Your Supervisor and Your DON

Nurses General Nursing

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What is your supervisor like? Is she approachable? Sane? Reasonable and fair? Escaped from a locked Psych ward? Experienced? Helpful? Punitive in an unreasonable way? Etc.

Is your DON reasonable and fair, etc.? Realistic re: policies, personnel matters? Do you think she has a huge ego?

What are your dealings like with these 2, assuming they are different?

I ask because I have had various types and miss the one I used to have who was nice. One of mine (DON) was the type who'd get mad and never forgive you. Once you were on her poo list, that was it. There was no getting off. She played favorites, she gossiped, she lied and exaggerated, she did lots of cutthroat things to those she considered enemies. I think she was a megalomaniac. Or lacked confidence and tried to hide it by being a tyrant. Either way, I'm glad she is in the past. I will say that she was very knowledgeable.

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I love both the nurse manager and DON I have now. I've had total witches in the past!

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

I like and respect my NM, but she is spread waaay to thin. Too many areas to cover.

All the "suits", nsg and hospital admin make "rounds" @ assorted times. Nights, weekends, they show up and make lists, if necessary, of suggestions, problems, fix-its. They are VERY responsive to the staff.

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Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

What is my NM like? Let me tell you:

Back in April of '06 I went into heart failure (cardiomyopathy secondary to viral endocarditis) and ended up on our cardiac floor. My nursemanager came to visit, and the first things out of her mouth were to the effect that I should not worry about my position, that it would be there when I was able to come back. We both knew this illness would outlast FMLA. When I came back to work part-time, she arranged a light-duty spot on another floor (none exist on our floor). Eventually I came back to my own floor -and had a preceptor so I could get 'used' to my floor again (it had been more than half a year since I worked as a nurse -the light duty bit was telemetry tech work -which my manager arranged for me, and my pay stayed at its original level (RN)). A couple of weeks ago (two weeks this coming monday) I had a relapse, my LVEF went from 42% in October (which was up -as it was only 20% back in April) to 25% in February) and ended up back in the hospital -where I had a sleep study (obstructive sleep apnea, severe -and they THINK this is what caused my sudden fall in heart function since October -my BNP was only 11 ! ) in any case, I received a defibrillator -the surgical site is healing nicely -19 staples - (this surgeon got busy) -and went to see my NM again, and she told me that we would figure out something. I expressed my desire to get back to my floor, and back to my former level (original, that is) of work.

She has really worked with me every step of the way -and has slowed me down time and again, in the interest of proceeding slowly (I'm not a patient man. I want to heal and get back quickly).

It really meant a lot to me to have a manager who has been so involved.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I work weekend double shifts (The Baylor Plan) at a nursing home and, therefore, we have an RN supervisor who is in charge of the facility on weekends. I would describe his personality as happy-go-lucky, joking, nonchalant, not serious, sarcastic, somewhat lazy, and somewhat approachable. He giggles a whole lot, and displays no compassion for the patients. Sometimes he bursts out in laughter during codes.

The DON is weird. She was an LPN for 30 years before earning her RN license, so she is usually even-tempered toward all staff members. It is a habit for her to walk around to each nurses station, stare at employees without acknowledging them, then walk away. I don't get the sense that she has an overinflated ego, but she needs to develop some interpersonal skills.

This facility has three ADONs (assistant directors of nurses). One of the ADONs is a quiet, passive aggressive woman. The other ADON is aggressive, as she acts like a bully and loves confrontation with employees. The third ADON recently resigned because she was too much of a 'softie' to handle the workload of being in management.

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Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

ugh, sounds like you have a whole lotta chiefs, not many indians!

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What is my NM like? Let me tell you:

Back in April of '06 I went into heart failure (cardiomyopathy secondary to viral endocarditis) and ended up on our cardiac floor. My nursemanager came to visit, and the first things out of her mouth were to the effect that I should not worry about my position, that it would be there when I was able to come back. We both knew this illness would outlast FMLA. When I came back to work part-time, she arranged a light-duty spot on another floor (none exist on our floor). Eventually I came back to my own floor -and had a preceptor so I could get 'used' to my floor again (it had been more than half a year since I worked as a nurse -the light duty bit was telemetry tech work -which my manager arranged for me, and my pay stayed at its original level (RN)). A couple of weeks ago (two weeks this coming monday) I had a relapse, my LVEF went from 42% in October (which was up -as it was only 20% back in April) to 25% in February) and ended up back in the hospital -where I had a sleep study (obstructive sleep apnea, severe -and they THINK this is what caused my sudden fall in heart function since October -my BNP was only 11 ! ) in any case, I received a defibrillator -the surgical site is healing nicely -19 staples - (this surgeon got busy) -and went to see my NM again, and she told me that we would figure out something. I expressed my desire to get back to my floor, and back to my former level (original, that is) of work.

She has really worked with me every step of the way -and has slowed me down time and again, in the interest of proceeding slowly (I'm not a patient man. I want to heal and get back quickly).

It really meant a lot to me to have a manager who has been so involved.

This makes me feel a bit warm and fuzzy! ;) I hope you're able to get back to work soon.

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Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

Thanks. I was pretty devastated by the setback. But as usual, I've bounced back and look upon it as yet one more experience -though I must say that I really didn't care for the kick in the chest when they set the defibrillator off (to test it, they induce an arrhythmia to trigger the defibrillator. Mine became v-fib the first time, and the shock failed, so they had to do it manually twice to get me back. The second time must have been v-tach or similar, because I certainly felt THAT one (after they adjusted the ICD, they re-induced to test it -while I don't recall the first event, I vividly remember the second one) -felt like someone kicked me in the chest -"man that hurts!" I told the cardiologist -in a not too friendly voice, so I'm told. haha.

Looking forward to getting the staples out :) Maybe if I ask nicely, they will let ME take 'em out.

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Wow Gromit, that's a tough go of it. I'm glad you have such a great manager.

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Our DON is Satan's spawn. He is a Hitleresque man with an ego that borders on meglomaniacal.

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Looking forward to getting the staples out :) Maybe if I ask nicely, they will let ME take 'em out.

Boy, talk about nurses being bad patients!! :lol2: Let the nice doctor play, Gromit.....you know how they get when you take away their games!

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My manager is a nice lady who unfortunately has to work under this evil SOB. She's the only remaining manager who has survived his tenure here, which adds up to about 3 years, I figure. Someone added up the amount of managers who have quit since he came and that would be 21, I heard. Some positions have been vacated several times during his tenure.

He's a ruthless, nacissistic B@st@rd.

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