Manager elicits complaints from patients

[babysteps25]

Has anyone else experienced something like this???

I work on a medsurg unit. My manager occasionally goes and checks on a random patient and asks about how their stay has been. I am sure that is a common practice. BUT.... Yesterday I overheard the questions my manager was asking one of my patients. She asked: "has your pain been controlled?". Patient says "yes it has been controlled" and he even said something about how he appreciates that we all seem very sympathetic to his pain. You would think my manager would be happy with this answer and move on. But instead she asks: "but is it always controlled? There hasn't been even a single time you have felt pain? The nurse always comes within 60 seconds of when you ask?". Then the patient was like "no I have had to wait longer than 60 seconds sometimes", then decides he is not satisfied with his pain management anymore. I don't even get where she is getting this whole "60 seconds" thing I have never heard it before and it is unreasonable, too.

Of course later she calls me to her office and asks why my patient is in pain.

Is that how a manager is supposed to be asking questions? I feel like it shouldn't be. The patient said he was satisfied and then she kept changing the question until he said he isn't satisfied. Why is she is trying to elicit complaints when she can't find any?!

This isn't the first time I've noticed her doing stuff like that, either.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

That's bizarre. It's going to come back and bite her heinie big time in her HCAHPS scores. What a nutter. In the meantime, I would advise you to be very careful with this manager. See if you can find out where the "60 second" metric came from - that's absurd. Maybe call lights should be answered within that time, but there is just no way that you can guarantee a physical response within that time limit on a normal unit. If this is not defined in a formal document (policy, procedure, guideline, standard, etc) she is on very thin ice.

She sounds like a newbie that is trying out new behaviors that she perceives as "management"... like "correcting staff performance". Stay tuned for further developments - most of which will be the result of unilateral decisions in which she has not even attempted to ask for staff input. Try to get things in writing rather than verbal if possible... so you will have some sort of evidence when she goes off the rails - LOL. Don't try to engage or rebut unless you have a witness. Familiarize yourself with your organization's grievance policy. Be sure to involve HR when appropriate.

Don't worry, she's probably going to be someone else's problem soon.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

That is crazy....she will probably be finding another position soon. Is there a reason she is trying to make book on you?

[babysteps25]

HouTx, you hit the nail on the head. She is pretty young (30's) and when she first started about 6 mos. ago she said this was her first "formal" management position. Not sure what kind of "informal" work she was doing... She fired a whole slew of people within her first couple of months, probably to show she shouldn't be taken lightly or something.

She apparently does this to everyone. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being crazy for thinking its crazy! I thought maybe there was a small chance that prodding around for a complaint was some sort of common technique managers use.

I checked with a supervisor and we have no policy about time when you must arrive in a room after a patient calls. Thank goodness.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

If you are a union facility, take this to your union. If you are not, call the parent company ethical hotline.

Sounds to me like the graduate of a "health care management" degree, and not a nurse. OR if an RN, never at bedside.

She's out of her mind involving patients in her self esteem control issues.

Tread lightly and thoroughly.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

Oh good lord. She's a nutter.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Completely agree with posts above -- she's setting unrealistic expectations for patients, nurses, and herself. She'll predictably burn out her staff and herself in a very short time period.

Be aware, though, of how HCAHPS surveys are worded. And realize that this madness comes not from your manager, and not from your hospital ... but the CMS/Medicare/Medicaid system upon which the vast majority of healthcare organizations are dependent for reimbursement/payment.

The actual survey is here: HCAHPS - Survey Instruments