Get depressed with my situation...

Sour Lemon · Oct 12, 2016

I'm currently working in tele. The reason I felt upset is that I'm rarely named in our daily report conducted by chart nurse. I worked hard and be polite to patients and helping other nurses and techs. But I can count how many times my name showed in daily report and I had been working here for one year. I knew myself is not very social, and spent a lot of time in doing my job and hate trash talking, and too busy to talk to the charge nurse. I'm feeling it is hard to make friends with my colleagues. But when you see some nurses who have good relationship with charge nurse and their names showed almost every day in report for something I did also, I'm not feeling jealous but unfair. Should I find a new job or trying to change myself in an approach to make charge nurse happy.

This sounds like an unusual sort of daily report, whatever it is ...but in any case, most recognition at work involves people who are friends patting each other on the back. If it makes them happy, it doesn't bother me. I would feel very silly to be involved with it, though.

The background is a good place to be- especially when conflict arises between former friends. I'm not sure this lack of "being named" is a good reason to leave a job or to feel bad.

micstn · Oct 12, 2016

Thanks Sour Lemon, sometimes I did felt silly to even think about this as a matter.

allnurses Guide · Oct 12, 2016

What do you mean, your name doesn't show up in report? I don't understand. Are they compliments from patients? I'm guessing you are talking about compliments, kudos of some sort?

I used to work on not one but two different Med Surge floors where reports would be generated weekly or monthly with compliments to various staff from patients. My name was NEVER on them. NEVER. It mademe feel like a bad nurse, but one day I finally realized... I was a person with a naturally shy personality; couplethat with being a new nurse just trying to get through each night.. it was probably easy to understand why

patients just never remembered me. It took EFFORT for me to even be memorable, LOL... meaning, it tookeffort to be talkative, friendly, witty... and I was using all of that effort just to be an effective NURSE and take care of these people.

I don't know what your situation is... I don't know if you are a new nurse, you didn't say. I would say, don'tsweat this or worry about this... but obviously you do worry about it or you wouldn't be posting here. Be likeme and keep your focus on being the most effective NURSE that you can be, doing well by your patients and making sure their needs are taken care of... documenting effectively everything that you do and see and find.

I think eventually you will start hearing your name more often.

NightNerd, MSN, RN · Oct 12, 2016

If your daily huddle is like ours, does the charge nurse pick one person to recognize? I find that approach to be less about recognizing quality teamwork, and more about filling in a blank on the report sheet. Don't sweat it. Being quieter, newer, and not so much a part of the clique doesn't mean you're not contributing or doing a good job.

One thing I loved at my last job was our Kudos board. Our manager put up poster paper in the break room for staff to recognize each other with, and there are constant written affirmations surrounding everyone. I like it because it's not limited to one person each day and it's often easier to write a nice sentence about someone than remember to recognize them in huddle each shift.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 12, 2016

This is a sort of thrashy daily report I encountered in one place. The name of the "nurse of the day" (the BFF of NM, by pure accident) was prominently posted for everyone to enjoy and adore.

OP, to name or not one means nothing. NOTHING, period. What means something is 1) well- being of your patients, and 2) whom, should something happens, others want for help. There is a chance to do (1) every day you are there. There is chance to become (2), with time and patience (no trash talk and social graces required). Become a local expert in something you like to do, IVs, for example. Develop good relationship with docs so that they seek you to take care of your patients. You got me, right.... just avoid being permanent "yesser" for any time your unit "needs help" due to understaffing :cheeky:

I learned long ago that patients will praise to the sky a hapless creature who held hands, chatted about nuthin' and offered family coffee and donuts while missing every single sign of early deterioration, and totally miss, if not despise, the nurse who came, noticed it all, got things running and saved the day and the life. That's so not only about nursing; it is so everywhere in life, unfortunately.

AutumnApple · Oct 12, 2016

OP: Read your own post, but do it from an introspective frame of mind.

Ask yourself: What is my goal? I'm not talking about the goal of the thread either. I mean the goal of your career and your overall life goals.

That recognition during report........

What significance does it have when considering YOUR goals (as opposed to the facility's goals for you)?

Others have pointed out already how recognition at work tends to be an arbitrary process bogged down with bias born of friendships and management having their minds on other tasks.

It is true, when it comes to recognition, some people are magnets to it, others could perform like Superman and never get it. Which one you are is a personal problem if you don't like being on the side of the fence you are on. Nothing system wise is going to change to improve things for you.

There are workshops and entire classes devoted to this topic. People with every intention of climbing the corporate ladder take them. Do you wish to climb the ladder? Is advancement important to you? If so, look into them. If not, then the peer recognition is only as important as you let it be.

The situation you find yourself in is not unfair or even "bad". Lots of people prefer it. If all you want to do is go to work, be the best nurse you can be then clock out and leave work at work.........then this "under the radar" thing is ideal.

Trust me, lots of people would envy you.

psu_213, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2016

Two true stories:

1. Where I worked as an aide, there was a "thank you" board where you could post thank you notes to other employees. There were 2 sisters who worked there. One wrote and hung up a note saying "Thanks for being a great sis." Most of the thank yous on that board were to an employee who was a known "friend" of the writer (or at least they were in the same clique that week). The point is, this board was not a very reliable indicator of who was and was not a good employee.

2. At my previous hospital, there was a preprinted cards on which a patient could recognize staff members and what the staff member did, mail it in, and, if it was properly labeled, the cards were directed to that employee's NM. Our NM would then hang them on the bulletin board of the break room. One nurse in particular seemed to get a lot of them, and they all had her first and last name. The only way all these patients could get her first and last names was if this nurse told 'her' patients her full name. So, again, this was not very representative of a nurse who actually did a good job--it was just a nurse who was good at self promotion (and didn't mind handing out her last name to patients).

Moral of the stories--don't worry about this little name dropped. If you know that you do a good job of caring for patients, keep it up!

Buyer beware, BSN · Oct 19, 2016

Daily huddle?

Does the check clear?

You're alright, carry on.

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Oct 19, 2016

Most of the people I work with don't even know who I am. Whenever I show up, I always hear, "Oh, we were expecting the other one". Fine by me. I prefer to keep it that way....the unsung hero. :up:

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Oct 19, 2016

I'm confused. Chart nurse?

Maybe your hospital is different. Most don't do what you are talking about.

Do you define yourself by your job? I'm going to ask this without trying to be rude. Is english your first language? Maybe your communication is part of your issue. Not your heart or compassion, but your English communication.

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Oct 19, 2016

We have a "nurse of the quarter" type of thing here where one person who is voted upon by their peers is given kudos and a plaque that goes on the wall. I am also one of those who stays in the background and does their job, but when we started putting up favorites that weren't nurses, or actual unit employees was when I decided to throw a monkey wrench in it. After I was done one of the least favorites of the manager was named with a plaque of their own. The process was then stopped for a whole year!