NEED OPINIONS! HELP!

[futurenurse1989]

Hello, I am not a RN yet but in school and I work at a specialty clinic. I’ve been here for about almost two years. Anyway the problem is my boss. She manages two clinics, and she seems to favor her first one more than ours. Every time we ask for help she always puts it off and takes forever to get back to us. Granted she’s a busy woman, but honestly I don’t think she can manage two clinics and I even heard she’s going for a third one. I’ll give you an example why this is so important to me. We have a scale where we weigh patients on with their wheelchair, and the wheelchair is literally the exact same size as the scale which makes it so much harder to weigh patients on especially when they’re “big” patients. This can definitely lead to us hurting ourselves and the patient. My team has already informed my boss a few times in the past about this situation, and nothing has been done to get it fixed. We’ve also had many other problems where we brought it up to her but still, nothing has been done. My WHOLE team including the nurses agrees that she is not a good manager but they are too scared to say anything. There is a line you can call to report it. But I’ve been told if you call that line she will find a way to hunt you down and somehow get you fired (because that’s been done too). My team says she likes a challenge.

Btw, it’s been almost half a year now that I haven’t got my review. I mean it’s been expired for how long now? More than 3 months! She does this with every employee. And I’m not just saying this because I am a complainer but I really do care about this clinic and the patients here. I was even voted best caregiver recently. My question is how do I make this clinic a better place for our patients? And for our hardworking employees as well? And don’t say “talk to her” because it’s been done and nothing has changed. I feel like my team and I work so hard and we deserve to be heard. Right now it feels like we are just treated like dirt. Are we suppose to just let it be? Please help. Thank you.

[MouseMichelle]

Is there a physician who is a medical director of the clinic that you can speak to? Or are you nervous about going over her head that way?

If anyone for example hurts their back weighing patients, the I would file the appropiate paperwork, even if it's a twinge, seriously even if you feel a twinge file the appropiate documents and see if that may help? Do the patients who are being weighed in these w/c's say anything like "geez this is dangerous" or to that affect? Maybe gently say you can speak to our nurse manager about this if you choose, here's her phone number....

[futurenurse1989]

No there is no medical director I can speak to. She is the facility administrator. Patients have said that it's dangerous a few times, but I never thought of telling them to call the nurse manager? We've just been telling the patients that the FA has been informed. That's a good idea. But the thing is it's been put off for so long now that the patients don't even care anymore because nothing has been done about it. We've been very carful when weighing them so we don't hurt ourselves. But I will definitely file paperwork next time. Thank you.

Is there a physician who is a medical director of the clinic that you can speak to? Or are you nervous about going over her head that way?

If anyone for example hurts their back weighing patients, the I would file the appropiate paperwork, even if it's a twinge, seriously even if you feel a twinge file the appropiate documents and see if that may help? Do the patients who are being weighed in these w/c's say anything like "geez this is dangerous" or to that affect? Maybe gently say you can speak to our nurse manager about this if you choose, here's her phone number....

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

leaving a paperwork trail is important. Also, if SEVERAL of you insist upon a meeting it will be worth her while to listen. Someone is paying her. WHO??

[mentalhealthRN]

If its a medical clinic there legally has to be a medical doctor directing the place. Sometimes they are a little more behind the scenes but legally a clinic can't run without an MD/DO director. If the issues seem to be mostly in regard to employee safety you could call OSHA.Let the know your concerns of being fired if it is found out that you called them. They do make random visits to facilites even with no calls of complaint. They can tell her that. That they were in the area and are randomly making stops to various tyes of facilites. If you were to get fired over this you would have a case of wrongful termination and OSHA will tell you that.......they would back you I would think. But if you are up front with them about your dilemma maybe they can help. Also even though this nurse manager is the administrator is there not an actual owner of the clinic? Is it free standing or part of a hospital system?

[elprup, BSN, RN]

Futurenurse1989 I am curious if you are still at the clinic you are speaking of. I am having very similar problems at my rural clinic. We do not have a medical director, nor do we have a nursing supervisor! I would love to chat about our situations and any information you have found to make it better. Thank you.