I have worked at my current position for about 5 years (charge nurse, 3-11, 34 bed medical- ortho floor). I have been a nurse for 32 years with most of those years in management at the nurse manager or director level. I left upper management by choice and was happy with that decision.
About three years ago I began to ask hospital administration to order wall suction devices for all of our rooms. We did not have enough available in our facility to provide bedside suction for each patient on aspiration precautions. I felt very strongly that this was a major safety issue and I made multiple attempts to get this situation resolved because it was a housewide problem. As this is a small hospital and it was in the red, there was no money to buy any equipment with.
As it came to pass we had a major change in upper management and the hospital made a huge turn around and for the first time in years started making money. They were able to renovate the building and buy new beds and other new, badly needed equipment. But still, no suction devices. Again, I asked over and over what the status was of this suction situation. "They are coming" is what I was told over and over.
The CEO of our hospital is a very nice man and he and we got off to a good start with each other from the day he came to our hospital. He has a very open door policy and he is a hands on kind of guy. So, I sent a very nice email to him with a copy to my manager. I expressed my gratitude for the new beds etc and ended my email with a very short request to know what might be the status of the suction device order and when we could expect to get them. He sent my email to the person that was to have taken care of this asking why it had not been done. The next thing I knew, I was called into the director of nursing's office (she is new and I had never laid eyes on her. I am older than her and have been a nurse longer than she has). My manager was there and they began the documentation process to explain to me that I went around the chain of command and they were embarassed and I was not to do this again. Sign here. I was mortified. I could not believe it. After trying to do someting to maintain PATIENT SAFETY this is the thanks I get. I was so hurt, I could not stop myself...... I started crying. I am 55 years old and there I am with these two people who do not, with their combined years of nursing experience, have the years that I have, telling me that if I do this again, they are going to fire me.
The new director will now allow you to speak about a problem. She cuts you off. When you bring up an idea, she shoots you down. In meetings, no matter what anyone says, they are made to feel stupid. I have never had anyone made me feel this bad in a long time and am so angry about this that I just don't know what do to. What do you guys think?
When I was a manager I had one employee go over my head one time. But I did not write her up. I sat with her and asked her what was going on that she felt she could not come to me any more. What had become of our relationship that she felt she could no longer talk to me.
At this point I am afraid to report or say anything. Any advice or feedback would really be appreciated. Thanks everyone.
I am thinking that most managers now are punitive, at least where I work. I have been in my current place of employment 25 years. I find that for the most part upper management does not want suggestions or feedback. It is better for them to live in oblivion to the problems, unless of course they come up with an idea themselves. I hesitate to bring up things to my nurse manager because I find she blows things out of proportion.
Sorry for your experience, they are not worth your anguish. Too bad the CEO really did not have an "open door" policy.
massrn116
117 Posts
I am thinking that most managers now are punitive, at least where I work. I have been in my current place of employment 25 years. I find that for the most part upper management does not want suggestions or feedback. It is better for them to live in oblivion to the problems, unless of course they come up with an idea themselves. I hesitate to bring up things to my nurse manager because I find she blows things out of proportion.
Sorry for your experience, they are not worth your anguish. Too bad the CEO really did not have an "open door" policy.