Lazy, demanding staff

renerian, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2003

Did you have a problem at work? I like your name.......probable cause....

renerian

probable cause · Feb 27, 2003

No problems at work, just see people waste more time complaining about what they have to do than it would take to do it. Guess I'm just thankful to have a job and feel like I should put in a full day's worth of work while I'm there.

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 27, 2003

Can you be specific? there is obviously SOMETHING on your mind that you would start a thread about it. I am curious.

OBNURSEHEATHER · Feb 27, 2003

Yeah, I think there are 2 possibilities. One is that you have a specific situation you're a little hesitant to share, which may be understandable, but we can't discuss it and help you out if we don't know.

Or you just like starting threads with rather harsh generalizations.

Heather

sanakruz, ADN · Feb 27, 2003

"Give em 8 for eight!"

Old union slogan

probable cause · Feb 27, 2003

I guess I'm just an old timer and miss the days when staff would work together to solve problems, take pride in their accomplishments and ownership of their responsibilities. Maybe I expect too much or maybe my memory is failing me and the good old days weren't really that good. I was just wondering if anyone else had noticed a change in the way we do what we do.

maureeno · Feb 27, 2003

I noticed in your profile you are an administrator.

that can be a squeezed from both ends position.

are there specific problems that need solved?

do the staff think they need to change?

Far as I can tell from my job, people are working harder than ever.

plumrn, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2003

What maureeno said.

oramar · Feb 28, 2003

I guess right away you were a boss, didn't even have to look at the profile.

Jay Levan · Feb 28, 2003

:chair: OK, here I go and I've only just fallen in to the Administration Web. I believe that what this original post, which posed a Question, has elicited responses that seem to be questioning the motive of "Probable Cause" Most of you here at least know of me from my posts here. Throughout my career I have always tried to do a good job, I believe that what probable cause is asking is what has happened to our profession's work ethic. As a bedside nurse I have always had my patient's welfare at the forefront of my decision making. Now whether it be in my part time professional career as an agency ER nurse or in my full time position as the night shift resource nurse (supervisor) I see nurses that come to work and do the minimum required to keep their patients' needs met. Then go on to the more immediate function of either talking on the telephone or playing gameboys or doing puzzles. When I graduated from nursing schools these were not subjects that were taught. We are constantly under the scrutiny of patients' family members on one side and federal/state guidelines on the other. When one gets the opportunity to examine charting errors and omissions one begins to see how easily these nurses' time could be better spent in regards to taking care of their patients while satisfying government regulations etc. It may sound very simple but of course it is more complex than that. I often wonder in either of my positions what is going through certain nurses minds as they go about performing their duties. I believe that is the point "Probable Cause" was trying to make. I am aware of our overall situation, for the most part not being properly compensated for our skills. Also our benefits are lacking. I believe we all began our careers in some fashion to be able to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Again what has happened to change our attitudes and work ethics to the point of only doing the minimum necessary to get by. I believe that is the question. Am I :confused:

frannybee · Feb 28, 2003

After a back-breaking evening shift where my co-workers and I did everything we could to make sure our pts had *everything* they needed, I can assure you that not everyone sees nursing care as something you do around your break times. We all left the floor (late) checking our bed-plans to see if there was anything we'd missed. Not for the administration or for legal reasons, but for our patients - we can never forget that it's them who suffer if things get missed or done wrong.