What does your NM do for you?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

As a result of posting on another board on this site, I started to think about my NM where I work, and how lucky I was to actually have a boss who takes care of her staff the best she can.

Here's a little background:

3 years ago I was one of about 42 people to leave my floor within a few months, basically because of the NM we had at the time who provided us with no support and was not forthcoming with us about certain staffing issues. She also was very miserly with staff raises. She was not so concerned with staff retention as she was about her bonus, so to speak. I continued to work at the hospital through agency, and when the floor got another NM hired on (a year after I left), I went back (making way more money, and with much greater flexibility). When I went into her office for my interview with her, I had to wait a few moments for her attention, because she was on the phone discussing staffing issues with someone (don't know who), and she was actually taking up for her staff, and basically saying, "How do you expect them to be able to do____ with X amount of staff? I cannot ask them to do____, but we can have a meeting about it and maybe come up with some solutions- I'll get back to you on that."

I was sitting there thinking, "Now here's a boss who thinks about her staff, and cares about what they think." She is loyal to her staff, and I really admire this about her.

She promotes autonomy in us, and encourages our educational pursuits. She will work our schedule out around our classes, and advocates for our bonuses. She is availabe at home when we have issues at night that need to be taken care of, and she always answers her phone.

Plus, she actually pays attention to our staffing needs and staffs us with as much agency as we need, foregoing her bonus, I'm sure.

Anybody else out there have a really good NM? What is it about them that you appreciate? What do they do for you and your co-workers that make your jobs easier? What do you admire about them?

Specializes in ICU.

Great minds ETC!!! i was actually thinking about starting a thread on "colleague of the year" or something similar as a way of starting a discussion about positives. We as a group tend to discuss the down side a lot. Natural we have quite a lot to vent about but every so often we need to balance that with a good story.

Okay - here is mine and I find I don't know where to start. The group I currently work with are, on the whole supportative. They try very hard to get enough staff to meet the acuitities and will apologise when there just isn't any available and you know that is genuine. They will try for hours ringing around staff (I know I have been rung) to come in and work extra shifts they honestly go the extra mile and that is nice. There are bad eggs in every basket but the trick seems to be to find a basket that has more good eggs than bad.

Sometimes the little things matter though like finding a packet of TIm Tams on the nurses station desk when things are flat out :)

Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

I have seen so many nurses (and managers) leave, during the past 2-1/2 years I have been with my present employer, that it is unreal...and all because of the unrealistic expectations and intolerable working conditions that Corporate has thrown us into. My present supervisor is caught in between a rock and a hard place, trying to please too many people with nothing to work with, and I don't see her lasting much longer, either....:o

Specializes in Step down, ICU, ER, PACU, Amb. Surg.

The group of guys and gals that I work with are pretty supportive of each other but as I have no positives on my NM, I will abstain and start an new trend of if you can not say something nice about your NM, say nothing at all.

Christie

No help at all! 'Cause I don't have one! The joys of working in Physician's office!

My current NM is wonderful. She is well respected by our unit staff. Because she works the floor a few times a month, she is well aware of the issues that staff nurses face. In fact, my NM is known to come out of her office to help with admits or do dressing changes, etc. when the unit is busy. ;-) She's approachable, positive, and really "one of us." Unfortunately, as a manager, she does face some tough battles. I have seen her very stressed and disheartened at times. It's a tough job. It takes a special person to make a great NM.

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Actually step out of the office, over the threshold? They can DO that?

Specializes in Everything but psych!.

I'm sorry to say that my NM is not effective in her job. She talks too much. After awhile, I don't even know what she is talking about anymore. It takes forever to get anything done. I had a co-worker tell me that she wants me to take the NM job. No thanks! Been there...done that. I'm just here to support her as I can because I don't want her job.

Our DON even helps out! She helps lift/turn pt's, answers phones, and even empties trash cans and gives great back rubs to staff too!!! Is that great or what!!! Our UM says she'll help but she usually delegates to someone else... but it gets done!

what's a TimTam? Is that like a Tic Tac?

I've had good managers and what I appreciate most is support and honesty. I have neither currently. But I like hearing about the good ones. Keeps me hoping. ;)

Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

I typed up a letter my NM to send to the DON yesterday. Heck, she's typed enough letters for school and scholarships for me, I figure I owe her one. :) I think a NM is like a Tech- they can make or break you at work, you know?

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