Nursing Supervisor screw ups!!!

Weeping Willow · Jan 7, 2008

Managers are only human. Some are good, some aren't. Some are lazy and disorganized, some aren't. It's pretty irksome to think that they are paid more and they get away with all these screwups, too, whereas some line personnel always get busted, and over little stuff.

They are just as prone as the rest of us, I guess, to try to pass the buck and the blame. If you have to continue working with her, you probably have to take the initiative in making sure about things, have a witness, and get everything in writing that you possibly can.

Maybe you can try befriending her, if only for your own protection.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jan 7, 2008

My nursing supervisor did something that really angered me a little over 1 week ago.

A family member (who rarely visits) complained to the nursing supervisor that his father was not being routinely checked while at our facility. As the supervisor and the family member were strolling past me, the supervisor says in a condescending tone, "You really need to check on this man more often!"

My supervisor didn't know or care that I and several other staff members had been in and out of the patient's room at least previous 5 times that day to give him a shower, dress his surgical incision, medicate him, pass his meal trays, and do other varied things to provide care.

After the family member left, I called my supervisor's cell phone number and demanded to know why he said what he said. I was upset, because his comment reaffirmed to the family member that care was not being provided, and that rounds were not being made on this patient. It would have been much more preferable to me if this nursing supervisor approached me about the subject IN PRIVATE. He responded that I "walked past him and the visitor at the wrong time." He later apologized, and requested that I didn't remain upset at him.

I felt that my nursing supervisor royally screwed up in this situation.

widi96 · Jan 7, 2008

Any questions or statements that could be reflected as negative should ALWAYS be done in private. An employee should never be talked to that way in front of other staff, patients, family members etc.

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Jan 7, 2008

My nursing supervisor did something that really angered me a little over 1 week ago.
A family member (who rarely visits) complained to the nursing supervisor that his father was not being routinely checked while at our facility. As the supervisor and the family member were strolling past me, the supervisor says in a condescending tone, "You really need to check on this man more often!"
My supervisor didn't know or care that I and several other staff members had been in and out of the patient's room at least previous 5 times that day to give him a shower, dress his surgical incision, medicate him, pass his meal trays, and do other varied things to provide care.
After the family member left, I called my supervisor's cell phone number and demanded to know why he said what he said. I was upset, because his comment reaffirmed to the family member that care was not being provided, and that rounds were not being made on this patient. It would have been much more preferable to me if this nursing supervisor approached me about the subject IN PRIVATE. He responded that I "walked past him and the visitor at the wrong time." He later apologized, and requested that I didn't remain upset at him.
I felt that my nursing supervisor royally screwed up in this situation.

Darn right that should have been done in private. How about asking you first also? I hate when supervisors just side with the family.

jnrsmommy · Jan 7, 2008

I had a problem just the other day. Last Thursday night I was at work and wound up in the ER for a few hours after I had some type of allergic reaction (assume it was to latex as that is my only allergy, but as far as I know I hadn't come into contact w/ latex). Anyhoo, while I was in the ER, my co-workers were covering my pts, and one of them had a vanc due. Well, she hung it, but didn't know that a p and t was due on that dose, so it wasn't done. When I got back to the floor and realized what happened, I left a note on the chart for the doc, he was going to be making rounds soon, so I did not call (this was just before 6am, he usually shows up a few min past 7). While I was giving report, the doc shows up, and asked my why it was missed (all I put in the note was that the p and t was missed on the third dose, would he like to do a random w/ the next). I told him why it was missed, he said no problem, to do it w/ the next dose. I asked if he was going to write the order or did he want me to, he said he would. So, I went back to giving report, and tell the nurse that the doc said that he would be writing the order. She said fine.

Friday afternoon, I get a call from the unit manager all livid because the doc is upset because the p and t result isn't in the chart. It was never done that day. Why didn't I do it that morning when it was ordered. Ummmm, helloooo. She wasn't told by the night supervisor what happened to me (she shows up after I leave, never planned on waiting around on her to show up), the doc never wrote the order, and the day nurse never followed through, but she was threatening to write me up. Luckily, I did document the conversation w/ the doc, told her to go read it, and talk to the day nurse. She still wrote me up, was waiting for me when I got there today. I refused to sign it, took it to the DON, who tore it up, and did write up the nurse and the doc.