Get used to it... nursing is only going to get worse!!

Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2009

I'm sorry that you are having a rough time on your unit and are upset with your manager about how the unit is being run. The perfect opportunity to discuss the valid reasons you and your fellow nurses have for not being able to do hourly rounds, the poor patient satisfaction scores and the specific resources that you and your coworkers need to make your unit a better place to work passed you by.

I'm sure it felt good to dish it back, but I bet that neither of you really felt better after the fact. If she is unapproachable on an individual basis, try your union rep or unit based council. Hope you get some answers soon,

Blee

DebRN06 · Feb 24, 2009

The perfect opportunity to discuss the valid reasons you and your fellow nurses have for not being able to do hourly rounds, the poor patient satisfaction scores and the specific resources that you and your coworkers need to make your unit a better place to work passed you by.

No, trust me, it didn't. We have gone through it with her time & time again. She has called meetings to specifically ask our opinions on what is wrong & what/how things need to be changed. We have collectively and individually told her, but she does not hear us. In fact, she argues with us, acts as though we imagine our ratios, says we don't have teamwork (which is not true), says we have no "time-management skills" (I think that one is my favorite)etc, etc, etc. During this meeting she said to us, very arrogantly, "Well, what do you want? 2 pts? Because that's not gonna happen." We didn't say anything about wanting 2 pts. We were pointing out the techs more often than not have 12/13pts when they are only supposed to have 8/9! Talking to her is like talking to a brick wall.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2009

LOL. Better than things I've said. Trust me. Truth hurts, and if she is getting on her soap box telling everyone the unit is not running as it should, thats a strike against her more than anyone else.

Melinurse · Feb 24, 2009

There was a time several years ago when we had an awesome NM who actually put on her scrubs and worked the floor for a couple of hours to relieve us for lunch breaks. Needless to say our nurse to patient ratio went to 5:1 and CNA went to 6:1 or 7:1 depending on acuity. Our patient satisfaction scores went to the highest in the facility and patient outcomes were better. Then we got a new NM and things changed. Patient satisfaction went way down in spite of the nurses and CNAs doing their best. The new NM at meetings was just as closed minded as yours sounds. I left and so did a majority of the nurses and CNAs. Now I hear they have yet another NM and things are not improving.

nurse15dc · Feb 24, 2009

Sometimes NM is stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wouldn't want that job. Demands for cost cutting from higher ups vs pt and nurse safety.

But when they show no empathy snippy replies like in your example, I've been known to reply as you did. When they go on about pt complaints and improving customer service it does make me think they have long forgotten how incredibly hard working on the floor can be.

A few months ago as our NM walked by the nurses station she must have notice the 2 phones ringing, 5 call lights, family members standing around waiting to talk to a nurse and the general look of us being swamped. For the first (and last) time she sat down and started helping the charge nurse answer calls, family questions and phones. She only lasted 2 hours at the nsg station. The icing on the cake was when one frustrated pts husband complained that the NM was ignoring him! He had been standing at the nsg station waiting to ask some question. She told this pts husband that she was going to help him but that she could only do one thing at a time.

Now if a staff RN got the same complaint from that man, we would have gotten one of the time management and customer service lectures you mentioned. Or maybe something REALLY kind and helpful like "Get used to it....it's only going to get worse."

RN1982 · Feb 24, 2009

Amen, sista.

BradleyRN · Feb 25, 2009

Nice work DebRN06! Your NM has been a dolt for way too long. She is definitely not one of us, and certainly does not deserve the title of "nurse". Id ask her how it is possible to have her head up her own *** and the admin's at the same time. She is some kind of magician.

ANnot4me · Feb 25, 2009

Perhaps she is a witch, but maybe she is trying to do you a favor.

LilyBlue · Feb 25, 2009

Although I disagree with the way she treats you, I think what she is saying is correct. I think the demands on nurses ARE going to continue to increase.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2009

Yesterday I nearly exploded at work at the heaviness, yet the charge nurses were sitting pretty in their offfice chatting and enjoying themselves shuffling their papers around the desk.

the best thing the CN said to us yesterday was

"it's going to be a busy day today, dont forget to help each other"

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Feb 25, 2009

This kind of thing happened not too long ago on my unit, except it was our nursing supervisor with a silent nurse manager. Needless to say, with multiple meetings of snippy comments and blaming regardless of the concerns/solutions brought up by staff - there was a mass exodus. I mean everyone except 2 people quit (RNs and CNAs) and they went PRN! No one wanted to work on this unit!!

Now, months later, there is a new manager, new supervisor and slowly, very slowly, the nursing staff is being built up.

I guess it takes everyone quitting to make a statement. Wouln't it have been more cost effective to have just listened in the first place?