Managers - aren't they supposed to manage? VENT

[New2ER]

So I have this boss who apparently thinks that showing up to work is pretty much all she has to do. She delegates EVERYTHING, even paperwork that she's supposed to complete, to the staff. When she does do things, like the schedule, she completely screws it up (as in forgetting to schedule already approved days off and scheduling staff for days when they aren't able to work). I work nights, I haven't seen her face in 8 months. When I put in my resignation I didn't even get an acknowledgement that she had received it. She didn't put in my PTO requests and is cold and condescending when she does talk to you.

In the past she has walked into our nursing station, sat in a chair clicking on the the computer and walked out. All the while never acknowledging that there was even another warm body present and making no eye contact. In fact, she kept her back to us the entire time! (This has happened in multiple settings.)

Don't go to her for help with anything because she'll somehow turn it into your fault. You're not efficient enough, you're not using your time wisely, etc. Once, when she was playing at being house sup, I passed her in the hallway and started to update her on staffing issues I was having. She stopped me mid sentence and said, "Who are you supposed to talk to about this?". Well if she had let me finish I would have told her that I'd already talked to that person and as the house sup I thought she might want to be informed on what was going on, silly me.

She shows no interest in actually doing her job whatsoever. She sneaks in the back door (literally) and then hidesout in her office. When she sups at night she doesn't do rounds and spends most of her time hanging out in her office.

I don't get it. Stupid me always thought managers were supposed to manage

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

She sounds like a very unhappy person.

[RN1982]

I agree. Maybe she needs a new job? Oh, if she said those things to me or cut me off mid-sentence, I would be so fired. How rude!!

[llg, PhD, RN]

Her boss must also be pretty bad ... to be leading her in that direction.

[Mozzie]

Yes, they are suppose to manage..... I too am a manager and ignoring staff is not something you want to do!!!

She really does need to address any staffing issues and if you are constantly understaffed due to unfilled positions or FMLA or whatever - she may need to look at getting some agency nurses to come in here and there if the ER staff and perdiem staff can not pick up extra.

However, on the flip side - as a manager, I can tell you that the schedule is constantly a challenge. Unfortunately, many nurses in my department have a request here and a request there such as I can only work Monday, Wed & Friday plus every other weekend - for example. Now this person is a 0.6 FTE. Thus, she is basically dictating her schedule to me. I don't think this is right either - especially if there are say other staff members with lives outside of work too who need the same days off. Your objective as a manager is to balance the staffing needs of the department with the wants/needs of every staff member. It is not an easy task to do. Then there are the vacation requests or PTO here and there requests. Here again in department - it is first come first serve. However, say as a manager I have an oversight and accidently schedule two people off at the same time - this is a challenge. So, when you attempt to ask someone if they can possibly pick another day off - all h@ll breaks lose - even if they didn't have plans. Managers are not perfect and when we make a mistake no matter how big or small - the mistake is misconstrued (sp) into something that is not true. And it feels like the error is blown way out of proportion - unfortunately.

However, she does need to admit her mistakes instead of turning the conflict around and making it into someone elses fault/problem. Not a good thing to deny your own oversights as a manager. I'm a middle manager and when I go to my DON with issues / problems - this is what happens. So I feel your pain.

Your manager also sounds l like an "introvert" meaning there is only so much people contact she/he can handle and then they begin to "shut down" for the day. That may be one reason whey she is trying to avoid being approached by staff. OR the other reason staff is unwilling to overlook her errors and resent her for everything - So, she tries to avoid contact instead of dealing with conflict --- I don't know....

Some things do need to be delegated off of the manager's desk to other staff that can handle the task. I know that as a manager delegating can foster some resentment there - however, I can tell you that there are tasks that staff below you as a manager can not be delegated and are extremely difficult and time consuming. Plus, these tasks may be projects the management team is working on and they can not share with staff what is consuming all of their time until the project is complete and ready to present to the rest of the hospital ......So it may look like to you and other staff that he or she isn't doing anything..... But they are. They just can not tell you what it is. As a manager it makes you want to do this:

Now, as house supervisor - I don't know what is up there. I think she does need to make rounds and put out fires that are developing.

Okay - enough of my rant. I hope this can shed some like from amanagement perspective.

[caliotter3]

This person sounds very, very familiar. As a matter of fact, those who do an acceptable or good job at managing from my viewpoint, have been the exception and not the rule. I've learned not to expect much from managers. I can remember one instance where I got my hopes up about the intentions of one manager, only to find that in the end, the person was either putting on a big false front, or had completely turned around. Seemed to care about subordinates, then threw them to the wolves and became unapproachable. I won't make that mistake again. I do my work and try to be as oblivious to management as possible. I know they're oblivious to me and my needs.

[CHATSDALE]

there are first time managrs and seasoned managers

sometimes when people start out they are afraid of messing up that they litterally don't do anything

unfortunately some do not learn that that does work and they need to get their feet wet

i know that scheduling is a hard, thankless job, i have seen nurses put in two weeks notice only to find their name down on the next months schedule and i have seen nurses that no matter what a schedule was they would wail and complain

and then there is the peter principle: you climb up the ladder until you reach the point where you are incapable of doing the job and then you STAY right there ergo the work is not done right and you are a bottleneck for those wanting to advance

[RN1989]

Unfortunately I believe that more and more managers will be ones like you have described. I've been there. I've given 1,000% every day and every night. I tried to advocate for the staff and the patients while beating back admin with an IV pole. After a while, you just can't take it anymore. The staff hate you and think that you do things on purpose just to make them miserable. The admin constantly hold your job over your head if you can't get the staff "in line" or hold that budget in really tight when the budget is already so tight that staffing is risky at best. Good managers just can't stay in the job for the long haul. It is much more exhausting, frustrating, and horrible to be a manager than it is to be a staff nurse. Only the managers that can totally distance themselves from everything and act like they don't care about what is right or wrong can stay in the field. They are also the only ones allowed to stay in management positions. Admin does not want pro-pt/pro-staff managers in charge because they are dangerous to the stockholders dividend payments.

[abbaking]

Doesn't everybody know by now that with Nurse Management and Hospital Administration - common sense and normalcy is NOT a requirement for the job. As long as you have a Masters, are anal about $$$, and dont care at ALL about patients welfare, you can be a nurse manager instantly - in fact the more you show signs of dementia - the more a candidate you are for a mangerial position.