Lack of leadership in management

RN1989 · May 22, 2008

Yes, I have observed the same thing. I believe part of it can be attributed to the overall poor healthcare system.

True leaders, ones with the skill, knowledge, and integrity can't work for long in this environment. The stress is too great. That only leaves those without truly good leadership qualities because they are the ones willing to sacrifice what is right and ethical and keep their mouths shut while kissing admins butt.

I also believe that there are too many people entering nursing today who are only in it for the money. This further dilutes the leadership pool available. Nurses in this for money are not engaged in their positions and are unwilling to try to effect positive change or even take accountability for their own actions.

litbitblack, ASN, RN · May 22, 2008

My manager said that all there basic stuff of running the floor is basically falling to the charge nurses. It is so true. Rounding on staff and employees and now instead of the unit rep doing call backs on the pts the nurses are going to have to do it. what fun just add something else to the pot of things i already have to do. Its ok when you have a majority of rns because you don't have to see or assess those pts but when you have 2 or more lvn's you have to do the stuff they can't in addition to your stuff.

wooh, BSN, RN · May 22, 2008

I tend to believe that the nurses that SHOULD be in management are the ones that are too smart to want to be in management. When you get that rare gem that has the talent and knowledge and experience, and yet still has the desire to get into management, they should be treasured by their staff and their facility. Sadly, they usually don't get treasured by either and instead get run off.

bollweevil · May 23, 2008

It is sad that managers are only human. As such, they bring not only their strengths but all of their weaknesses with them to the job.

The middle managers, such as Unit Managers, have to answer to their bosses, too, and they catch the flak not only from staff and families but also from above. And above, the only concern is for money and for maintaining the facility's good name. There is no concern for fairness to employees, it seems, beyond the most cursory. The manager has to either sign on to be ruthless and cutthroat or care about her staff. There seems to be no middle ground.

In addition, some managers are just ugly people. They are unhappy, jealous, insecure, or vindictive. Plus they might be ill, PMS'ing, hot flashing, or going through divorce or some other horrible trauma. I'm not being sexist, as men can be awful managers, too. Im just listing some problems we might encounter in a manager.

Some staff make a manager's life hell, too. Some staff can never be pleased, no matter how hard a manager tries.

Such is life.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · May 23, 2008

It is sad that managers are only human. As such, they bring not only their strengths but all of their weaknesses with them to the job.
The middle managers, such as Unit Managers, have to answer to their bosses, too, and they catch the flak not only from staff and families but also from above. And above, the only concern is for money and for maintaining the facility's good name. There is no concern for fairness to employees, it seems, beyond the most cursory. The manager has to either sign on to be ruthless and cutthroat or care about her staff. There seems to be no middle ground.
In addition, some managers are just ugly people. They are unhappy, jealous, insecure, or vindictive. Plus they might be ill, PMS'ing, hot flashing, or going through divorce or some other horrible trauma. I'm not being sexist, as men can be awful managers, too. Im just listing some problems we might encounter in a manager.
Some staff make a manager's life hell, too. Some staff can never be pleased, no matter how hard a manager tries.
Such is life.

As a middle manager myself, I can't argue with a word you've said here, as I've experienced all of this and more. :banghead:

Sometimes I dream about having a job where I can do my eight hours, go home, and forget about work until the next day---no phone calls in the middle of the night, no fighting with staff over the schedule, no having to cover the floor on a moment's notice when somebody calls in two minutes prior to the beginning of a shift, and GETTING PAID FOR EVERY MINUTE I'M IN THE BUILDING.

Then I remember that I left a job like that because I was being treated like something the administration scraped off its shoe.......... :bugeyes:

starkest · May 23, 2008

It is sad that managers are only human. As such, they bring not only their strengths but all of their weaknesses with them to the job.
The middle managers, such as Unit Managers, have to answer to their bosses, too, and they catch the flak not only from staff and families but also from above. And above, the only concern is for money and for maintaining the facility's good name. There is no concern for fairness to employees, it seems, beyond the most cursory. The manager has to either sign on to be ruthless and cutthroat or care about her staff. There seems to be no middle ground.
In addition, some managers are just ugly people. They are unhappy, jealous, insecure, or vindictive. Plus they might be ill, PMS'ing, hot flashing, or going through divorce or some other horrible trauma. I'm not being sexist, as men can be awful managers, too. Im just listing some problems we might encounter in a manager.
Some staff make a manager's life hell, too. Some staff can never be pleased, no matter how hard a manager tries.
Such is life.

I agree with most of what you said. I am just disappointed that throughout management it seems that inexperience or lack of vision rules. I would like to see our focus in nursing especially be on competence and not so much compliance. I believe that if managers shared this focus, compliance would naturally follow. I'm so tired of hearing things like "this is the way we have always done it" instead trying new ideas and approaches. I would like a manager to promote autonomy and independence. All of that personal stuff may affect mood and interactions with staff but it should not affect what your purpose is. And yes, some staff are just as bad as management. I think if managers possess the right qualities and leadership skills, all of the staff would get on board and the ones who didn't could get on another ship. The middle ground doesn't mean it can't be higher ground.

pagandeva2000, LPN · May 23, 2008

I see it daily. What seems to be the trend in my facility are non-nursing managers who interfere with nursing business. Those nursing managers that are 'in control' are manipulative or afraid...very afraid. Many are afraid of their own shadows, more paranoid than ever before or show favoritism. I think that at this point, most of us are suspicious when new ones come aboard or incumbant ones are promoted.

A friend of mine was promoted from a staff RN to a manager, and she told me it was the worst experience of her life. She stated they begged her to take this position and from the moment she accepted, she felt abused. She did not find herself in a position of empowerment or able to make a difference any better than before, was mandated to return to work even though she put in and had approved vacation time. In fact, they told her to bring in proof of a plane or bus ticket. What ever happened to just taking time off to lounge around at home?? She saw even more backbiting breaches of confidentiality and disrespect that she decided to just obtain a new position and run for her life from a job that employed her for over 15 years.

What I suspect happens at times, is that the further up you go, the more you compromise yourself. It takes a particularly strong person to be able to withstand being on the inside of their whirlpool, it seems.