I've literally felt horrible about this since it happened and don't know how to move past it. I had a patient the other day who complained to the DON (who happened to be doing rounding) that it took me twenty minutes to bring him Tylenol. While I understand that it is frustrating for patients to wait, I can't believe that the DON actually had the charge nurse talk to me about this. I had a very high patient acuity load that night that started with a discharge, a critical response and transfer to Tele at start of shift, an ICU transfer that required hourly vascular assessments, and a total care patient, and yet the patient that complained was my lap appy that was stable and went home the following morning. I am just so disheartened, I try my hardest at my job every day. I will go out of my way to make my patients as comfortable and happy as I can (I even changed this patients linens at 0300, kept his ice pack refilled, made sure he had ice water all night, got him warm blankets, everything I could think of to make him comfortable). I guess it might not bother me had I been sitting at the nurses station gossiping or even charting, but if it really DID take me 20 minutes it was because I was helping another patient and couldn't leave. Working nights I never see the DON and thus he knows nothing about my work ethic. The patients that are content with the care provided or even impressed are rarely seem to say anything other than things are great, which of course apparently is no direct reflection on any one nurse. I'm just so sad about this, my first complaint in two years and it was to the DON of all people. I know I take criticisim personally but how do you move past complaints like this.
Oh well I guess you live and learn. Its just frustrating, just last night I had two patients thank me for being so nice and taking the time to call their doctors to alleviate some pain issues (which I managed to resolve with the physician to the patient's satisfaction) but more than that they appreciated that I took the time and did what I said I would do, yet I am sure the DON will not round on these patients and if he does he will find them snoozing away, pain free at last.
I felt like that about my high school gym teacher. I was not particularly athletic so it seemed that she was only looking when I did something stupid, like if I missed the tennis ball or fell on my backside off the balance beam. If I did do something right, like spike the volleyball straight past the other team's best player, she was always preoccupied and never saw me do well. My gym teacher also seemed to never have time for the nonathletic girls---those of us who weren't on any teams---and so I felt that she had a negative impression of me anyway, which didn't help me feel at ease---or learn to enjoy athletics!
I think there are some DONs and nurse managers who are very observant and can tell a lot about their nurses' work ethics even if they don't see them often. Still, it is a disincentive for those who work off-shifts to never see the manager, to never have contact unless the nurse has done something wrong. I know of one nurse manager who makes it a point to come to work at 3 AM if necessary so he can touch base with his staff. He is fair, respected, effective, and loved by his staff. I wish managers like him were the rule rather than the exception. Most seem to be like my last manager who rarely emerged from her office or from behind her clipboard, was never there on a weekend, and would expect night shift workers to stay for an hour past the end of their shift if she needed to talk to them because she could not be bothered to come in early. (I wonder if she was a gym teacher in her previous life...)
I know I take criticisim personally but how do you move past complaints like this.
Moogie
1 Article; 1,796 Posts
I felt like that about my high school gym teacher. I was not particularly athletic so it seemed that she was only looking when I did something stupid, like if I missed the tennis ball or fell on my backside off the balance beam. If I did do something right, like spike the volleyball straight past the other team's best player, she was always preoccupied and never saw me do well. My gym teacher also seemed to never have time for the nonathletic girls---those of us who weren't on any teams---and so I felt that she had a negative impression of me anyway, which didn't help me feel at ease---or learn to enjoy athletics!
I think there are some DONs and nurse managers who are very observant and can tell a lot about their nurses' work ethics even if they don't see them often. Still, it is a disincentive for those who work off-shifts to never see the manager, to never have contact unless the nurse has done something wrong. I know of one nurse manager who makes it a point to come to work at 3 AM if necessary so he can touch base with his staff. He is fair, respected, effective, and loved by his staff. I wish managers like him were the rule rather than the exception. Most seem to be like my last manager who rarely emerged from her office or from behind her clipboard, was never there on a weekend, and would expect night shift workers to stay for an hour past the end of their shift if she needed to talk to them because she could not be bothered to come in early. (I wonder if she was a gym teacher in her previous life...)