Nurse Manager - micromanaging everyone & everything we do

[rn200878]

I work on a very very busy Acute Stroke Unit that is going to hell in a handbasket. We are losing staff each week, nurses either transferring or just quiting, ALL DO TO our nurse manager. Not one staff member is happy and it is really sad. We want to go to HR with our concerns but nobody knows who we can "trust". This mgr has been with this hospital for 25 years. Let me give you a little background as to what is happening on this floor.

We are always short staffed - each nurse most of the time has 6 or 7 patients while working with 1 or 2 techs for the whole floor. This is a 40 bed unit. This I feel is a HUGE safety issue.

Most of the time we have 4 or 5 1:1 that ARE NOT COVERED due to staffing issues.

There have been falls everyday and night which shouldn't be a big surprise given the staffing ratio.

We are constantly told what we are doing "wrong" never what we are doing "right".

Since we aren't allowed to take any vacation until January, I asked the tech who does our payroll to pay me my 17 hours of remaining vacation hours I have left. I was told NO that our nurse mgr said I can't be paid my vacation time because I am part time which is 48 hours biweekly and I already have 62 hours in this upcoming paycheck. Mind you, due to the short staffing issue, I have been picking up anywhere from 16 to 28 extra hours per week on top of my required 24. I am furious with this payroll issue. Do you think I am out of line to be upset????

I noticed today that the next 3 weeks of this current schedule, my mgr took it upon herself to schedule me 32 hours. I am a 24hr per week employee. Due to her not willing to pay my vacation hours, I am going to let her know she scheduled me too many hours and she needs to adjust my schedule. Why should I continue to go out of my way when she does everything she can to make our lives miserable.

I am in the process of trying to transfer or just leave the hospital all together. I have had more than enough of this BULLCRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ddunnrn]

I'm not sure I completely understood all of your issues, but concerning the hours and pay issue, I will suggest that if you continue to work full time hours, you are entitled to full time benefits--your employer cannot call you "part time" but work you full time hours, just to not have to pay you benefits. I would check with a lawyer, or any local nursing union. Good luck!!