68wildcat

@Ginger45; That is just awful to have to deal with that. And you're right! This is supposed to be a team. To have the best patient care we must always work as a team. The stronger the team usually the better outcome for our patients/residents. Not to mention the proven fact, no matter what your job is, good team players boost the morale of everyone on that team. Like gossip and being mean affects eveyone around it, so too can kindness and support. I have seen new staff plummet and leave after a short time because of bullying, and I have seen them soar with kindness and support. We make our choices in this short life, I choose to be the best I can, oh sure I have my off days when I feel grumpy/tired. But I REFUSE to lay that on anyone else. I really do believe the problem may start with the employee, but it steamrolls with complacent incompetent management. People really do forget alot about you, but they will NEVER forget how you made them feel.:)

Thanks Pedicurn and all others for your kind words. I will miss much in the nursing profession, there has been more good than bad, and I will leave with fond memories. It would take pages upon pages for me to tell you of all the wonderful nurses I have worked with that were awesome! They were great supervisors that made us support workers really feel like part of the team, valued our input and recognized the heavy load we carried in trying to get our duties done. Total respect. And we respected them. I once had the pleasure of having a 30+ yrs. supervisor who said,' Never ever say you are JUST a personal support worker! You are a vital part of the nursing team'. 'People will forget a lot of things about you over the years, but they will never forget how you made them feel.' Treat everyone with kindess, it will come back to you ten-fold.

Lots of good read here, but what do I do about a supervisor R.N who just doesn't like me? I have been in this job for 6 yrs. and she just 'came on board' about 6 months ago. My first words to her were, 'Welcome' and we seemed to be getting along ok. Over time she seemed to change a little with all us girls and picked a few of us out to use every opportunity to 'pick' at us. Kind words and professional respect towards her are met with rude stares or total ignoring us. No point going to management, they love her tough style and will not listen to us, in fact they may get their backs up towards us. Some of the aides are so afraid to be on shift with her they swap or call in sick. We walk with our heads down and don't speak at all except when necessary for the whole shift. Morale is really down. Why is she so mean to us. Our work records are immaculate, yet one by one the girls are crumbling, afraid of losing their jobs over some trumped up accusation she will come up with. It's so humiliating.

Like the nurses here, I too must time manage as a caregiver, and for the newbies, all I can say is it will happen. You will learn to 'fly' through your shift and be able to manage your time successfully, meaning you got everything done! Multi-tasking is a must. Hold the friendly chatter down to a minimum. You can still be a 'nice' nurse but you need to stay on track. Know what you're doing before you go to the patient. Then get it done done done and move on to the next one. In this field you need to know your next move before you do it, divide your tasks by the clock and be ready when the poop hits the fan. After report where I work, our mantra is 'let's rock and roll'. It's the only way to survive! LOL

Don't let it get to you, learn from it. And let the charge nurse know you are thankful she pointed this out to you, and you appreciate her concerns. By doing this you are showing maturity and respect to her, which is NOT 'kissing-up' but quite the opposite. She will go away with respect for you admitting you erred, and you will go away feeling you learned something (so much to always learn!) and all will be well.

Misleading and what's up with the age thing? Women only?! This ad should read, 'Nurses desparately needed. Apply now! We will pay you what you deserve! $125,000 per year to start.( if you work a lot of overtime and holidays) Ha ha we're kidding, you get the going rate and work like a dog. Apply anyway. ROTFLMAO

LOL excellent response!

Where I work we don't need 'permission' to give care to someone who is designated 'independent'. We do however relate this info back to the nurses so their care plans can be updated. And this part is very important because unless it's in the care plan, not all caregivers will give that support. Some caregivers are by the book, others are more flexible, so between the caregivers, the family and the nurses and doctors, a solution must be found. The feelings and independence of the senior must be respected, yet at the same time the care that is needed must be there. I find I must build a relationship with my residents, based on trust and caring, before we can work together and get the job done.

Aww this made my eyes water, and that lump in the throat thing too.

OMG! Get out of there as quick as you can...before something really bad happens to you! And I thought I had it bad! We have a night supervisor that sleeps 3 out of 8 hrs. she is there. I work in a long term care home- 60 people. She will not assist in any way with us two staff, refuses to answer bells, posey alarms, or give meds until she is ready. If someone wakes up in pain and asks for pain relief, she makes them wait until her nap is over. Sometimes it's hours before she goes to them. She refuses to have anything to do with palliative care. It's sad..I feel unsafe too. Reporting won't matter, they are desparate to keep nurses-so that's just the way it is.

camaronurse that was totally funny! I laughed out loud when I read that last paragraph! OMG that was funny! I must remember that one.

This happens everywhere, at least from what I have seen in my many years in nursing. Although I am only a personal support worker, we too get student psw's and some staff here treat them awful! I like to make newcomers feel welcome and am eager to show them the ropes and help them navigate their way around. I do this because I know how nervous they are and how much better it is for them and us when they get into the 'swing' of things. Unfortunately some staff are just plain mean and ignore their requests for assistance. And like a bad cold others get 'infected' and get an attitude towards students and new staff too. It's too bad this happens. It is not necessarry to be like this. All it does is turn people off and then they don't come in to help when we are short. Can't say as I blame them.

Up here in Canada we have a hard time getting anything that isn't starchy stiff and itchy. One of the nurses at work showed up one day with some Grey'sAnatomy scrubs on and wow! They were soft and flattering and looked very comfortable to wear. Where do we get these here in Canada?!