It just never ends. For the last year or more, management has been harping about hourly rounds. They have gone as far as to go in to rooms with us and watch us do our hourly rounds, making sure we have hit each key behavior. Also, they will go to each pt daily and ask about our hourly rounds. NOW... they have come up with the idea of call-lights needing to be answered within 2 minutes (it will soon go down to 1 min) and if it is not, at the end of the shift, we have to "sign off" on it. They have also now put up a poster board in the middle of the hall with each nurse's name. We get stars next to our names if none of our call-lights were >2min. It is crap like this that makes me want to leave the bedside. I do not have to be "shamed" to answer my pt's call-lights. I would not mind if it were in the breakroom, locker room, med room, but I have a huge issue with it being in the hallway. Some nurses only work 2 days a week, others 5. If I were a pt or family member and I were to look at that board and my nurse did not have many stars, I think I would assume that generally she/he was not good at answering their pt's call-lights. Also, it is a team effort. There are times we are all "stuck" in a room for a good amount of time. How am I supposed to be both in the hall at all times watching for call-lights and in my pts room doing my job?? Not possible. I also would not have a problem if the poster board was separated in shifts with no names and stars given to each shift for call-lights >2 minutes. I spoke with my director about it and she sounded annoyed with me and said this a positive thing and is supposed to be a fun game. I told her my concerns and why I disagree with it (mostly being where she has displayed it) and I told her not one person I have spoken to is happy about it. She completely did not hear or understand my concerns. I went as far as asking her if she were still on the floor how she would feel, to which I did not get a decent reply.
I am curious how others would feel about this. Am I being ridiculous because that this is really annoying me??
Specializes in Solid organ transplant, medsurge, tele.
That board has to be the dumbest idea ever, if someone has time to post a "star" by someones name, they well off have the time to go answer a call light. It is usually a request that can be fulfilled by anyone, if not, get the nurse. If you see a call light on and have down time, answer it. It is just good customer service.
It just never ends. For the last year or more, management has been harping about hourly rounds. They have gone as far as to go in to rooms with us and watch us do our hourly rounds, making sure we have hit each key behavior. Also, they will go to each pt daily and ask about our hourly rounds. NOW... they have come up with the idea of call-lights needing to be answered within 2 minutes (it will soon go down to 1 min) and if it is not, at the end of the shift, we have to "sign off" on it. They have also now put up a poster board in the middle of the hall with each nurse's name. We get stars next to our names if none of our call-lights were >2min. It is crap like this that makes me want to leave the bedside. I do not have to be "shamed" to answer my pt's call-lights. I would not mind if it were in the breakroom, locker room, med room, but I have a huge issue with it being in the hallway. Some nurses only work 2 days a week, others 5. If I were a pt or family member and I were to look at that board and my nurse did not have many stars, I think I would assume that generally she/he was not good at answering their pt's call-lights. Also, it is a team effort. There are times we are all "stuck" in a room for a good amount of time. How am I supposed to be both in the hall at all times watching for call-lights and in my pts room doing my job?? Not possible. I also would not have a problem if the poster board was separated in shifts with no names and stars given to each shift for call-lights >2 minutes. I spoke with my director about it and she sounded annoyed with me and said this a positive thing and is supposed to be a fun game. I told her my concerns and why I disagree with it (mostly being where she has displayed it) and I told her not one person I have spoken to is happy about it. She completely did not hear or understand my concerns. I went as far as asking her if she were still on the floor how she would feel, to which I did not get a decent reply.
I am curious how others would feel about this. Am I being ridiculous because that this is really annoying me??
Thanks,
Deb
This is so ridiculous- nurses are not a bunch of five-year-olds. We are *supposedly* professionals. Can you imagine cops, airline pilots, lawyers, paramedics, or engineers being put on a "gold star" system?
The other fun / cute thing is take notice how many day shift ppl have stars and how many on nights. Where I come from, the sups are in the office / not helping much around when they're there .... the day shift ones, however, are freaks and get stuff done no matter what. Result? Day shift comes out smelling like roses, nights like a bag of used cat litter.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I don't even get the "intention", because it assumes that the reason a call light isn't being answered right away is that the nurse has nothing better to do, and just doesn't feel like getting up. People usually perform better when they are treated as people of the highest common denominator. Those that aren't are shaken out soon enough, and general morale stays high(er). I would have a very hard time working somewhere that had such an obvious low opinion of a nurse's professionalism.
Since they see you as juvenile enough to do a happy-dance when you get a gold star, perhaps you could return the favor by re-arranging the stickers on the down-low, or adding unicorn, Rainbow Brite, and Strawberry Shortcake stickers to make it look cuter.
"Holy mackerel!" as my aunt would say. IMO, this wreaks of public humiliation, so to speak. Your points are valid ones, to say the least. A poster board with stars??? Reminds me of kindergarten...you got a star on your forehead if you behaved well that day! Answering call lights is a never ending issue. Have the "powers that be" been inundated with patient complaints that their call lights were not being answered in a timely fashion?? If so, was this presented at a staff meeting? Have your co-workers verbalized their thoughts/feelings to the individual(s) who came up with this "bright" idea? Is it possible to request a staff meeting to discuss this issue? What is morale like at your facility? Sorry about all the questions, but I am curious as to what brought about the creation of this poster board. It doesn't sound as if there is open communication between staff and management, and that is a HUGE problem. Frankly, I would not want this poster board anywhere, period! It is childish, and shows blatant disrespect for you and your co workers as professional individuals. This is not a Quality Improvement tool; rather, it is a morale buster!!
Is there a quality improvement committee in your facility?
I completely agree, it IS public humiliation. I am so irritated by this! It is not just the nurses that have to sign off, it is also the CNA's. I honestly cannot explain why they have suddenly started this, but it is hospital-wide. We were the last unit to implement it. I was actually hopeful my new director had not started to drink the kool-aid (so-to-speak). But, apparently she has and with her defensive tone to my criticism of the board, I am now worried that the change (I hoped) I could believe in is not possible. If she is forced from the top, then just say that. I could (to a degree) respect that as we all need our jobs. But, don't, as a nurse, sit there and defend such out-right disrespect towards your employees and our profession. It just frustrates me beyond belief. The team I work with (for the very most part) is great. We work together very well. I think this board could lead to problems between staff. I can just see one of our harder-working CNA's getting upset about another getting a star and not her because she has been too busy helping and answering call-lights for everyone else's pts. I know it sounds stupid, but if the "lazy" CNA is going to get credit for her work, why keep picking up the slack??
It IS a morale buster. I cannot tell you how many times I thought about looking for another job today. The only reason I have stayed at this job for the amount of time I have is because I love my co-workers. My last job, I worked with lazy, lazy people and I am afraid to risk leaving a job where I like the people I work with!
The director told me we would discuss this at next weeks unit meeting. I know many of my co-workers are not happy about it and another did voice her opinion today also. We will see what happens.
Thank you for all the replies. This stupid idea of theirs has gotten me really fired up and I just needed reassurance I am not being dramatic.
Oh, I also thought maybe we can make a board and give the dr's a star if they spend >2min with a pt!!
seriously, do they think they are going to "improve" patient care by having you leave patient a in the middle of something to go to patient b to tell them you're going to be 5 minutes because you're with patient a. this sort of thing only makes patients a & b both mad, instead of just patient b waiting a few minutes.
not to mention i'm sure such a management has told you to pretend you don't have any other patients.
i see this as a set-up for cases of neglect. i can see it now: manager says to nurse x: i appreciate the fact that you tried to meet the 2-minute deadline with pt "a" but you ultimately neglected pt "b". what a bunch of horsedroppings! management needs to get its head out of the horse's behind, get on the floor and see how things are done, how difficult it is to get care done at times.
And insulting to my intelligence. Posterboards gold stars, give me a break. As one nurse I work with put it...it seems that as soon as people become upper management, it's almost like someone drills a hole in their heads then they suck out all their brains. Unbelievable. I mean no offense to you management gals/guys, but who's making these CrAzY rules???
Does becoming management kill brain cells? Someone ought to do a study.....
To OP: You're NOT overreacting. It is a very bad, demoralizing thing. I would be raising cain and perhaps 'decorating' the chart with my OWN stickers that sure won't be gold stars....how about biohazard stickers?
Big brother is certainly watching!! At our hospital, we are doing research on a computerized device that is attached to the alcohol gel dispencer in the patient rooms - this keeps track of who uses it, how often, takes picture of the person as they use it. Feel like I am in grade school all over again. Understand that handwashing is of utmost importance, but come on now. We are adults, and educated at that !!!
I don't get it. Don't management remember what it was like at bedside, if they were at bedside? I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate the treatment then like we don't appreciate the way they treat us now. Nursing can be such a cruel profession and I don't understand why we put each other through this crap. Tracking call-lights...give me a break. What's going to happen when there's a code and a call-light doesn't get answered for 5 minutes? Are they going to discipline a nurse because of it? Honestly, they should stop coming up with these ridiculous ideas that they think are "fun and positive" and start coming up with ways that really help the nurses and the patients.
If it were me, I would complain to HR about it, but I wouldn't go it alone. Get a group together of those who oppose it and complain together.
It is not just the nurses that have to sign off, it is also the CNA's. I honestly cannot explain why they have suddenly started this, but it is hospital-wide. We were the last unit to implement it. I was actually hopeful my new director had not started to drink the kool-aid (so-to-speak). But, apparently she has and with her defensive tone to my criticism of the board, I am now worried that the change (I hoped) I could believe in 
is not possible. If she is forced from the top, then just say that. I could (to a degree) respect that as we all need our jobs. But, don't, as a nurse, sit there and defend such out-right disrespect towards your employees and our profession. It just frustrates me beyond belief. The team I work with (for the 
Posterboards gold stars, give me a break. As one nurse I work with put it...it seems that as soon as people become upper management, it's almost like someone drills a hole in their heads then they suck out all their brains. 
Unbelievable. I mean no offense to you management gals/guys, but who's making these CrAzY rules???
flip/flop
12 Posts
That board has to be the dumbest idea ever, if someone has time to post a "star" by someones name, they well off have the time to go answer a call light. It is usually a request that can be fulfilled by anyone, if not, get the nurse. If you see a call light on and have down time, answer it. It is just good customer service.