Nurse Manager plays favorites

[mousebg]

Hi - I am new here and found this site by trying to find a solution to my problem. I work for a nurse manager in a critical care unit that is a doctor's wife and VERY cliquey with certain employees - especially the men. I am a charge nurse, but lately you would never know it. We have rotating charge nurses. She puts her best friend in charge about 7-8 times a month, herself as often as she works the floor and then her other friends 6 or so days each month. I always get the left overs - usually 3 charge days where she just doesn't have another charge nurse scheduled and I get to work with the weakest crews. I have bent over backwards to be cordial to her and accommodate her schedule changes or anything else she asks me to do, but I am becoming very frustrated.

Alot of the nurses that work under me think I am the best charge nurse in the unit, because I am a hands on person. Her favorite fellow worries only about his patient and never helps out the other nurses. They all complain about him, but not to her. I spoke to her several months ago to equally divide charge days, which she did for a month. This next schedule I don't have any charge days. It is embarrassing, and I am thinking of transferring to the Rehab unit which is in dire need of charge nurses unless I find a solution. I love critical care nursing, have years of experience in ICU and would hate to leave, but not sure what else to do. Is it me???? If so, I am open to any way to solve this problem. Any advice on a boss who plays favorites? mousebg:banghead:

[JB2007, ASN, RN]

I am sorry about your situation. It stinks when your boss can not separate work from their personal lives. I have no idea of how to stop this kind of behavior. You have to decide how much you can put up with and then move on when you reach that point. I have a lot of this type of behavior at my place of employment and I am sticking it out. Personally, I need the paycheck too badly to put up a fuss.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

I see this happening all the time where I work too. I'm not on anybody's favourites list so I often get the worst assignments and have been passed over for new opportunities several times. I'm nearing the end of my tether with this situation but don't know that it would be better or even different anywhere else. I'm contemplating having a meeting with my manager and laying it on the line, but am concerned that I may only make it worse. As you can see, I have no advice for you, only commiseration.