This might get a little long, and windy. I am sorry. I'm going to start off by explaining last Sunday that I worked, as I feel this is the main problem. It was the 4 or 5 really bad shift for me. We started with 8 patients/nurse (very very extreme for our floor). And ER started calling for admits. The oncall MD was rounding, and I made the offhand comment to him that it was too much to deal with, and I didn't feel it was safe for the patients. This put him in an uproar. Next thing I knew he called the ER doc, informed him he would not except any more admits to our floor, and he also called the admin on call, who he demanded come help us. She had worked the previous night due to call-ins.
Now, the friday before was my yearly eval. I was graded as a "role-model" employee, and my manager offered no compliants at all about my performance. I was also given a 5% raise due to my high quality work. I was also told my co-workers enjoyed working with me, and patients had good things to say about my care.
Now, let's fast forward to Tuesday, my first day at work since "black Sunday" as we are calling it. It is a much better day. Four patients that I can pet and pamper all I want. And I'm happy. At 4pm I was called to the DON's office. There sits the DON, and both assistant managers, including the one that just praised me Friday. These are the things I was told
"A large majority" of my co-workers on my floor complain about my poor attitude, and state I always complian
"All of the ICU nurse" hate to have to call me about a patient, because I never take care of the situation, and I am rude.
I had received numerous complaints from patients. When I pushed further, they were only able to name one patient's WIFE, who was only in room with the patient for twenty minutes after his admit. She informed me when I first entered the room that we were terrible nurses, and she would be talking to the DON--all before I ever opened my mouth. I immediatly informed management.
I was told the MD from weekend had informed them I was rude, and constantly complianed about the worked load. Well, maybe I was a little ill, and maybe I did complian. So did the other two nurses and everyone else on shift. Who wouldn't complain with 8 patients, 4 total cares, and not a tech in sight to assist?
Also, was informed I had no right to complain about "bad shifts" that were shortstaffed because its wasn't the norm. Those days were to be expected.
Made the comment that "some people will complain if you give them two patients. We think you might be one of those people, and it will not be tolerated".
Also stated "all the unit sec" said I was "snappy" when they called to report patient needs". We only have two sec, and one is my mom. The other says she has never complianed about anyone, much less me.
Now, since then I have spoken to many of my co-workers, including 5 ICU nurses. They have all been shocked by what was said, and stated they have never had a problem with me, and never heard anyone else complain about me. The MD stated he informed them I was "nervous and frazzled" which "wasn't my usual", and he was concerned about the staffing level, and he expressed that he was not happy with them leaving us like that.
Also, I have complained very rarely to management. The only other time I have complianed about staffing was a couple of weeks ago when we had 7 patients with no tech, and the supervisor had not attempted to find any help. Our manager helped us, and I thanked her--we even give them a thank you card for their help.
This just really upsets me. I have always been more then willing to help when I could. I have worked my tail off to be the best I could be, even when shorthanded. And I get along with everyone; I have talked to some about leaving, and they have begged me to stay. I just don't understand why this happened. I felt attacked, and I felt like my character was picked apart. It was very degrading. I have worked there 4 years without a single problem. I'm just a little lost right now.
what you experienced is a text-book tactic from nursing management/hospital management that has beaten nurses down to the ground for decades. management is doing a professional lobotomy, to keep you in control. this is an example of "control" by hospital management, much like the battered spouse syndrome.
think union. form one if you can. that is one of the best ways to protect yourself and other nursing staff. no longer can nurses put up with management abuse. there is not enough of us left. they need to be taught a lesson. treat nurses with respect!
It is shocking and sad to see how many nurses have dealt with this.
Management has a plan for any nurse willing to advocate for what is right and speak her opinion.
1. Call them in for a meeting or ambush them at their yearly review with the news that they have a bad attitude and basically no one wants to work with them. This is from many of the staff they work with and keeps coming up. However, no specifics are given and of course, no names.
2. The nurse approaches her fellow coworkers, assuming she/he still has the self esteem to approach them at this point. They look shocked and deny the complaints.
3. The nurse still wonders if everyone dislikes her and doesn't want to work with her. After all, management told her so.
4. The nurse has two choices. Continue at current position, but keep her head down and mouth shut or get another job.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
what you experienced is a text-book tactic from nursing management/hospital management that has beaten nurses down to the ground for decades. management is doing a professional lobotomy, to keep you in control. this is an example of "control" by hospital management, much like the battered spouse syndrome.
think union. form one if you can. that is one of the best ways to protect yourself and other nursing staff. no longer can nurses put up with management abuse. there is not enough of us left. they need to be taught a lesson. treat nurses with respect!
i beg to differ. the worst treatment i was ever subjected to was in a union hospital, where the union stewards were hand-in-glove with management and received promotions to leadership positions ahead of those of us with more seniority and experience.
no, unions are not a cure-all for what ails nursing, not by a long shot.:stone
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
It is shocking and sad to see how many nurses have dealt with this.
Management has a plan for any nurse willing to advocate for what is right and speak her opinion.
1. Call them in for a meeting or ambush them at their yearly review with the news that they have a bad attitude and basically no one wants to work with them. This is from many of the staff they work with and keeps coming up. However, no specifics are given and of course, no names.
2. The nurse approaches her fellow coworkers, assuming she/he still has the self esteem to approach them at this point. They look shocked and deny the complaints.
3. The nurse still wonders if everyone dislikes her and doesn't want to work with her. After all, management told her so.
4. The nurse has two choices. Continue at current position, but keep her head down and mouth shut or get another job.
5. Either way, problem solved.
I swear, 90% of us have worked for the same hospital!
What's sad is, we all think it's OUR fault. It's not.
I had one manager say that exact thing to me.... "everyone hates you and no one wants to work with you because you are so abbrasive." I should have reported her to her management. When she applied at another hospital, I wrote the hiring manager and told her my experience with this woman. They told me "Not to judge her before she had a chance." Now she is my mother's manager and my mom cannot stand her and is just waiting for her to shoot herself in the foot and quit/be fired. I would go back to that hospital, but I will NEVER work for someone like that.
I think we should form a club...The B.A.D. Nurses club( Bad Attitude Divas)...I figure, management already thinks we're "bad" so why not really show them what bad can do?:chuckle
I think the club is an excellent idea! Apparently i have a bad attitude because i don't like working all day without meal relief and don't understand the 'bigger picture' I told the manager that it's not easy to think about the bigger picture when your hungry, dehydrated and you have to provide safe patient care:banghead: .
"Bad attitude" is code for "Instead of fixing the problem, we're going to ignore it, and you'd better not notice it because if we're ignoring it, it OBVIOUSLY doesn't exist!!"
I dont see why those days are "to be expected". Isnt that what nursing agencies are for? These facilities think they have us duped but i have worked at places that short staff on purpose! They wouldnt even call their own PRN nurses much less an agency. When a facility stands to make a lot of money by understaffing, then that is what is "to be expected". Nurses should stand up for themselves! If we know we can only handle 5-6 patients, then we should refuse to take anymore than that. Let them call an agency to fill the empty slot, instead of dumping it on those of us who come to work. Otherwise, force them to call an agency to fill two slots!
When I complained about staffing to my old boss, I was told we didn't really have the ratios we had. Apparently I was just imagining one or two of my patients each day. Too bad those patients couldn't just imagine me taking care of them!!
It is shocking and sad to see how many nurses have dealt with this.
Management has a plan for any nurse willing to advocate for what is right and speak her opinion.
1. Call them in for a meeting or ambush them at their yearly review with the news that they have a bad attitude and basically no one wants to work with them. This is from many of the staff they work with and keeps coming up. However, no specifics are given and of course, no names.
2. The nurse approaches her fellow coworkers, assuming she/he still has the self esteem to approach them at this point. They look shocked and deny the complaints.
3. The nurse still wonders if everyone dislikes her and doesn't want to work with her. After all, management told her so.
4. The nurse has two choices. Continue at current position, but keep her head down and mouth shut or get another job.
5. Either way, problem solved.
Can I just say that what you said is EXACTLY what happened at my yearly eval? To the letter!
And it's evil. You're in there, with your management telling you how much you suck, and of course, they "quote" your peer reviews, that say how much you suck, so of course, you're obviously surrounded by people that think you suck. And you of course then don't know who to trust. Because are the anonymous peer reviews true? And if so, who would say something bad about you behind your back?
But the true highlight of mine was being told I don't take constructive criticism. Because then as soon as I try to state my rebuttal to any of the evaluation, they can say, "See, right there! You don't take constructive criticism!":banghead:
:chuckle
ASSEDO
201 Posts
what you experienced is a text-book tactic from nursing management/hospital management that has beaten nurses down to the ground for decades. management is doing a professional lobotomy, to keep you in control. this is an example of "control" by hospital management, much like the battered spouse syndrome.
think union. form one if you can. that is one of the best ways to protect yourself and other nursing staff. no longer can nurses put up with management abuse. there is not enough of us left. they need to be taught a lesson. treat nurses with respect!