Last week, I noticed a poster advertising special activities all week long for "National Hospital Week" in 2 weeks. These activities are things like an ice cream social, a talent show, etc. All events that sound like fun and I would like to participate.
However, I heard no mention of Nurse's Week. One of the CNAs on my floor even argued with me that it couldn't be that week because she hadn't heard anything about it.
It's pretty insulting, honestly. Administration thinks so little of nurses that they don't even acknowledge a week nationally dedicated to thanking us for choosing our profession.
I've considered writing an (anonymous) note to my CEO or CNO or SOMEONE to let them know how saddened I was by the situation. Feedback?
are you kidding me! i heard some bad stories here but this one kicked the bucket... :banghead:unquestionably, your facility needs to double check who is performing patient care.
i wish i were kidding. they said the money was going to some type of 'fund'. lol.
Most professionals don't need recognition for what they do. This is a business deal: you're the employee, you get a paycheck, vacation or sick time or personal days, health insurance, free parking or paid parking, a uniform allowance, or whatever you negotiated when you were hired, or renegotiated later. The hospital or office's side of the deal is this: they expect you to function in a certain capacity, fulfilling certain duties and doing so professionally.
Employee appreciation days seem not only unprofessional, but condescending and patronizing. It's like getting a sticker glued to your forehead, a pat on the head, while being told 'good job!'. Nurses organizations and individual nurses have been fighting for higher status for years; expecting 'appreciation week' undermines those efforts that nurses be seen and treated as professionals. Do we have Surgeon Appreciation Day? National Lawyer's Week? National Accountant's Day? Most members of those professions would be insulted by the suggestion (or at least amused).
Throughout the years, I've seen these appreciation days and weeks from both sides. Those being honored never seem to be satisfied; those doing the honoring try to make the staff happy within their budgetary constraints. It may be only 5% or 20% of the staff who complain, but they do so loudly. "My friend works at.... and THEY get free manicures!"... "We used to get a free lunch, but now we only get a card!" This does not fall on deaf ears of those who provided the perks for the day or week.
It also causes resentment with other staff members. And, exactly who is a 'nurse'? Does that include the NP? the CNA? or just the RNs? And, what about all the volunteers who sacrifice their time, money for parking and meals, and show up religiously without complaint? Are they appreciated?
There are three issues: It's not professional. No matter what management does, it's not good enough. And, the rest of the staff often feels ignored.
sadly, i believe the non-acknowledgement, is r/t other depts vocalizing their grievances about not being recognized.
it happened where i worked.
housekeeping, cna's, maintenace...all expressed, "what about us?"
to keep all placated, i believe many employers are purposely recognizing all employees.
at the end of the day, i know what i've done.
and i'm ok with that. :)
leslie
I totally agree with this, and I'm 100% fine personally with not getting recognition from my workplace - knowing I did all I could do to the best of my ability for my patients on my shift is MORE than enough. When patients thank me, that's the icing on the cake.
My comment was more just aimed at identifying a sad trend of not recognizing nurses. Recognition is positively linked with job satisfaction, and while I LOVE being a nurse and by no means need the recognition to feel satisfied with my work, a simple "Thank you to our nurses" would have given me the "warm fuzzies" about my workplace. Just a small, passing disappointment.
Now that "Hospital week" is over though, I do have to say that it was a lot of fun! They had carnival games and a BBQ and a talent show. It did a lot for morale.
Most professionals don't need recognition for what they do. This is a business deal: you're the employee, you get a paycheck, vacation or sick time or personal days, health insurance, free parking or paid parking, a uniform allowance, or whatever you negotiated when you were hired, or renegotiated later. The hospital or office's side of the deal is this: they expect you to function in a certain capacity, fulfilling certain duties and doing so professionally.
Employee appreciation days seem not only unprofessional, but condescending and patronizing. It's like getting a sticker glued to your forehead, a pat on the head, while being told 'good job!'. Nurses organizations and individual nurses have been fighting for higher status for years; expecting 'appreciation week' undermines those efforts that nurses be seen and treated as professionals. Do we have Surgeon Appreciation Day? National Lawyer's Week? National Accountant's Day? Most members of those professions would be insulted by the suggestion (or at least amused).
Throughout the years, I've seen these appreciation days and weeks from both sides. Those being honored never seem to be satisfied; those doing the honoring try to make the staff happy within their budgetary constraints. It may be only 5% or 20% of the staff who complain, but they do so loudly. "My friend works at.... and THEY get free manicures!"... "We used to get a free lunch, but now we only get a card!" This does not fall on deaf ears of those who provided the perks for the day or week.
It also causes resentment with other staff members. And, exactly who is a 'nurse'? Does that include the NP? the CNA? or just the RNs? And, what about all the volunteers who sacrifice their time, money for parking and meals, and show up religiously without complaint? Are they appreciated?
There are three issues: It's not professional. No matter what management does, it's not good enough. And, the rest of the staff often feels ignored.
Great post. I do consider myself a professional, and I work very hard at furthering my education as well as work experiences. A little perspective on my hospital though - they put up a banner for Doctor's Day and made multiple announcements over the PA throughout the day about the free lunch/dinner for MDs in the cafeteria. Of course this would be FAR more costly (and probably impractical) for nurses since we are greater in number. Really, it would've just been nice to not feel like my hospital was ignoring the fact that it was Nurse' Week.
If it makes you feel better, physicians only get a single day, not a week. And no one ever remembers doctor's day. So, we get no recognition by the hospitals whatsoever. Maybe it's different at hospital systems, but that's how it is at mine. We do recognize nurse week though.
My opinion: If you work hard and enjoy what you do, you shouldn't need someone thanking you for choosing your profession to take pride in your work. Most jobs in this world are thankless.
See my previous response about MD Day at my place. I definitely do agree with your 2nd paragraph, but please don't think that I'm the kind of person that needs a "Thanks" in order to be proud of my work. My post was more of an observation of the culture at my workplace, but I see how it could've come across differently.
If my NM gave my unit new computers/updated software/new equipment for Nurses Week, I would be OVERJOYED! To me, that is recognizing how hard I work-give me better tools, and I will show you an appreciative nurse!
LOL most of the nurses on my floor would be THRILLED to get a new copier for Nurses' Week - we've been all but begging for a year. :uhoh21:
I learned, long before becoming a nurse, to never base my self-worth on kudos from an employer. I get SELF-satisfaction from knowing I do a good job...from my employer, I get a check.
I learned, long before becoming a nurse, to never base my self-worth on kudos from an employer. I get SELF-satisfaction from knowing I do a good job...from my employer, I get a check.
I guess I should've been more clear- I'm not taking this personally, as I am quite confident in my skills and passion for nursing. The fact that my hospital didn't have an ice cream party for Nurses' Week doesn't make me question my work or even be dissatisfied at my workplace. My post was more of an observation about the culture of my hospital.
I think some places are trending towards just doing a national hospital week instead, then everyone gets recognized at once and no one feels left out. I would be a little disappointed with hospital week over nurses week...but I'm obviously biased being an RN
most professionals don't need recognition for what they do. this is a business deal: you're the employee, you get a paycheck, vacation or sick time or personal days, health insurance, free parking or paid parking, a uniform allowance, or whatever you negotiated when you were hired, or renegotiated later. the hospital or office's side of the deal is this: they expect you to function in a certain capacity, fulfilling certain duties and doing so professionally.
employee appreciation days seem not only unprofessional, but condescending and patronizing. it's like getting a sticker glued to your forehead, a pat on the head, while being told 'good job!'. nurses organizations and individual nurses have been fighting for higher status for years; expecting 'appreciation week' undermines those efforts that nurses be seen and treated as professionals. do we have surgeon appreciation day? national lawyer's week? national accountant's day? most members of those professions would be insulted by the suggestion (or at least amused).
throughout the years, i've seen these appreciation days and weeks from both sides. those being honored never seem to be satisfied; those doing the honoring try to make the staff happy within their budgetary constraints. it may be only 5% or 20% of the staff who complain, but they do so loudly. "my friend works at.... and they get free manicures!"... "we used to get a free lunch, but now we only get a card!" this does not fall on deaf ears of those who provided the perks for the day or week.
it also causes resentment with other staff members. and, exactly who is a 'nurse'? does that include the np? the cna? or just the rns? and, what about all the volunteers who sacrifice their time, money for parking and meals, and show up religiously without complaint? are they appreciated?
there are three issues: it's not professional. no matter what management does, it's not good enough. and, the rest of the staff often feels ignored.
i see where you're coming from but i respectfully disagree. i personally think my hospital did a really nice job with nurses week. they included cnas, lpns, rns, nps. they did stuff on both night and day shift. they made sure everyone on my unit got a small but very thoughtful gift. the director of nursing stopped by each shift to check in and thank every one of us. it is not purely a business deal of employment between my hospital and me... if it was then i don't believe i'd be a good nurse. i spend so many days late at work without getting paid, don't take my breaks, worry about my patients at home, run around looking for supplies that weren't re-stocked, and care for a patient assignment that is simply too heavy. it just feels nice to have a little bit of appreciation and i think my hospital did an excellent job of that. as with most days of appreciation and celebration, it's the thought that counts. i don't think we thank people nearly as much as we should, especially in such a high-stress environment like the hospital.
I see where you're coming from but I respectfully disagree. I personally think my hospital did a really nice job with nurses week. They included CNAs, LPNs, RNs, NPs. They did stuff on both night and day shift. They made sure everyone on my unit got a small but very thoughtful gift. The director of nursing stopped by each shift to check in and thank every one of us. It is not purely a business deal of employment between my hospital and me... if it was then I don't believe I'd be a good nurse. I spend so many days late at work without getting paid, don't take my breaks, worry about my patients at home, run around looking for supplies that weren't re-stocked, and care for a patient assignment that is simply too heavy. It just feels nice to have a little bit of appreciation and I think my hospital did an excellent job of that. As with most days of appreciation and celebration, it's the thought that counts. I don't think we thank people nearly as much as we should, especially in such a high-stress environment like the hospital.
You said it better!!! It is nice to have more than purely a contract- a sense of loyalty makes employment more pleasant.
There's an awesome book, "If Disney Ran Your Hospital", that talks about courtesy and going out of your way as an employer to recognize employees. If hospitals are going to attract and retain the best, then they need to show that they actually recognize & value hard workers and good nurses. I realize that this is different than a generic "Nurses Week" celebration, but in my experience, complimenting or thanking someone makes them work harder, at least for a little bit, because they take pride in their work and realize that someone else notices the little things. Little things make all the difference in nursing.
carrie_c
235 Posts
i wish i were kidding. they said the money was going to some type of 'fund'. lol.