Nurse manager email - Opinions?

[RaggedyRN]

Just wondering how other nurses would interpret this email.

"I am looking for motivated staff that are interested in rising to the challenge of providing care to patients with heart failure and be part of developing a unit of excellence. There is no need to apply if you; lack interest in staying updated with current trends, have a profound interest in gossip, or lack team work capabilities. If you are interested please try to attend the staff meeting on July 6th at 0600

(name withheld) our nurse practioner has set up Heart Failure Education Modules which are mandatory to all. The modules will include

1.Heart Failure Pathophysiology and symptoms

2.Heart Failure Treatment: HF guidelines and Therapies

3.Continued Treatment

4.Patient Education and Self-Care

Dates and times as below (rooms to be announced):

9/28 0800-1200

9/28 1430-1830

9/29 0700-1100

9/29 1400-1800

10/9 0700-1100

10/09 1400-1800

10/10 1100-1500

10/26 1300-1700

Please let me know ASAP what session would be best for you and we will schedule workshop time so that it is part of your hours.

If you can not make any of these sessions I will assume your interest lies outside of moving forward with rest of the heart failure team."

Thanks in advance

[TazziRN, RN]

Sounds to me like she's frustrated with lack of teamwork and self motivation and is passing on a veiled warning to get with the program.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

Sounds like a mandatory inservice to me. Better make sure you attend one of the sessions.

Yes it could have been worded better and with a little less threatening tone since if you read between the lines she is basically telling you if you dont attend you may find yourself on a different unit or otherwise employed elsewhere. However, im sure if she didnt word it like she did there would be many that just wouldnt go period.

I guess thats part of the job to attend mandetory meetings just like anyplace else you work. This notice was just delivered in a little different way.

I think id plan on attending.

[Ann RN]

To whom did she send this email? I actually like the begining. But the last sentence was unneccessary.

Ann

[lsyorke, RN]

And she expects this email to "motivate" people??

[AttagirlRN]

I don't get it...as nurses we should expect ongoing education, however the wording on this memo was counterproductive to the end goal.

Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) is the quality measurement division within Medicare. They measure reporting hospital's clinical programs (currently Pneumonia, Heart Attack, Heart Failure, and Surgical Infection Site); these numbers are then reported on Medicare.gov's website. There are many other clinical programs coming down the pike: DVT, Stroke, etc, so expect training programs/inservices to increase (if you work in a reporting hospital). The clinical programs are only as good as the doctors and nurses who carry out the care plans. Yes, the doctors write the orders, but nurses are responsible for other measureable markers, i.e. smoking cessation packets, PNA/Flu shot history, the CHF education materials, making sure the patient has the antibiotic prescription in hand, and a thousand other details. I'm one of those nurses who extracts all that data from charts. Believe me, all that you do is viewed under a microscope.

Ultimately it's about Medicare ratings and how the hospital is marketed to the public using high scores. Too bad this manager didn't emphasize the essential role the nurse plays in the bigger picture.

Lisa

[gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP]

I agree that it could have been worded better.

However - I have noticed that a lot of people tend to think that mandatory doesn't apply to them. If that has been a problem with certain people on your unit, I can understand why it may have been worded this way.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I dunno - I liked it.

It is hard sometimes to get people motivated and to stop with the incessant gossiping.

steph

[prmenrs, RN]

I kinda liked it, too. What it says is "shape up or ship out". BUT---she's offering the tools w/which the staff can do it. She clearly wants to upgrade staff knowledge, etc., and, for whatever reason, does not wish to cajole anyone into the upgrade, she wants to know who can and will work w/her.

And she's gonna find out darn quick, too. Cuz some of the folks @ that first meeting are NOT gonna be happy campers. Anyone who is the least bit passive-aggressive can be counted on to show their stuff.

How do YOU feel about it? Do YOU feel there is a need for staff to "get w/the program"?

You don't have to answer that here, but I think you should think seriously about it before the meeting.

[gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP]

A lot of the problems we have today are created by people being afraid to say what they REALLY mean - ya do have to hand it to her for not beating around the bush.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Yes, it does sound like the writer has a chip on her shoulder. I ignore all that fluff as most people aren't literary geniuses, and your manager is obviously no exception.

I'd focus on the educational offerings, regardless of how the opportunity was delivered. Yes, it might be mandatory, but yes, it is also an educational opportunity. Because it's mandatory, you get paid. Bonus! For four hours, you sit on your tush, you learn something, and you can actually probably eat while you're learning.

Bring a snack, a tape recorder, and a notebook, and whether your manager drops her attitude at the door or not, you've gained a valuable instruction that is portable.

[prmenrs, RN]

Angie, you've said a mouthful!! Excellent points.

I once asked a co-worker if I got paid for something (I'm "casual", so sometimes I don't). She looked @ me and said "if you set foot in this place, charge 'em". So I swipe in, put it on my time sheet, and if I'm not supposed to get the $, I've still documented that I showed up.