Nursing staff discouraged now

[NurseLatteDNP]

The morale of some of our nurses is really low and they complain about how horrible this job is for them. This keeps repeating every day and nobody is adressing it. It gets to the point that the rest of us who enjoy our job just stay away from them. The nurse manager is aware of the issue and she states that she can not afford to lose any nurses right now. How would you adress the issue without creating conflict?

[suanna]

I see a situation like yours on my unit now. I can tell you- the mood on my unit was at its best when staff felt involved in the decisions and policys on the floor. When staff felt valued and special they tended to have much better job satisfaction than when they were treated like just one more cog in the machine. If your unit manager is concerned about the morale on the unit see if she can have a "mandatory" staff meeting to explore what people see as the problem, and brain-storm changes to improve the state of affairs. The "discouraged" staff need to be in positions on leadership in developing a plan for change. Empowering people to make positive changes ends up making more positive people.

From a peer standpoint- is there anything you can do to promote group identity and cohesion. Organize something as simple as a bowling night, or better yet- a conference that can improve your practice,-anything that gets a group together outside of work. Invite the discouraged staff specifically. Being told the gathering won't be the same without you does a lot to help people feel better about thier value to the floor and thier peers.

To make much difference you are going to need the suppport of you manager- but if you want the situation to change, ostracizing the staff with poor morale just makes the problem worse.

[Mulan]

Just tell 'em!

As in, nobody wants to hear your b****in' and gripin'.

[BOOYARN]

the same thing is happening everywhere, most floor nurses are upset , more work more patients and less pay....... i understand that the job needs to get done...

but the system isnt working for the nurse, i strongly beeive in safe nurse to patient ratios equal for the nurses and assistants. it should be a law

excecutives are milking the economy for all they got , and its us and the nurses that suffer

plan an organized protest that shoudl get the attention of some of the admin and exce..... at least for better ratios pay etc

there is no reason to be working short staffed there is way too many new nurses willing to work ......

its greed, i agree with the bitter nurses!

[SweetheartRN]

Yep- nothing cheers someone up more than being told you are easily replaced:confused:

It would work for me.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Just let them know there are many new grads out there willing a ready to take the jobs that they hate just to get a job. I'd rather have a job that I hate if I could just get one at all....

I know you mean well ... and may just be venting your personal frustrations ... but that's just the kind of comment from a manager that inflames the situation and makes staff even more angry. It almost never improves the situation.

A better response from a manager is one that helps the unhappy staff deal effectively with the changes that are taking plance and helps them find solutions to their problems. That's what a good manager does.