I've just recently accepted a charge nurse position on my floor (trauma/surgery), and I'm already regretting the decision. Nursing is my second profession, and I had promised myself I would never take another "management" type position. I wanted to be a nurse and take care of patients. Well.......I was basically the only person available or willing to take the CN position so I went against my better judgement (thinking I could make a difference - Right!) and jumped right in.
The problem is that we have a few very professional, hardworking, cooperative nurses who are truly interested in our patients and go out of their way to do anything necessary to provide the highest level of care to ALL patients on the floor - then we have everybody else.......
Everybody else is the problem. I would venture to say that 80% of the RN's, LPN's, PCT's, NA's, RT's, and unit clerks on our floor spend about 20% of the shift providing patient care, and the other 80% of the time gossiping, complaining, planning what they'll eat, off the floor, talking about what they're NOT going to do, and generally just doing nothing. They are very unprofessional with language, topics of conversation, discussions about patients and family members, etc. It's very frustrating. Our nurse manager always says "write it up", but nothing ever happens. I feel like I have to convince people to do their jobs on a daily basis, and I'm so frustrated at this point that I've applied for a position in another unit within the hospital. I don't want to leave my floor but when work begins to affect my health and personal relationships, I think it's time to make a change.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Is it possible to turn this type of situation around? I'd like to improve things and get to the highest level of care possible for out patients, but I'm truly at a loss as to how to go about it without support from higher up.
Also, does anyone work in a facility they feel is able to maintain a high level of professionalism and cooperation?
Oh there are definitely a favored few. I normally work nights but I worked an extra shift one day a couple of months ago, and I actually witnessed the "head" PCT pitch a fit, curse, and throw an accucheck machine across a table onto a cart. All this was done in the presence of our NM. Nothing was done.
It is hard to have an internal promotion. Sometimes it is better to have some one else come in. If that happens perhaps if too often, in time, this unit will get the attention of the higher ups.
There is no reason for you to have to be the one to fix it. You have tried and not had positive results. It is not your fault. I am sorry it means leaving an area you like.
Look at any transfer as a learning experience. Learn all you can and be ready to move on when you want. Too often I have loved the job but hated conditions. I have gotten thick skinned about where I work. It is a job, in a career path. Don't let it control your whole life.
Oh there are definitely a favored few. I normally work nights but I worked an extra shift one day a couple of months ago, and I actually witnessed the "head" PCT pitch a fit, curse, and throw an accucheck machine across a table onto a cart. All this was done in the presence of our NM. Nothing was done.
Nothing could illustrate the root of the problem more than that, your NM needs a spine transplant and the likelihood of you getting support from her to solve this problem is ZERO.
When I started taking the charge nurse position I picked up this book called "Managing Difficult People" by Marilyn Pincus. It has been really helpful (I heard about it on this website). Anyways, it was funny I was talking to the vice president of nursing one day and told her I had read the book and she had read it back in early 80's! Haha. It is good stuff though and even though it isn't directed towards nursing in particular there is a lot of useful info/ideas inside.
psalm, RN
1,263 Posts
WoW! Time to go...