Nursing Divisionists

nursemike, ASN, RN · Mar 11, 2005

I don't think it's only a problem at the national level. You see it on the floors, too. Not every day, but far too often, I hear of a nurse who's going to "write someone up" over something he or she didn't agree with. Usually, it's someone on another floor or another shift, or sometimes it's just someone in a different clique.

It isn't just nurses, either. One of my duties used to be passing meal trays, and a dietary assistant threatened to write me up because a patient who had transfered hours before my shift didn't get his tray. I let the matter slide, but today I would have questioned why the tray was delivered to the wrong floor in the first place, and would have informed her that only my manager our director can write me up. Only my boss can put a disciplinary letter in my file. She was free to do an incident report, which is what people mean when they say "write someone up", but no one seems to grasp that an incident report is about noting an irregularity so we can avoid it in the future.

But I digress. My point is, some people are just way too anxious to assign blame to a co-worker, and this seems especially true of nurses.

I have a theory. I think we see our jobs as especially important--a matter of life and death, in fact. We take it as a personnal affront if someone is careless or sloppy or even makes an honest mistake. It takes a real leap of faith to assume that others care as much as we do, even when they screw up, and not everyone is willing to make that leap. (Also, I suspect, the motivation behind the old "eating their young" saw. Put bluntly, inexperience is dangerous. Mentoring is the answer, and most see that, but there are always a few who don't.)

So, you come on shift and find a patient laying in feces, and all too often the first assumption is not that he soiled himself during report. You feel bad for the patient, and used at being left someone else's job, and react accordingly. So, now, the person you berate, or "write up", or complain to your co-workers about, is not your ally. Which is fine--who wants someone like that for an ally? But then, you wonder why there's no unity...

I don't mean to exaggerate. I see very little of this on my floor, which is a reason I plan to stay there. But it is divisive when it happens, and even on these boards, we read more than a few indignant letters about someone's inappropriate practice and how the poster stood up for the patient.

I don't have a solution to offer. Trying to see the other person's side seems like a good idea. Taking that "leap of faith," that others care as much as I do, even if they differ on what to do about it, seems good on paper (or a screen), but will it ever happen enough?

You do see this sort of sniping in other fields, too, but I don't recall ever seeing it with the same level of passion. I do think anyone who is serious about nursing unity has a duty to resolve, if they haven't already, to be as supportive to their individual co-workers as they possibly can. If 4 or 5 of us can't get together for one shift, we will never get together.

pmchap · Mar 14, 2005

" My point is, some people are just way too anxious to assign blame to a co-worker, and this seems especially true of nurses."

Here Here - until we as nurses can stand together without accussing each other first then we have no hope of developing or portraying the 'professional' image that we all hold dear. I don't know whether the ethos of blame came as a result of our roots as the dogs body, handmaidens etc - but surely if we want to gain respect as a profession we each have to start acting like professionals. Own up to it if you make a mistake - don't blame something - recognise things like incident forms as a method of improving our work - not the overbearing punishment that so many individuals with a threat/blame/punishment mentality have. For example - MDs will discuss mistakes in a collegial way to learn and improve, while nurses discussing mistakes seek to side someone to blame and fail to effectively learn and search for ways of minimising the mistake happening again.

Just my 2 cents,

Peter

Jay Levan · Mar 14, 2005

Here we have the opportunity to discuss things openly. However also here we are at risk of our comments being seen by those that would keep us divided for their own reasons. I find myself more and more fearless when it comes to speaking plainly, but that is due, at least in part, to my closeness to retirement age. I will have the opportunity to work tirelessly, for my profession, and I intend to do just that in 21 months. Your perception of our problems seems Right on the Money. We do need a Peer Review Board, just as Physicians have. However, when it comes to constructive critisizm, we

males, are like Sitting Ducks on the pond. This is not to say that sheilas, can't be ostrasised, but we are the primary targets of females in our profession. All you have to do is listen to the Male Bashing utterances of females as they gripe about their lovers/husbands/boyfriends etc. :uhoh21: to see that any time they get the chance to get even with those listed, through us vicariously, they will avail themselves of that opportunity. I have been a victim of "Bad Hair Days" to often to dismiss it as coincidence. Yes we all make mistakes, those of us that are Human that is. However we also live in a very litigenous society. This makes being honest and forthright, a very risky endeavor. I carry my own malpractice insurance because at one time the "Hospital" covered you with theirs(Malpractice Insurance) but that is no longer the case in reality. In reality they say you are covered, but the Physician comes first under their policies. The Physician is sued for the max leaving no wiggle room for the Nurse. If the nurse does not have adequate coverage they are left holding the bag :angryfire If the nurse has any savings or holdings, Real Estate, Stocks, Bonds, IRA's and they do not have coverage the attornies go after those holdings. Thank God, I have never had to avail myself of this protection :stone, but I am covered should this plague visit my doorstep. There is another area of concern to me and that is, a retirement fund(National) for nurses with twenty or more years of experince, our national nursing organizations has never addressed this problem. For me it is a moot subject, I have done the best I was able to, to prepare for this eventuality, but there are many I know who have not done so. I fear that they will finish their lives in a nursing home without the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labor of love. I would discuss the logistics of a plan that I have in mind to great extent, but I don't wish to be a bore. Let me just say that were the ANA mine to administer, Retirement Funding would be my first concern, and order of business. :coollook:

Maggiemay · Mar 14, 2005

I agree that the changes have to come from us. I have been in a unionized setting and the sniping was just as bad as non-unionized. Until hospitals and healthcare as a whole recognize that nurses need the time to nurse, and leave the food trays, transporting, bedmaking, and clerical duties to someone else I don't know how we can move forward. BUT, It gets really old listening to how mistreated and overworked a nurse is when she is reading an ENQUIRER while the call lights go off. Do you think we should maybe act like professionals????