How do you combat negativity in your facility?

[nikkibobicky]

About a month ago, I returned to working in a SNF after working in an acute hospital and an endoscopy center. I chose to return to the SNF setting mostly because you keep the same patients long enough that you can actually begin to see how you're helping them, and I think most of us went into healthcare in the first place because we wanted to help people. All that being said, the turnover and call-offs are EXTREMELY high in this place. I think one of the main reasons is the negativity among staff towards other shifts and even against specific staff. Like day shift saying the night shift staff doesn't do anything, the evening shift saying days didn't do this or that, and on and on to the point where the staff seem to belittle each other during shift change and then talk about other staff in a negative way during shifts.

I personally think that if a good team is built, the residents overall receive better care because if someone misses something, the next person can come along and say "oh! this didn't get done, let me take care of that!" instead of "OMG day shift didn't do this AGAIN???" What are some recommendations I can bring to my management staff to help build a better team?

P.S. Enforcement of the attendance policy is one thing I'm already going to bring to their attention.

[Blackcat99]

I have been at my LTC for a year now. When I first started management said they were going to start writing up people who called in sick a lot. They said that anyone calling in sick on their working weekend would be required to work the following weekend. So far, a year later, no one has been written up and the week-end call offs continue. So my advice is to not make empty threats but to do what you say you are going to do. There is constant negativity at my LTC too. Constant criticism and back stabbing is a way of life at my LTC. You can't change people. I just concentrate on trying to improve myself and my attitude.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Back in the dark ages when I was a floor nurse, I had a co-worker who complained from the moment she got there till the moment she went home. After a day it got old. Since I was the one with the biggest mouth, I was voted the one to speak to her. I took her aside and said "Your negativity is bothering the rest of the staff and is soon going to affect the patients. If you hate it here so much, why don't you just leave?" She was a bit shocked and then said "Because this is the only place I've ever worked and I'm afraid I'm not as smart as people here think I am." I told her none of US thought she was that smart....stopped her from complaining.

[PeacockMaiden]

What's the deal with the negativity in the SNF anyway?

At the place where I was working there was a lot of hazing of the new nurses. That was backstabbing and gossip. It was horrible. That was the main reason that I quit and now I'm happily working somewhere else (not a SNF) where everyone is valued and treated with respect.

[Blackcat99]

A place where everyone is valued and treated with respect!!!!!! That sounds wonderful. The backstabbing and gossip at my job is endless. Then when nurses leave, the backstabbers complain and say "Why can't we keep nurses at our LTC?"