Over 20 years at the hospital, left and not even a "thank you"????????

[27YearRN]

Hello all,

I've been lurking around for quite a while, and I had a discussion with a fellow nurse yesterday that has just set my blood boiling and my blood pressure near the stroke zone.

I am employed as an RN in a Magnet Hospital and have been there for over 17 years. In the last year we have lost many of our long term fellow nurses to retirement, disability, and job changes. On my own unit, one nurse who was employed for over 25 years went back to school and now works as an APN. Another nurse left to get a job a little closer to home, she had been employed here for over 20 years.

I had lunch with "Peggy", the 20 year nurse, who told me that the only thing she was told the day she left was to "return your badge and locator, and... don't forget to do your exit survey". She told me she cried every day for 2 weeks because she didn't even feel that ANY of her years were considered valuable by any of the management. Now, she's just ANGRY.

So I called "Kerry", the 25 year APN nurse, and asked her. She basically said the same thing. No one said "thank you for all your years of service". She feels like she came from a hospital devoid of caring managers. She was a great staff nurse, nurse educator, clinical specialist, assistant head nurse, clinic nurse in her time there, and never had any discipline problems. In addition she was "Nurse of the Quarter" on our unit so its not like she was just a warm body or anything. She (as well as Peggy) were respected by their peers, physicians, and patients in our community.

Maybe I am too emotional over this, but... I feel like I have a few feathers in my cap, but just CANNOT understand why these 2 valuable, talented women were allowed to leave without some sort of tribute to their many years of service from management! We hear all about the Press Gainey Scores and now our raises are tied to our Patient Satisfaction scores. The questions that are asked on our Satisfaction surveys don't address issues like this.

I want to address this with our CEN. I am sure she isn't aware of it.

Do you think I am crazy or overly emotional about this? I am just thinking about how I would feel if I left in a month with my 17 years of service there and all they said was "dont forget to give us your badge at the end of the day". Gee even a little ice cream and cake would be nice...

Any hints on what I can say when I meet with our CEN?

And if any of you are in upper management positions, you might want to ask your managers on Monday who has left with quite a bit of time spent there, and were they recognized by the management for all their valuable contributions to your organization?

Geez... and they are a Magnet Hospital on top of it all!!!:angryfire :angryfire

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

I got a Seiko watch at 20 y (must be same catalog). It had a dead battery and I had to pay to get a new one because Seikos have to be opened with a special tool.

I watched as people older than me were either terminated or forced out, then people my age, then.....

Let's just say there's not much incentive to keep us oldies when a new RN gets paid appx 1/2x what they paid us. I wasn't offered an exit interview just had to fight them for justified worker's comp.

[NurseCard, ADN]

Yeah, usually when someone left from the hospital that I just left, their coworkers would hold a pot-luck and maybe have a cake or something, and that was basically it. I got a little party when I left... and I do mean LITTLE, as our census was really low and so there wasn't even anyone at work that night! =)

Anyway, that same hospital has done nice little hospital-wide receptions for long time nurses who were RETIRING, but long-time nurses who were just simply leaving for another job, didn't really get much more than a see-ya.

For the most part, it is a little unrealistic to expect upper management of hospitals to care when a long time nurse leaves, unless maybe you work in one of those REALLY small, rural hospitals. They are way too busy worrying about the bottom line, you know?

[NurseCard, ADN]

This whole scenario is just mind-boggling to me, especially for someone who has been a devoted nurse for as long as some of you. at the hospital where I work, we celebrate almost anything - graduation, transferring to another floor, leaving permanently, heck we even celebrate fridays cause it's friday!! To some it may not make a difference if its Friday or Monday since it all feels the same when your a nurse, but I've found that these little celebrations help lighten the mood of what is otherwise a difficult and sometimes depressing job. We work as a family, even though we sometimes want to rip each others throats out. When one of our nurses transferred to another floor (and came back 2 weeks later) we all chipped in for a gift for her and had a little party, when one of our assistants lost a baby, we all threw some money together to help her in any way we could. I feel it's important to show your appreciation for others, whether they've been there 5 years or 20 years. Only we as nurses (or future nurses!!) know how difficult and challenging this job really is and what kind of situations we face each day, and to hear a thank you for even the smallest thing makes a huge difference because it means that someone noticed not only you, but the effort you put in to what you do. Anyways, sorry this dragged on a bit, but basically I think everyone deserves a thank-you (at the very least) and should show their appreciation more often for their fellow co-workers cause we're all damn good nurses!!

But... I really think that the OP is mainly talking about management, upper and perhaps middle management. They are the ones who basically say "see ya", you know?

Now, if "Peggy's" and "Kerry's" co-workers on their units didn't even give them a little going away party/potluck/whatever, and maybe a little card or gift or something... then that **IS** truly sad and IMO, unacceptable.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Because there is zero focus on RETENTION, and all the attention is being directed at RECRUITMENT. Hardly anyone raises an eyebrow when a reliable, experienced nurse leaves and that is very sad.

[anne74]

Honestly, I wouldn't have expected anything. Maybe because I've been so conditioned that corporations (which hospitals are) have no loyalty for their employees. That's why I don't feel loyalty to them. I do my job well, and I'm a good employee, but I see it just as a job - because management sees me as a warm body who covers a shift. It's sad, but if you see it any differently you can get your feelings hurt, as it seems what happened in this case.

Is this OK? No. Should they have done something? Absolutely. But it's reality. Many managers are short-sighted and don't see the value of doing little things to raise employee morale - even if it's buying a cheap grocery store cake. They don't see that honoring these outgoing employees can have a positive impact on the current ones. That speaks volumes of how managers think of their nurses in general.

You should look for admiration and appreciation from within and from family/friends around you. Don't expect it from "the man" because it's just not there.

By the way - congrats to them for a wonderful career in which they made a difference in countless lives. There will be a spot in heaven for them.

[angelwatch]

Please thank these nurses on behalf of all of the lives they touched. There are many people who will remember and be grateful.

[jodyangel, RN]

Amen. Sadly, as I say now, its all about the money. As someone who's been in nursing many years I can say its changed sooo much. I have to enjoy the people I work with. I left a job recently because the other nurses were so clickish and territorial that I had no joy working my shift with them. I took a lower paying job with a bunch of hardworking but fun loving people who you could have a laugh with.

I work for the patients I care for and my coworkers. I know how expendible I am to administration.

[weezer123]

Just my opinion , I think they will do you the same way.. I had the same thing happen to me after 32yrs service, but they did not even ask me to turn in my badge, I was on medical leave and they just terminated me, because after 9mos they can just do that.. I also was well respected , had perfect evaluations etc. The fact of the matter is " They dont care " .. They just need someone to take care of their patients.! Thanks for listening. I still cry also.. and am suffering from arthritis in both knees, wonder why I have arthritis in my knees????

[malka]

I have found that working in this day and age everyone is dispensable. I work in a nursing home and our administrator who is a nurse hates nurses. She says they are a dime a dozen. Of course, we cannot seem to keep nurses, but, hey she doesn't do the staffing. I do. We use alot of agency. They call off, so what! They only care about keeping things running, and keeping the cash flow flowing. She even fired our DON because she was the kind of nurse who didn't hang out in her office all day but went up to the floors and got to know the residents. If you are human with a beating heart, then it doesn't seem to count these days. I don't get it but that seems to be the way things are. It takes time and money to make a time of recognition for someone who has contributed their life for years and to be honest, these people want to put their time and money where they can make more money. In fact, I just thought of something else. One of our residents is the mother of the president of the board. She was treated like the queen of England. As soon as her son stepped down as president, she was treated as just another resident. I hate it but that is the ugliness of people.

[sqky]

I see the same thing in the hospital where I work. Right now we nurses on the floor are talking between each other about it. We are seeing experienced, peer respected nurses leaving with not even an acknowledgement from administration.

I agree also have seen those experienced, peer respected nurses passed over for positions several years earlier. The positions were given to nurses who had been out of school for only 1-2 years. The years of experience and certification in a nursing speciality ment nothing to management.

A couple of us at work have taken it upon ourselves to get some acknowledgement for nurses who are leaving.

We make memory boxes, hand deliver stationary to key management pesons and ask them to write something that they will always remember about the person. We include "memories" from everyone from every department. We then put all the "memories" together in the box and present it to the individual.

Sometimes we have to track the person down after they have been released from working here. But everyone needs to remember good times and know they have been appreciated.

We have quit talking, and took action. We did not want to be part of not acknowledging someone, we wanted to help start it.

[NightshiftQueen]

At our hospital, EVERY retiring employee is offered a retirement reception with cake and it is announced in the hospital newsletter. They have milestone dinners at 5, 10, 15, 20 years, etc and you are given a momento of some sort, and a pin for years of service and they announce the people being honored in the hospital newsletter.

As far as people leaving for whatever reason, as a unit, we always have some sort of going away party, even if it is just cake and ice cream. Usually we go out and eat or have a pitch in.

It isn't the a perfect place to work, we have our managment problems too and wonder sometimes if they really understand what the people in the trenches do but it isn't as bad as what some of you guys are describing!

I've been there 26 years next month.

[jenrninmi, MSN, RN]

I see the same thing in the hospital where I work. Right now we nurses on the floor are talking between each other about it. We are seeing experienced, peer respected nurses leaving with not even an acknowledgement from administration.

I agree also have seen those experienced, peer respected nurses passed over for positions several years earlier. The positions were given to nurses who had been out of school for only 1-2 years. The years of experience and certification in a nursing speciality ment nothing to management.

A couple of us at work have taken it upon ourselves to get some acknowledgement for nurses who are leaving.

We make memory boxes, hand deliver stationary to key management pesons and ask them to write something that they will always remember about the person. We include "memories" from everyone from every department. We then put all the "memories" together in the box and present it to the individual.

Sometimes we have to track the person down after they have been released from working here. But everyone needs to remember good times and know they have been appreciated.

We have quit talking, and took action. We did not want to be part of not acknowledging someone, we wanted to help start it.

That sounds so nice... . I think that's a great idea!