I work in a local hospital and I work on a telemetry floor. Its a high stress floor with lots of action always going on. We can't keep a manager. Its just very stressful. So our company ( for profit hospital - chs) has hired this woman to manage our floor til the end of the year. She called us all into a meeting the other day and this is what she said...
" Do you realize that 70% of nurses come from dysfunctional backgrounds and 30% come from either sexually or physically abused backgrounds". Its no wonder "we" have trouble doing our jobs properly....."
Now first off..I don't know what that has to do with us. She has a floor full of Very competant nurses..but they're overwealmed. We only occasionally have nurses aides to help. They've all quit or gone to night shift to ease their stress. So the speach went on to say that weither or Not we had NA's we are to know that the responsiblity of the care of the patient falls on us. We have to make sure the water is passed, the rooms are tidyed, the bath and bed is done and all our nursing dutys fullfilled as well.
Now, I don't know about you...but thats a tall order. I have 6 patients to care for. I do my best to help them with bathing and the other things, but when push comes to shove, sometimes things have to be prioritized. I have to make passing my meds (properly and timely), signing off my charts orders, calling the MD's and fullfilling the treatments ect MY priority. Sometimes, baths have to be let go til the next day. This facility doesnt want to hire any more NA's. They don't see their role as very important obviously. BUT they do stress patient satisfaction as number one!!! I have sat in meetings and told them how to keep the ratings high..but they only answer with "we're looking at the situation and will come to a solution soon.." Bull crap!!! They don't want to hire any aides..thats how we see it.
So the other day a nurse..a very competant nurse was called into the office the other day and told not to come back to work..because a patient had complained to the administration that her pain medication was not given to her in a timely manner. This was a direct admit, meaning they came from a doctors office with NO orders at all. The nurse had to track down the MD and get orders for pain. This took one hour to accomplish. SOUNDS RESONABLE TO ME, HOW ABOUT YOU NURSES? She's gone. Period.
So we are all in a twist over all this. There is no way to do all they want us to do..if all it takes to get fired is a patient complaint. Nurses have no unions..no rights at all. The staff that attended the meeting are all fuming over the "articles" this manager quoted to us. I know for myself, I come from a very stable upbringing..and don't feel I fit into that profile. Most of my fellow classmates said the same thing. So do you think those comments were appropriate? We are going to go to the DON and complain about the situation....because its becoming intolerable.
