Basically we have a new manager and the CEO of the home was introducing her around the building. I have a good relationship with the CEO. They both came up on the floor and greeted all the staff at the nursing station. I was sort of flustered with my work I had 2 falls, agitated patients, family complaint of their patient not getting their meal, etc... they even served cake at the nursing station (gotta eat it at the lunch room though) to celebrate the start of this new manager. So when I was absent for all of these, the manager then got upset and told the CEO how she felt.
The next day on my shift, I went to the CEO's office and other Nursing managers/educators told me "Hey you're a good worker. I don't want to give you a letter that will be on your record, but for now I will give you a verbal warning. You did not participate in greeting the new manager. It is a sign of disrespect and will not be tolerated here".
At first I was very shocked. Like seriously? I said "May I speak freely"? The managers said "Yes". I said "Okay. I am sorry that I was unable to join your cake celebration. But you have to understand. I had 2 falls, patients getting antibiotics, agitates patients, patients O2 going low because they remove their nasal prongs etc... so as you can see, due to the dire situation, going to your cake party/celebration could not be on top of my priority".
They thought I was mocking them. They just said "do not let it happen again".
Any “food sharing” for example, a cake, has been prohibited where I work. We are discouraged to having meals together even outside the workplace on break....I guess they aren’t too afraid of covid there-assuming everyone was already vaccinated or someone in charge is a bit of a dumbass.
If it was so important she could of introduced herself.
You were busy working...and there are people who are allergic to ‘cake’ due to dietary reasons-three of them are in my immediate family. one has to wear a mask if ingredients are being used to cook in the kitchen he is in.....he adapted to wearing a mask for the pandemic long before it came along.
A warning to avoid being on your permanent record? Um, there are plenty of less petty employers out there...time to find a new sandbox to play in.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
1 hour ago, JKL33 said:
I know of what I speak. There is a better way.
I don't think we need to consult with Captain Obvious on that one, JKL!
Too often, something which I too am guilty of, is the need of finding our own way. Being blessed having relationships with many Wise Ones, they instructed me many times on the the path to walk. Did I listen?
Nooooooooooooooo.
Basho said something like, "Follow not in the footsteps of the wise, but seek what they sought".
Never speak freely. Just say "That was not my intention" and "understood." Next time something like this happens you say, "Welcome!" or Nice to meet you," take their cake, go somewhere and throw it in the trash and go do your work.
Their attitude is wrong. But how much worse is it when they can so easily make others look like the problem? Now, because of an emotional reaction, they can pretend they got their feelings hurt over their cake party and label you as the problem. Speaking freely is not a winning strategy. Explaining your feelings is not a winning strategy. Telling them commonsense, rational things is not a winning strategy. Buckle down and be smarter.
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
I have learned the lesson that @JKL33 is speaking of. When I worked at the community clinic, the doctors in charge were down to earth, open to feedback, and held meetings where they listened to concerns/suggestions from lower level staff, made adjustments to policies and work flow.
In my hospital job my manager had an authoritarian style. Nurse: "Good morning, (manager)" Manager: "Throw away your coffee and your tubing isn't labeled in room 8." I made the mistake of making suggestions for improving safety by bringing up concerns about staffing and other issues.
When I quit I asked to come back per diem. My boss never called. I followed up and she said she has enough per diems. Although I received excellent reviews from doctors and patients, I think she didn't want me back because I spoke up to much. She prefers the nurses who suck it up and keep their heads down no matter the circumstance.
My new job doesn't have safety concerns, but some nurses speak up about little things like having too much paperwork and using 3 different EHRs for charting. The 3 EHRs is annoying, but I am not going to say ANYTHING. I have suggestions about workflow but I keep them to myself. This job is less stress than the hospital and pays well. I realize that to keep it I need to be quiet. It's unfortunate because we're taught that speaking up is important, and in some circumstances it is! The Black Lives Matter movements has made huge strides by speaking up, and that is SO important. But I have learned it's different if the place you're speaking up is at a job you are paid to do. Even if you're an amazing nurse, if you are too annoying to management, they will find another excellent nurse who is also quiet = (
I still think the warning you got is ridiculous, and there are jobs where management is not so out of touch. I encourage you to look for one! But if you have to stay where you are, stay quiet and laugh at the ridiculous manager in your head. Maybe make all your suggestions at your exit interview! It sucks but this is the way it is at some jobs = ( Good luck!
Too often, something which I too am guilty of, is the need of finding our own way.
Nothing wrong with that! It's pretty normal to not learn something until we come to it on our own. I think I've mentioned a manager who had a certain kind of wisdom shared in staff meetings which I flat out rejected for quite awhile. Then one day the words came back to me when I was thinking through some things and coming to my own conclusions and it was like, "wait a minute....that [what the manager said] was actually slightly brilliant (and if nothing else, a lot less angst...)"
52 minutes ago, LibraNurse27 said:
I realize that to keep it I need to be quiet.
May I make yet another slight correction? The suggestion isn't to stay quiet but rather to not come unglued and argue with abject stupidity because it is really, really difficult to do it without getting enough grime on yourself that others can make you look like the problem while their stupidity gets off scot free. There's a big difference between throwing a fit over a cake party and suggesting that xyz might improve workflow. ?
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
49 minutes ago, JKL33 said:
Nothing wrong with that! It's pretty normal to not learn something until we come to it on our own. I think I've mentioned a manager who had a certain kind of wisdom shared in staff meetings which I flat out rejected for quite awhile. Then one day the words came back to me when I was thinking through some things and coming to my own conclusions and it was like, "wait a minute....that [what the manager said] was actually slightly brilliant (and if nothing else, a lot less angst...)"
May I make yet another slight correction? The suggestion isn't to stay quiet but rather to not come unglued and argue with abject stupidity because it is really, really difficult to do it without getting enough grime on yourself that others can make you look like the problem while their stupidity gets off scot free. There's a big difference between throwing a fit over a cake party and suggesting that xyz might improve workflow. ?
Hmm, that sounds better! Maybe it was worth it pointing out all those safety issues, because I would feel guilty ignoring it all and letting patients suffer. It didn't get me fired, just not welcomed back. How do you recommend politely pushing back against time wasting things like management wanting us to write our in and out time every time we went in a covid room for some project of theirs?
We were already running around donning and doffing, and were asked to do the lung assessments and report to MDs, adjust the high flow for the RTs, mop the floor and change the sharp containers for the housekeepers, and wipe down every covid room 3 times a shift! Rationale was to save PPE and minimize # of staff exposed. So... let the nurses be exposed for hours at a time and everyone else stays out of the room. I don't think I expressed my concerns calmly. If I had, do you think it was still OK to speak up?
How do you recommend politely pushing back against time wasting things like management wanting us to write our in and out time every time we went in a covid room for some project of theirs?
I don't.
They already know that every single one of these things is an additional burden. So either do it or don't do it. Just figure out what the pros/cons and any potential consequences are of your decision, then go with what you decide you can accept. I, personally, am not going to argue about things that they have already sat in meetings and decided to do anyway, knowing that they were going to be an additional staff burden. I will either comply or not comply, and will accept the consequences of whatever I decide to do or not do.
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
4 hours ago, JKL33 said:
I will either comply or not comply, and will accept the consequences of whatever I decide to do or not do.
I think I will print this on a card and keep it in my pocket. And I will look at it 37 times a shift until I come to believe it as strongly as you do. (Of course I'll leave it in there and wash it so I'll end up with a hundred different cards until it sticks)
Goals! Thank you for your persistence on this thread, I truly needed to hear this at this exact time with what's gone on in my unit.
I agree with playing smart. Say sorry and immediately upon leaving the office write a detailed email to yourself and cc it to a good friend as a record.
I totally always choose the legal route. I keep an attorney on retainer so my cc would be to him. Any further petty incidents involving the management goes the same route because even though it appears that you have a silly, pompous manager who is likely to be petty later on, or possibly not, just as they build a file in human resources on you, you play the same game. These records are important if you ever have to sue.
I keep a detailed record of everything management does because I absolutely know they are not on my side. You would be surprised how many times when they are confronted with their own indiscretions, they back down! I also would not tell anyone, even your best friend what you are doing!
NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN
1,599 Posts
Any “food sharing” for example, a cake, has been prohibited where I work. We are discouraged to having meals together even outside the workplace on break....I guess they aren’t too afraid of covid there-assuming everyone was already vaccinated or someone in charge is a bit of a dumbass.
If it was so important she could of introduced herself.
You were busy working...and there are people who are allergic to ‘cake’ due to dietary reasons-three of them are in my immediate family. one has to wear a mask if ingredients are being used to cook in the kitchen he is in.....he adapted to wearing a mask for the pandemic long before it came along.
A warning to avoid being on your permanent record? Um, there are plenty of less petty employers out there...time to find a new sandbox to play in.