let administrators who have NEVER cared for a patient, and never had to deal with staffing issues face the music first hand. Better yet, introduce them all to the patients, giving their titles, and making it clear that these are the people who deserve "credit for seeing that this unit is adequately staffed to see to all of your needs." Then let the patients know that "today's staffing ratios are...."
Hey people advocate for giving out our last names to potential psychopaths in the name of "full disclosure." I say give patients the complete truth in the name of "full disclosure."
Then make some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the show.
I would go even higher up the food chain to the VP or CEO level, since my experience has been that managers are often between a rock and a hard place. They know they should staff more nurses, but are not given the budgets to hire them. And they are not allowed to publicly take issue with this, lest they be seen as "disloyal" to the hospital.Let administrators who have NEVER cared for a patient, and never had to deal with staffing issues face the music first hand. Better yet, introduce them all to the patients, giving their titles, and making it clear that these are the people who deserve "credit for seeing that this unit is adequately staffed to see to all of your needs." Then let the patients know that "today's staffing ratios are...."
aaahhhh....someone who really gets it. It is very rarely your director supervisor making some of these gaud-awful decisions, but if we wanna keep the job, well....
And as a sideline note, as a management nurse in LTC, I HAVE worked the floor recently. In fact I have done 8 hour shifts on 2 of the last 4 holidays. I also put in 16-18 hour shifts everyday while survey was in the facility (of course, I only got paid for 8 hours & no time & 1/2 for holiday either).
Of course to be fair, there should be a "take an employee to work day" on which members of the staff would have to fulfill the responsibilities of management -- and find ways to:
1. Balance the budget
2. Create a schedule that pleases everyone
3. Assure that all staff meet all regulatory requirements all the time
4. Handle all complaints from patients, families, physicians, and other colleagues
5. Find replacements for last-minute call-ins
6. Discipline staff members who don't comply with required rules and regulations and/or don't engage in safte practice
7. Assure that there are adequate supplies available
8. Complete the payroll ... correcting the errors that staff make by not clocking in/out correctly (or whatever system is in place in that facility to pay people correctlly for the hours worked)
etc. etc. etc.
Most nurse managers HAVE worked as staff nurses prior to being promoted to management positions -- unlike most staff members who have NEVER worked as managers and who are pretty clueless as to what that role is actually like.
Of course, there are exceptions.
i would go even higher up the food chain to the vp or ceo level, since my experience has been that managers are often between a rock and a hard place. they know they should staff more nurses, but are not given the budgets to hire them. and they are not allowed to publicly take issue with this, lest they be seen as "disloyal" to the hospital.let administrators who have never cared for a patient, and never had to deal with staffing issues face the music first hand. better yet, introduce them all to the patients, giving their titles, and making it clear that these are the people who deserve "credit for seeing that this unit is adequately staffed to see to all of your needs." then let the patients know that "today's staffing ratios are...."
hey people advocate for giving out our last names to potential psychopaths in the name of "full disclosure." i say give patients the complete truth in the name of "full disclosure."
then make some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the show.
my boss is an administrator who has cared for patients and knows that she hasn't done it in long enough that she needs to rely on the opinions of the people who are doing it now regarding staffing ratios, etc. but i've had other bosses who make me think that this would be a show worth seeing. popcorn, hell -- i'll pay to see it!
At the last place that I worked at, I had a DON who know all the residents by name (as far as I know) and all the staff by name as well. I think that if she had to she would be out on the floor helping if she had to and the RCMS would chip in if they had to. I think that this was unusual, because I have worked in other facilities and did not see the higher ups go out on the floor.
llg, perhaps your excellent post is best placed in the managerial, supervisory forum? You can get a ton of feedback from frustrated managers there as well, as everything you've posted is so true to form and I've been there done that and am now back to staffing... I bow to your taking it from every direction.
BUT back to the OP and the topic at hand... WOOOOOT, this should be a yearly requirement for every CEO, before they take their large bonuses... to work each job for 8 hours and see how their decisions REALLY affected the running of the facility. If at the end of that two weeks, if they are pleased with their decisions, then, only then could they cash their bonus check:yeah:
tokmom, BSN, RN
4,568 Posts
Oh how fun that would be!! Off with the suits and or high heels. On with the tennies. Just think about it. Most haven't been on the floor in years, but know exactly how to staff and what the floor needs are...
Let them see how it REALLY is on the floor.
When they are ready to collapse, you pull them up and off you go to the next pt. Afterall, any lunch or break, IF YOU GET ONE, is still hours off.....
Do ya think they would look fresh by the end of an 8/10/12 hr shift?
Makes me smile just to imagine this...........