At my hospital, there has recently been a push for nurses to "go above and beyond" when providing patient care. They send out emails, put up little signs and posters, and will occasionally show up in the unit and ask people how we have gone above and beyond today. It has really rubbed me the wrong way. First, because it's ridiculous to set such an ambiguous standard. But mainly, it's because I think it is probably impossible for a nurse to actually do something that would be considered "above and beyond." Let me explain.
As nurses, we have an incredible amount of responsibility for our patients. We are responsible for providing infinite aspects of bedside care. We are responsible for providing emotional support for both patients and their families. We are responsible for providing education to each patient about his or her medical condition, medications, any necessary procedures, and instructions for after discharge. We are responsible for keeping them both safe and comfortable simultaneously. And, we are responsible for communicating with each patient's specialists, surgeon, nutritionist, respiratory therapist, PT/OT and whoever else, and coordinating care between all of these people. And of course there's more.
These responsibilities are all part of a standard nurse's job description. We are expected to do each and every one of these things for all of our patient's every shift, and if we leave just one of them out, we have fallen short, and can even get written up. This isn't me complaining about being too busy or having too much responsibility. I love my job, and enjoy the patient population I get to work with. But with all the different hats nurses wear, it seems to me like anything I do for my patients, no matter how difficult it is to accomplish, or how much time it takes, is just me doing my job.
Nurses can't go above and beyond when caring for their patients...it's like trying to travel at the speed of light!
Anyway, it's been grating on my nerves. Partly because it's coming from administrators who have either never taken care of patients, or haven't done it in decades. And partly because I'm being asked to meet an unattainable goal. Any thoughts?
If y'all have any "going above and beyond" examples, please share.
We had [name of hospital system] Bucks we could spend in the cafeteria. It's real. But they never had an individual on them. That would be pretty arrogant and creepy.
We had [name of hospital system] Bucks we could spend in the cafeteria. It's real. But they never had an individual on them. That would be pretty arrogant and creepy.
I would gladly take free money for food. Food makes my world go 'round! But in with you on the faces.
Although, now I kind of want to have some Stephalump bucks printed up so I can reward people with them. I want to see the look on the Starbucks barista's face when I give her one for spelling my name right on the cup.
I was a patient 6 1/2 yrs ago… removed a meningioma from my head (between the hemispheres L parietal about the size of a super ball small but still BRAIN SURGERY and scary as hell for an old ICU nurse)
Anyways, my nurse came in on the second day.. sweet young thing and proceeded to tell me her story of how she had a brain tumor… different kind and then a meningioma later also removed… she had had to have radiation and lost some hair so she showed me her scars and how her hair totally covered it all up. It inspired her to become a nurse and her doctor (my surgeon) was also her surgeon and so she was following her dreams to become a nurse for other patients with the same problems she had. VERY inspiring. VERY encouraging. Just the thing I needed to hear and see! I wanted to hug her forever. Anyways, I appreciated her very much for sharing her story. She was very sweet and she made my day and helped me to know that I would be ok too. :) I went home the next day and got on a plane with my 50 staples in my head covered with a very pretty scarf, sunglasses, raincoat… I looked very Audrey Hepburn…
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
I don't consider teamwork and courtesy "above and beyond". If the admin wants concierge type service for the patients they had better hire some. Going "above and beyond" is getting extra chairs in a nursing home with NO BEDSIDE CHAIRS for the 10 family members gathered around their dying matriarch. And brewing them a pot of coffee or a pitcher of iced tea and getting a hospitality tray from the kitchen. Some of the other examples (parties,wedding,etc) seem a little self serving to me. "Look and what I did, Prom for the leukemia kid" That's social services/admin/publicity crap, IMHO, you always see that on the local evening news. Ditto for clothing,shoes and transportation.Each facility should have a contingency plan.
Go "above and beyond" like another poster mentioned and sit for a minute at the bedside (if you have a freaking chair) or at least have an open body posture and LOOK as though you have all the time in the world for that patient. Put your arm around the shoulder od the upset visitor and then get them some social service and chaplain support.
Specializes in pediatric neurology and neurosurgery.
At my last job, we had a program where people (pts or staff) could submit us for recognition and we'd get a free breakfast with administration and a thank you. It was a nice thought, but I hated our administration and it felt very artificial.
At my current job, we have a program where every single patient writes 5 grievances about every nurse every day. It's a lot of fun.
A program??? That's horrible!!! I would be looking for another job in my every waking moment! That reminds me of the old saying, "the floggings will continue until morale improves."
A program??? That's horrible!!! I would be looking for another job in my every waking moment! That reminds me of the old saying, "the floggings will continue until morale improves."
It's not actually a program ?. I work in psych. It's just routine for them to complain about us for no apparent reason.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Of COURSE you know that any time a patient is less than thrilled with something in the hospital, it will be the nurse's fault who had to break the news.....yes?
Of course -- it's always the nurse's fault. Everything is the nurse's fault, from the doctor got called into emergency surgery and hasn't made rounds to the janitor spilled the mop bucket in my room and missed a spot when he cleaned it up. And if the phone doesn't work when I want to report that, that's the nurse's fault as well.
Oh I guarantee you that nobody who knows me would consider me in the least codependent. I wouldn't give a homeless patient my shirt... This was somebody with whom I identified closely who was in a messed up situation not of his own making. He refused several times but ultimately relented. The shirt was worth far more at that time then its piddly $10 replacement cost.[/quote']
I would've given him a hospital scrub top! I also wouldn't drive any pt in my car anywhere. My luck, I'd be in a fender-bender, and the pt would ******* sue me! I would consider giving them cab fare, though.
Of course -- it's always the nurse's fault. Everything is the nurse's fault, from the doctor got called into emergency surgery and hasn't made rounds to the janitor spilled the mop bucket in my room and missed a spot when he cleaned it up. And if the phone doesn't work when I want to report that, that's the nurse's fault as well.
This reminded me of something that happened the other day. I walked into my patient's room, and the phlebotomist is in there trying to find a vein. I look over, and the floor is covered in ice and water with the cup still on the floor. The phleb said, "I knocked it over moving the table."
Instead of cleaning it up, she decided to just move to the other side of the bed to look for a vein. I was so speechless, that I just cleaned it up myself without saying a word. I get the feeling that she was planning to tell the patient that she would get someone to clean it up, but never do so, and just move on.
Gotta love all the rah!rah! GO TEAM GO!! crap. So called motivational speeches during mandatory meetings that I don't have time for since I actually work when I'm working. The last one was on how important it is for all staff to be responsible for answering call lights. Exit the meeting to see darn near every light on since nobody was there to answer them [we were all in the mandatory motivational meeting] and guess who sails down the long hallway without answering a single light? The entire management team that just stressed how important it was for ALL staff to answer lights!
If I have time to do everything I want to be able to do to take care of my patient's needs, that's a good day and an unusual one. Forget about "above and beyond."
That's horrible!!! I would be looking for another job in my every waking moment! That reminds me of the old saying, "the floggings will continue until morale improves."
duskyjewel
1,335 Posts
We had [name of hospital system] Bucks we could spend in the cafeteria. It's real. But they never had an individual on them. That would be pretty arrogant and creepy.