Nurse Manager, New Employee vs Old Employee

NSGstudent12 · Jul 31, 2011

That's sad that people think they don't have to follow the rules when "the boss" is not there! Sorry I can't offer any input about what to do. I have never been a boss but I have employees where I work who do the same thing. They kiss butt when our boss is there and don't do anything when they are gone. Nothing gets done about it, but I wish our boss would see that! It sounds like you are getting things in the right order and maybe some people just need to be written up or warned and then if they don't follow protocol they need to be terminated.

Mulan · Jul 31, 2011

Pop in unexpectedly, then you can find the things yourself, and then take whatever action you need to.

caliotter3 · Jul 31, 2011

Bring her to task. Put it in writing. If you have to fire her, and it looks like this might be the case, then do so. Once she is gone, there will be one less bad influence in the facility. Sad, but true, sometimes you have to clean house, including the dust in all the corners.

CharlieTaco · Jul 31, 2011

If the old employees are too stuck in their ways and won't change, you might have to clean house, otherwise they will poison all the new hires and you will have this problem forever.

erroridiot · Jul 31, 2011

Hi
So ANY suggestions, would be welcome!

I would suggest keeping your name and location confidential.

Employee information is sensitive and confidential.

If your employees read this, they will know that you are not keeping their issues confidential.

This also brings to task the quality of care at your facility for all to see if they know where you work.

Management 101: Keep all employee information confidential.

Loose lips sink ships.

Just a suggestion.

roma4204, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2011

Suggestions? Keep complaints anonymous. It's very unprofessional and if I saw my manager say something like this on an online message board my respect for her would plummet - whether or not it was valid. Not to mention your facility may have something to say about it!

kids · Jul 31, 2011

What are you doing to get the 'old' employees to buy into the changes?

Are you issuing orders from above or are you taking the time to explain the rationale?

Are you telling them doing x,y and z is wrong or are you saying that a, b and c will improve patient care/save them time?

Are you empathizing with people who are resistant rather than attacking what they have been doing probably for a long time?

Remember, when you are telling them they are doing it wrong you're also attacking their former Administration who they probably feel some loyalty to. "Old" nurses can be your biggest nightmare or your greatest allies. Sometimes just saying 'hey, I know it's a pain but we need to do it this way to satisfy the State' can go a long ways.

kids · Jul 31, 2011

And yeah, get rid of your personally identifying info in your posts.

A quick google found you (and not just here at allnurses).

commonsense · Aug 1, 2011

Hi
I am an Resident Service Director/Manager at an Assisted Living Facility and was hired 4 months ago. I have found that there were many system issues with this facility, as well as compliance issues with state and staff.
As I have gone through organizing and bringing the facility up to compliance, I have also terminated 1 staff who was employeed there for several years. She was not following Doctors orders and undermining my authority with other staff and residence.
While training a new employee, by having her oreintate with another existing employee, the existing employee told the new employee "When the manager (me) or the administrator is here you follow the rules, when they (me or my adminstrator) are not here you dont have to follow the rules" as she was talking about locking the medication cart and leaving the MARs open - which is one of the issues I have made a point to correct everyone on.
After the first day of orientation the new employee came to me practicall in tears that she practically wanted to quit seeing allot of non-compliance. When she told me this it has made me very mad, but I am pausing to think about what is the best action for the existing old employee - who I feel is part of the "old clan" of not doing the right things, even though I have really been trying to improve compliance, audits, education, even terminating an employee....
So ANY suggestions, would be welcome!

I would advise you against the posting of identifying information as well, but that has already been done, so i'll leave that alone. Here's an unusual suggestion, but I think it would play out well if you executed it down to the finest detail.

Step 1. Sit down with the seasoned nurse, explain to her that you've heard different things she is doing wrong from different employees. However, at no point mention the new nurse or anything she has said to you, like "I hear you think it's ok not to follow protocol if I'm not here, etc. Inform her that you will be watching her and if things do not change you will have no choice but to terminate her from her position.

Step 2. Sit down with the new nurse and explain to her that this is not how things are supposed to be done at your facility. Recognize her for having the courage to come and complain about the issues she has with the workplace, encourage her not to quit, then use her as your personal security camera on the floor. Ask her if she is willing to take on an extra responsibility of working with and watching the older nurse, and to report to you once or twice a week with her input. See if the old nurse changes after you sit down and talk to her, or see if she just ******* and moans and keeps the same agenda as always. If the latter happens terminate her, end of story.

Just a different view from a different person, to have this plan work smoothly though, neither nurse can know you talked to the other nurse, or you risk a mutiny among your staff members.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Aug 1, 2011

"Step 2. Sit down with the new nurse and explain to her that this is not how things are supposed to be done at your facility. Recognize her for having the courage to come and complain about the issues she has with the workplace, encourage her not to quit, then use her as your personal security camera on the floor. Ask her if she is willing to take on an extra responsibility of working with and watching the older nurse, and to report to you once or twice a week with her input. See if the old nurse changes after you sit down and talk to her, or see if she just ******* and moans and keeps the same agenda as always. If the latter happens terminate her, end of story."

I don't like the idea of encouraging employees to spy on each other. I know some managers who do this and we even had an employee transfer out of one dept over a new manager pressuring her to spy and report others. This will create a bad morale on the unit and leave a perception of bias and favoritism, especially if other coworkers find out about the espionage!

Mulan · Aug 1, 2011

"Step 2. Sit down with the new nurse and explain to her that this is not how things are supposed to be done at your facility. Recognize her for having the courage to come and complain about the issues she has with the workplace, encourage her not to quit, then use her as your personal security camera on the floor. Ask her if she is willing to take on an extra responsibility of working with and watching the older nurse, and to report to you once or twice a week with her input. See if the old nurse changes after you sit down and talk to her, or see if she just ******* and moans and keeps the same agenda as always. If the latter happens terminate her, end of story."
I don't like the idea of encouraging employees to spy on each other. I know some managers who do this and we even had an employee transfer out of one dept over a new manager pressuring her to spy and report others. This will create a bad morale on the unit and leave a perception of bias and favoritism, especially if other coworkers find out about the espionage!

Agree.

I don't think much of snitches or of people that encourage that type of behavior.