exlain yourself

Specialties Management

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what i would like to know is why is that when a nurse leaves the bedside to become a nurse manager within 6 monthes they seem to forget what bedside nursing is like? remember when you complained that given the acuity of pts we need another nurse? remember when if you had a 1-1 patient on a med surg floor you thought another nurse was a reasonable request to promote quality patient care for all the patients under your care? remember when you actually cared about your co-workers and didnt just spout how wonderful it was to work at the bedside and how rewarding the work is, if you found it so rewarding and wonderfu why did you leave the bedside to begin with, bottom line if managers would remember where they came from and really listen to what their staff nurses were saying instead of pretending to listen and saying at the approroate time i see your point things woud be a whole lot better for the patients and the staff.

Specializes in Leadership/Critical Care/Surgery/Seniors.

Woah!!! Sounds like you have taken a bad manager (perhaps your own), and made a judgment, not only about that manager, but about all nurse managers. That would be equivalent to me lumping ALL nurses into the same basket that the odd bad apple is - perhaps calling all nurses lazy and incompetent. Of course, none of us would ever do that because it is not true. It is somewhat offensive that you would lump all managers together and acuse them of treating their staff as you describe.

I went into management because I felt I might be able to effect change in my position. I did not like how things were and I wanted the opportunity to make a difference. And believe it or not, I do effect change - most of which has been viewed as positive by my staff. Instead of b#@%ing about an issue, I actually try to do something about it. I see myself as a voice for my staff. The majority of my staff have appreciated the limbs I have been on on their behalf and on behalf of the patients and their care. The majority of my staff appreciate the extra mile I take to ensure they get their educational opportunities or their time off when needed. (Yes, I do come in to work to cover for my staff when they have an important function to attend.) I am told that my unit has the best morale in the hospital.

But I also have the rare person who does not appreciate the things I do to improve the quality of worklife in the unit and complains about absolutely everything. This rare person does not contribute to improving things themselves, and they make managing the unit a challenge at times.

I am sorry that you have a manager that you cannot work with and who you feel treats you badly. I would suggest having some discussions with her. I find that most times if you treat someone with dignity and respect, they will treat you the same in return. If by chance that does not happen when your approach your manager, I would take the issue further.

Also keep in mind that you may not be completely informed as to the efforts that may be being made in the attempts to obtain more staffing for you. Your manager is given a budget, and must work within that budget. She cannot produce the funds out of her back pocket to provide for the unit. The perceived refusal at obtaining more staff may be out of her control. Perhaps she/he needs to be more open with the communication on some issues.

All nurses are not lumped together and classified the same. Managers should not be either. I have been away from the bedside for 3 years, and I have not forgotten.

actually i have a good manager, she does try to listen and effect positive change however i have been in nursing 28 years and have had more managers who dont listen they talk about shared goverenance and in their minds i am sure they thinkwe operate under it. please let me state that i believe middle management is the worst position to be in and i admire the people who do it well, unfortunately i have not had many of those managers, perhaps i should post this in general discussionand see what happens, most managers have blinders on, but i do agree that not all staff nurses should be judged by one, each person needs to be judged ontheir job performance. i believe in working together, communicating and cooperating for the best care we can possibly give all our patients, i really did not mean to infer that all managers all bad there are some excellent ones out there and my hat is off to them

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