So in 15 years of nursing I've had many evaluations of my abilities as a nurse. What has kind of just started making me laugh is that when it gets to the critique part this is constantly what I get told (other than my constant bad habit of being 1-3 minutes late), "We can see that you care a great deal about your position and your patients, but..,,,1) try to focus on small goals. 2) be willing to let others help you more. 3) ensure that you ask for help when you are overwhelmed. 4) try to delegate more often.
My inner voice just laughs. Um, isn't caring what you pay me to do? Are you trying to say my constant complaints about the lack of organization in your organization are "caring too much"?! Well the boo *** hoo, that's on you dumb butts. 1) I WOULD LOVE TO FOCUS On SMALL GOALS! But when you come to work and 30 minutes in you already have people telling you all the alarms that are going off, small goals go out the window...it is just me constantly trying to put out fires, there are no goals other than hopefully no one gets killed or hurt.
2) I would LOVE it if other people helped me. But when their vwrsion of "help" is to see me drowning and to walk up to while I'm overwhelmed to see what they can do...well not super helpful. I can read orders and just start doing them...why can't other people? Just getting in there and helping is helpful....asking if you can is just a time suck.
3) Asking for help when I am overwhelmed....well I have. And the charge is usually "to busy to get to it just then (or ever)” "I can try to help in awhile if YOU haven't managed to get to it before then.” So why do I even ask. Or I ask a CNA that "hasn't been shown how to do that yet". (Good CNAs deserve nurse pay.) So why even waste my time asking?
4) Try to delegate....see my answer #3.
It just cracks me up! So your criticism of me is that I care and I'm tired of being abused? Huh, such a bad nurse I am (eye roll like a teenager.) Just shut up and give me a decent raise.
Sorry to not have answered until now. When I went into Management I was already in my 40's and my son was grown. The work I did was not floor work, so no one was lacking for my time. The nurses cases were homes and I would go there after work or on the weekends if needed. I am sorry if I hit a nerve as I did not mean to. The time was right for me to do this job and the agency really needed help. I did not get paid much more than the nurses I supervised and would have made at least 15 dollars more an hour had I stayed at the hospital. I worked with people with developmental disabilities and some with traumatic brain injuries. It's the kind of job you do because you care so much for those you support. That's my story. Different than yours. I am truly sorry if I upset you in anyway that was the last thing I wanted to do or thought I did. I agree with you that work and home balance is important especially if you have young children, they are only that age once and you only get one chance. Best wishes in all you do. I retired 5 months ago and it's amazing how quickly you run out of things to do. I am now looking at volunteering somewhere.
Specializes in Surgical Specialty Clinic - Ambulatory Care.
Gratefulbutnotstupid said:
KalipsoRed21,
Sorry to not have answered until now. When I went into Management I was already in my 40's and my son was grown. The work I did was not floor work, so no one was lacking for my time. The nurses cases were homes and I would go there after work or on the weekends if needed. I am sorry if I hit a nerve as I did not mean to. The time was right for me to do this job and the agency really needed help. I did not get paid much more than the nurses I supervised and would have made at least 15 dollars more an hour had I stayed at the hospital. I worked with people with developmental disabilities and some with traumatic brain injuries. It's the kind of job you do because you care so much for those you support. That's my story. Different than yours. I am truly sorry if I upset you in anyway that was the last thing I wanted to do or thought I did. I agree with you that work and home balance is important especially if you have young children, they are only that age once and you only get one chance. Best wishes in all you do. I retired 5 months ago and it's amazing how quickly you run out of things to do. I am now looking at volunteering somewhere.
I'm sorry if you felt my response was anger at you. I'm not angry with you or the dedication you had for your job. I'm just angry in general at the poor work conditions apparently managers and staff have in healthcare. No job is worth one's family time. And there are enough people and profits in the U.S. that it doesn't need to be this way. But your story did confirm for me that furthering my education in healthcare is not a good choice. More of the same stupid *** for no pay and no family time. No thank you.
Just like the time management excuse. You're blamed for lack of time management when the patient load gets overwhelming. Managers will happily let you drown so they don't have to pick up the slack (without offering help) which is their job to make sure things run smoothly. It's amazing to see that these managers have enough time to ask staff to pick up extra shifts, but they don't pick extra themselves when they are able and capable with an RN behind their name.
Good god I swear you wrote that about my DON! She likes to pass on her responsibilities to someone else and never, EVER helps out when we are short. I won't even get into the inappropriate comments she's made to me in front of staff and patients alike. Before I leave, I will tell her she should be capable of picking up shifts since she has an RN after her name.
TonyaMarie, MSN
2 Articles; 25 Posts
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