Work policy

[boobaby42]

Hello! In your policies at work, is there a specific policy that addresses hiring relatives. In my workplace, there is a mother/daughter team. The mother is in administration, and the daughter, an LPN, has a supervisory position in an area she is not qualified. There is a certain amount of protection offered this nurse and she is, for lack of a better word/words, above the law. There is too much turn over of employees that have worked with this nurse, and I'm beginning to understand why.

Any words of advice?:stone

[biscuit_007]

My father and I used to work in the same facility. At first there was some hesitation in hiring me because he is a nursing supervisor on night shift and i was going to work nights as an LPN. In our case it was no big deal because he went out of his way not to show favoritism towards me in any way. As a matter of fact most people observed that he was twice as hard on me as any other staff. There was never any policy set up at our hospital formally though family members working on the same units was discouraged. Our CEO at one time had all four of his children as department heads but no one seamed to think this was a problem. LOL

[fedupnurse]

We have a policy but it isn't adhered to. You are not supposed to have two (or more, I guess) related employees in the same department where one is in a supervisory/managerial/administrative position. Nepotism is at its worst in the finance (what a shock) division. One Manager had her son working in a related department, another has a couple of her nieces working under her. Needless to say these people get away with murder. It ain't what you know it's who ya know!! Ya know????

[catlady, BSN, RN]

Hah. I know of a LTC facility, privately owned, where the administrator is the owner's son, and the social worker is the owner's daughter. He owns another building where another son is the administrator and another daughter is director of nursing. Can you imagine trying to get a complaint through?

[RhondaRNConsult]

Privately owned facilities are a bit different in that area compared to the Corporate owned facilities. I've worked in both, and know of instances where all department heads are family members! (imagine that!) Most corporate owned facilities do have policies set for hiring relatives. If they're followed is another thing. As far as suggestions, you're not going to be able to change them. You're going to have to be the one to change if you don't like what's going on. Whether that means finding a new position, or sticking this one out, that's up to you. Good luck!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I work in a large non-for-profit hospital that does allow family members to work together, as long as they don't supervise one another. This is in a larger ER.

[ERNurse752, RN]

Both of my parents are RNs in the same hospital I work in, but we're all on different areas, and none of us are supervisors...

There's a nurse in the ER whose husband is a student nurse. She's charge nurse sometimes, so she has to be careful...another nurse in the ER has two kids who are both student nurses there too. Yet another one has a daughter who is going to start as an ER secretary soon...there is one nurse who is in management, and her stepson works in the ER as a tech, and he's in medic school. He makes more money than the other techs who are in medic/nursing school...and has been there less time, and is considered incompetent by many. Interesting, hmmm?

Is there someone higher up you can go to?

[boobaby42]

I'm still testing the waters, don't you know. I've been asked about my experience during orientation thru the daughters department (Lab) and I've expressed that I feel like they don't want me around. As if I'm a threat. The feedback from staff that's been there a while jump on the subject and tell me, with enthusiasm, that they were treated badly by these folks. Everyone that goes thru orientation ends up in tears. Another RN brought up this matter at a staff meeting and it was shuffled under the rug, or out to the ditch. Whatever.

Nothing was ever done to correct it. It seems to me CLIA would insist on a lab tech, or someone with a degree to supervise the lab. I've noticed many things that are not in compliance. I've offered to help get things ready for the inspection, but I think that just put them on a defensive type mode. Well, I gave them a check list to use to help ready for the inspection, I think I saw it in a trash can later today. Hells Bells.

Thanks for the comments.

[RNinICU]

There are quite a few relatives working at our facility throughout all departments. One our nursing supervisors' daughter is a unit secretary, and we had a husband and wife working in ICU at the same time for a while. In fact, our hospital has an "unofficial" policy that gives a relative first consideration for a position. Never seems to be much of a problem.