I am a second career nurse, so while I'm not the most experienced in my unit, I'm one of the older ones, which apparently means I'm expected to automatically want to lead/mother everyone. I do love to teach and help anyone, and many times I'm learning still right along with someone while we're working through a situation. We have some younger nurses that are fantastic and some are not, and some my age or older that are about as lazy as they come, some are great. All of a sudden, according to my manager, it's apparently becoming my job (because I'm the charge nurse), to give everyone feedback about not being on their phones so much, not taking selfies at work, and basically being a professional. I'm busy enough doing my own stuff, I don't have the time or desire to police the activities of my coworkers. Not that I never address things, I've had numerous conversations with coworkers skirting the line between positive and constructive feedback. It's just a way for management to pawn off the responsibility for having "courageous conversations", because I'm told that I should address it real time, not let the manager wait and do it. The other day we were slamming busy and the next night I come in and multiple coworkers show me a selfie posted during the shift by a coworker that took the time to label it "emergency procedure" while giving a thumbs up. Um, what?!?! Our manager decided to address it by putting a line in our weekly wrap up that social media use should be limited. That's it. I've got enough adult responsibilities in the rest of my life, I don't need to be the only adult at work. I wish that people would just be professional. Thanks for reading my rant.
I’ll start by saying I hate social media for these exact reasons.. also, it hurts my heart and terrifies me that nurses put so much time and effort into things that are not work related at work!
My parents always raised me with the principle that while you are at work, you work your little butt off no matter what! I would never DREAM of pulling my phone out unless I’m on break and out of view of patients. I’m in my early 20’s and I can’t stand most of my generation.
I can’t even think of a time when my phone or anything else was a priority at work. I feel terrible for the patients now and patients of the future.
Nope. Your job is to supervise nurses in caring for patients not play top flight security of social media. That's management's job. If they're not trying to hold that conversation or produce a policy on it, then it's not that important. Don't go down that rabbit hole. You have to work with that staff and the last thing you want them to do is resent you because it can make for some long, messy shifts.
I’ll start by saying I hate social media for these exact reasons.. also, it hurts my heart and terrifies me that nurses put so much time and effort into things that are not work related at work!
My parents always raised me with the principle that while you are at work, you work your little butt off no matter what! I would never DREAM of pulling my phone out unless I’m on break and out of view of patients. I’m in my early 20’s and I can’t stand most of my generation.
I can’t even think of a time when my phone or anything else was a priority at work. I feel terrible for the patients now and patients of the future.
At least once every hospitalization my parents have had in the past six years I've walked up to speak to someone at the desk who was on their phone (internet or texting) and they didn't immediately put it down. Now I realize my question wasn't ever an emergency, but it was a question and they were getting paid. It's ridiculous, annoying and so very unprofessional.
"In my experience, the people who have the best personality traits to be good managers don't actually want to touch the job with a ten foot pole, and the people who don't are often the ones who end up there."
I completely agree with the above statement. The rational, common sense RNs don't want to manage their co-workers. It seems as if it's so hard to retain staff that management turns a blind eye to everything. Is the Laissez-faire style practiced everywhere?
And honestly, if it comes from you, is it going to sound exactly like you said, the more mature nurse "mothering" or "smothering" the other staff and being a buzzkill. Would you say personal cells are needed by staff on your floor (to maybe lookup meds or use the calculator)? If not, just prohibit them.
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
1 hour ago, adjappleton said:
And honestly, if it comes from you, is it going to sound exactly like you said, the more mature nurse "mothering" or "smothering" the other staff and being a buzzkill. Would you say personal cells are needed by staff on your floor (to maybe lookup meds or use the calculator)? If not, just prohibit them.
I think a no cell phone rule on the floors would be fantastic and I wish that management would implement that policy. I have a couple coworkers that tell me they need their phone in case of "family emergencies" and proceed to sit there texting everyone under the sun. I've always said, if there's a real emergency and someone calls our unit phone, I will take over whatever anyone else is doing so they can take that call. But a random text is not an emergency.
And Emm_RN, I certainly don't correlate age with unprofessional behavior across the board. There are plenty of nurses my age that are constantly on their phones. I'm old enough that my first years of working meant seven of us in one office sharing a phone. My family knew not to call unless something really needed to be addresses. Kids are growing up with constant access to their parents these days, so they think when they start working they are also constantly available to everyone. It's just unfortunate that professionalism and work ethic are not passed along like they used to be.
Where I'm at, if the social media stalkers from my school saw this at my hospital - that person wouldn't be employed today. I'm surprised, but we are actually allowed to have our phones on the floor to look things up (provided our nurses ok it first and we are with them not off in a corner texting) just because there aren't enough computers for all the staff and all the students. However - even our personal fb pages are monitored to ensure that we aren't posting inappropriate pictures in our uniforms. We were even counseled the other day that if we stop for groceries in uniform, we must still be in full uniform (including shoes).
I don't have much tolerance. If its an emergency and they are on their phone - they aren't taking their job seriously and are putting someone in danger (maybe even me) - I'd write that instance up in a heartbeat. Then again I'm old and crotchety.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
It may well be you don't have the best manager. But I have been management and it's the hardest job I have ever done. You are in the middle, squeezed between administrators who make insane demands, essentially pulling rabbits out of hats. Then I have the people I supervise and if ANYthing is wrong, at all---- it is always my fault somehow. It's a really hard place to be, trust me.
I also work with people from 18 to 67. I get generational differences, but I am very careful never to stereotype. The Millennial generation has very different expectations of their career progression and values than, say, the Boomers do. Understanding and really listening to them, I learn something new from people of at all ages. Tailoring your leadership and behaviors to understanding people's core values is key.
Since you appear to have a solid grasp on what is professional behavior, and also appear to have a notion on what a "good" manager is, I suggest you move up to that role and demonstrate, from a leadership standpoint, what professional behavior is, and make it clear that is what is expected. Some will rise if you are a good example. Others simply won't, no matter what you do as their manager.
In the meantime, you do you. Let them do them. If their behaviors are jeopardizing patient or staff safety, document and report.
I am also 2nd career nurse and have 10 years' military experience----more than 20 in nursing. So i get where you are coming from (really I do)----but you can't police or fix others. Just model that which you want to see, and many others will rise to the occasion.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
On 9/4/2019 at 4:32 PM, JBMmom said:
You're right, and I completely understand that aspect of the role, and I've address MANY staff issues over the course of the past year. I've had to call people out for sleeping at the desk, wearing headphones while on the floor, using appropriate language, etc. Some coworkers thought it was all coming just from me personally, but I've got a thick enough skin that if I'm right I can ignore whatever resentment I get. I'm just getting tired of it. Especially when I address something and then get no backup or follow up from my manager. I am happy to be a clinical resource and to exemplify what I consider to be professional behavior so that I model what I expect. This is just getting to be ridiculous.
Your manager wants to turf the responsibility but keep the authority. You get to be the bad cop while she gets to remain winner of the popularity contest. Tell her you'll be happy to take on some aspects of her job for a percentage of her paycheque.
You described her as a nice person; that's because she wants to be liked and not get flak for her own poor job performance. You don't need nice; you need a leader who provides leadership.
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
3 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:
It may well be you don't have the best manager. But I have been management and it's the hardest job I have ever done. You are in the middle, squeezed between administrators who make insane demands, essentially pulling rabbits out of hats. Then I have the people I supervise and if ANYthing is wrong, at all---- it is always my fault somehow. It's a really hard place to be, trust me.
I also work with people from 18 to 67. I get generational differences, but I am very careful never to stereotype. The Millennial generation has very different expectations of their career progression and values than, say, the Boomers do. Understanding and really listening to them, I learn something new from people of at all ages. Tailoring your leadership and behaviors to understanding people's core values is key.
Since you appear to have a solid grasp on what is professional behavior, and also appear to have a notion on what a "good" manager is, I suggest you move up to that role and demonstrate, from a leadership standpoint, what professional behavior is, and make it clear that is what is expected. Some will rise if you are a good example. Others simply won't, no matter what you do as their manager.
In the meantime, you do you. Let them do them. If their behaviors are jeopardizing patient or staff safety, document and report.
I am also 2nd career nurse and have 10 years' military experience----more than 20 in nursing. So i get where you are coming from (really I do)----but you can't police or fix others. Just model that which you want to see, and many others will rise to the occasion.
Good luck.
I got my master's in management and leadership intending to do just that, and then realized I DO NOT want that position. I want to be able to focus on patient care. I would not be able to handle the day to day crap that managers put up with, I readily admit that. I'm just venting my frustration, not trying to say I could do it better, because honestly, if it's what I dealt with every day I would probably stop making an effort myself. As you mentioned, I've got to let things go and just be worried about myself, because that's all I can truly influence. Thanks for the feedback.
The places I have worked, Charge is generally considered the on-staff supervisor for that shift and as such takes on leadership responsibilities. Perhaps this is how your employer sees it as well?
I agree that I would not want that particular part of the job. It puts you in an awkward place of being charged with enacting change with no actual authority to do so. Unless you are the ANM, it sounds like a recipe for resentment all the way around.
I think this varies by workplace. In my hospital, charge nurses are just floor nurses. They each have their own assignment, and not a reduced one. It's an extra buck an hour to keep track of the floor census, decide who gets the next admission, make fair assignments for next shift, and be a resource if needed. If we're understaffed, charge is usually the one filing the unsafe staffing form with management. The charge nurse is definitely not seen as any kind of supervisor or management-lite.
I agree it's a recipe for disaster to expect someone with no actual authority to police his or her peers. CN may be a leader, but that's waaaaayyyy different from being an enforcer. That's management's job.
Emm_RN, ASN, BSN, MSN
60 Posts
I’ll start by saying I hate social media for these exact reasons.. also, it hurts my heart and terrifies me that nurses put so much time and effort into things that are not work related at work!
My parents always raised me with the principle that while you are at work, you work your little butt off no matter what! I would never DREAM of pulling my phone out unless I’m on break and out of view of patients. I’m in my early 20’s and I can’t stand most of my generation.
I can’t even think of a time when my phone or anything else was a priority at work. I feel terrible for the patients now and patients of the future.