The thread in the nursing student forum about people who are always late got me thinking.
I am chronically early for everything. If I'm not 10 minutes early for an appointment, work, whatever, then I start to get anxiety. So I have a hard time relating to those who are temporally challenged. And I know that there are people who are ALWAYS late. I work with half a dozen providers, and one or two are like me (always there 15 minutes before start time), a couple get there right at start time, and there are 2 or 3 who are ALWAYS 10-20 minutes late for their first appointment of the session (and it drives me farking nuts, because the chronic late ones are my favorite providers and they ask me to go to lunch with them, and if I accept, then *I* will be late for my first appointment of the afternoon session, which is exactly what happened yesterday).
I know that sometimes it's just poor (or lack of) planning. But I've come to suspect that for some people, it's just part of their innate character, and that's what I want to try to understand better, so that I can better work with these people (and not show my intense annoyance). I really do think that sometimes, it's just beyond their control.
So for those of you who are temporally challenged, or love someone who is, help me understand what happens in their brains that make them this way, so I can be a more understanding coworker/supervisor.
No, it isn't. I know a lot of people with a lot of issues. Time sense is something you either have or you don't. You can ask one of my brothers what time something happened, and he'll tell you to the minute. My other brother will say, "The other day," whether it was an hour or a month ago.
This kind of attitude is narrow minded and assumes that everyone else has the same abilities, culture, and values that you do.
And there are some individuals who just do not know how long something will take.
For example, I have a relative who will say "oh, I'm going to jump into the shower before we go." Meanwhile the dinner reservation (yes, I know, much less important than work) is in 5 minutes, and there is no way we will get there on time.
There was a nurse who got to late 15 or so minutes late one morning, Starbucks in hand. Not that it was really the end of the world, but she said "there was a long line at Starbucks! I was expecting to get in and out and it took me 20 minutes to get my coffee." Well, what did you expect at Starbucks' rush hour time in the morning.
I'm not criticizing these issues, but I don't understand how and individual can now know how long something takes when they do it every day (like take a shower or stop at Starbucks).
Sorry, I think that's a load of baloney. It's not innate character or beyond their control. They've discovered they can get away with it. Plain and simple. People tolerate it, accept their excuses. They are not penalized.
I disagree here based on previous experiences. I have seen people disciplined for it, up to and including being fired. Despite the progressive disciplinary action (whether it be for tardiness or absenteeism), these individuals did not change--and they paid for it by losing their jobs. It suggests to me that it is not a simple as "set your alarm earlier" or "leave home sooner." There seems to be something preventing them from changing.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
There was a nurse who got to late 15 or so minutes late one morning, Starbucks in hand. Not that it was really the end of the world, but she said "there was a long line at Starbucks! I was expecting to get in and out and it took me 20 minutes to get my coffee." Well, what did you expect at Starbucks' rush hour time in the morning.
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Let me preface this by saying that I'm rarely late. But in my experience, 0600 is not rush hour at Starbuck's. I've been known to walk in late with Starbuck's in hand because AFTER I got my coffee, I had to take a detour because of an accident or construction on the highway, a fire in the city, a broken water main or (and this one really frosts me) picketing in front of our hospital preventing me from getting into the parking garage.
I disagree here based on previous experiences. I have seen people disciplined for it, up to and including being fired. Despite the progressive disciplinary action (whether it be for tardiness or absenteeism), these individuals did not change--and they paid for it by losing their jobs. It suggests to me that it is not a simple as "set your alarm earlier" or "leave home sooner." There seems to be something preventing them from changing.
Yes, what's preventing them is their lack of organization and self-discipline.
Follow your logic to its natural conclusion, and nobody is responsible for any of their personal flaws.
Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
...there will be times that they will be late or have to cancel appointment. That is totally different then always being late, and using IBS as an excuse.
I don't want to judge, but yes, I abhor people who are late all the time. Dr Laura says it's a passive aggressive attempt at being controlling. Don't want to judge other nurses, but I know some people in real life who fit this description to a "T".
I believe that, at work, other nurses depend on you to be there on time so they can clock out or do whatever else they have to do.
And I recently became afflicted with IBS--it's been a few months. I always arrived at work early enough (15-20 mins) to have a bowel movement before I clocked in.
I didn't know i had ibs, I just knew I always had to go right before work, only on work days. This didn't happen on my off days. I'd go in to work early, grab the keys and let the other nurse know, I'm here early, I'll be off the floor in the restroom.
When ibs struck in the middle of a shift, I'd tell the nurse I'm going off the floor to go to the restroom, and if my bathroom time took longer than my 10 minute break allowed, I'd call the other nurse from the bathroom and tell them I'd be back momentarily.
For the ones who are habitually late, and who can not manage their time, maybe you should find a salaried position with flexible hours.
Don't make your problem my problem.
I will charge for overtime and under comments put "dayshift nurse was late."
The person responsible for payroll will investigate the number of occurences and management will follow through.
I rarely do this, but when I do, in a week or two, that person starts appearing on time, usually complaining loudly about how unfair it is that they are in progressive disciplinary action.
People will do what it takes to save their jobs.
"Like" wasn't enough for me. I must applaud this process.
And, I hate to mention, this flies in the face of those who argue that this is an inability-to-conform personality disorder that must be accommodated.
I disagree here based on previous experiences. I have seen people disciplined for it, up to and including being fired. Despite the progressive disciplinary action (whether it be for tardiness or absenteeism), these individuals did not change--and they paid for it by losing their jobs. It suggests to me that it is not a simple as "set your alarm earlier" or "leave home sooner." There seems to be something preventing them from changing.
People wear blinders to avoid admitting when they are in error. A person who doesn't see this as an issue will believe and report that they are being picked on or it's being used as an excuse to get rid of them.
Recently I got to see this in action. Not related to lateness. But a fellow student broke dress code. Was politely asked to leave, student made a scene. For days after we had to listen to this student whine about the event and how wrong she was treated. Never once did the student take responsibility for her part in the problem.
What is preventing them from changing, is lack of desire to change. They see a person late 1 time and can not understand that one time is much different then every day. If they see a person late one time and get away with it, then they believe they should be allowed to do it all the time. Hence, they will NEVER admit that it is a chronic problem that they are in control of and can fix. They will look for anything to support their view/belief, and of course, all their friends will nod their heads and support them.
That is ok, keep firing them and replacing them with those who will be dependable.
I don't want to judge, but yes, I abhor people who are late all the time. Dr Laura says it's a passive aggressive attempt at being controlling. Don't want to judge other nurses, but I know some people in real life who fit this description to a "T".
I believe that, at work, other nurses depend on you to be there on time so they can clock out or do whatever else they have to do.
And I recently became afflicted with IBS--it's been a few months. I always arrived at work early enough (15-20 mins) to have a bowel movement before I clocked in.
I didn't know i had ibs, I just knew I always had to go right before work, only on work days. This didn't happen on my off days. I'd go in to work early, grab the keys and let the other nurse know, I'm here early, I'll be off the floor in the restroom.
When ibs struck in the middle of a shift, I'd tell the nurse I'm going off the floor to go to the restroom, and if my bathroom time took longer than my 10 minute break allowed, I'd call the other nurse from the bathroom and tell them I'd be back momentarily.
I thought that was the courteous thing to do.
I have it too. I can relate. LOL! But as you pointed out, you found a way to show up in a timely manor and/or keep persons updated on your condition. Even if it meant you had to leave early, so you can let events take place at work.
Let me preface this by saying that I'm rarely late. But in my experience, 0600 is not rush hour at Starbuck's. I've been known to walk in late with Starbuck's in hand because AFTER I got my coffee, I had to take a detour because of an accident or construction on the highway, a fire in the city, a broken water main or (and this one really frosts me) picketing in front of our hospital preventing me from getting into the parking garage.
It was more like 0650…there is a Starbucks right across the street from the hospital. Plus, she blamed on the line at Starbucks--not on some freak accident between her stop at Starbucks and her arrival at work.
Follow your logic to its natural conclusion, and nobody is responsible for any of their personal flaws.
I did not say that at all…I'm just saying that there is something (and, yes, you could call it a flaw) that prevents someone from changing, even in the face of punishment, from changing his/her tardy ways. I'm just saying that I can't explain that flaw and the inability to change. No matter what happens, these individuals do not change, and I don't know why.
psu_213, BSN, RN
3,878 Posts
And there are some individuals who just do not know how long something will take.
For example, I have a relative who will say "oh, I'm going to jump into the shower before we go." Meanwhile the dinner reservation (yes, I know, much less important than work) is in 5 minutes, and there is no way we will get there on time.
There was a nurse who got to late 15 or so minutes late one morning, Starbucks in hand. Not that it was really the end of the world, but she said "there was a long line at Starbucks! I was expecting to get in and out and it took me 20 minutes to get my coffee." Well, what did you expect at Starbucks' rush hour time in the morning.
I'm not criticizing these issues, but I don't understand how and individual can now know how long something takes when they do it every day (like take a shower or stop at Starbucks).