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.
I'm not late to things I can't be late for. I would take the chance and crap my pants before I missed a Vanco trough. I won't crap my pants for a protime.
i don't care if someone is early to work but I'm impressed if they're a great performer. I'm not impressed by being early in of itself. Someone being early or me taking the time to talk someone down, how do you place value higher on one than the other?
***I'm not an hourly or shift employee, I'm not holding anyone up and I have the sense to make a responsible decision.
I'm the person who shows up 5 minutes before the start time, and my "half an hour early is late" peers always tease me about it. But while they show up and proceed to mentally and physically prep, I've already done that before arriving and I can jump in just as ready as they are at start-time. Some of them still aren't ready by the start. They chit-chat while prepping and so what takes me 10 minutes to do quietly at home takes them the hour they've been there together waiting. But I'd feel horrendous if I showed up after an appointment had already started.
One thing that really bothers me is people who show up 5 minutes late, clock in basically right on time, go to the break room, fluff and buff themselves, run to the cafeteria to get coffee come back to the break room…oh wait, there is an interesting piece on the Today show about the latest trend in shoes…they watch that, then come strolling in 25 minutes late. All while the night shifter who has been there 12 hours, and has to be back in less than 12 hours, waits from their replacement.
FWIW, I get there 10-15 minutes early and have never found myself looking at the wallpaper.
i don't care if someone is early to work but I'm impressed if they're a great performer. I'm not impressed by being early in of itself. Someone being early or me taking the time to talk someone down, how do you place value higher on one than the other?
Obviously I would take a great performer, but…it's not an either, or. It is possible to be a good nurse and always be on time. True, being on time does not make someone a great nurse; and being late does not mean the person is a bad nurse. However, you don't need to make a choice between the two.
Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.
And Shilla, I see your point about the phrase "temporally challenged" - thank you for clarifying. I honestly had no inkling that that would be considered offensive.
No issue. Once I thought about the phrase I realized that you are correct, there are two sides to this coin and we really do not understand one another.
I can attest it is really hard for me to understand why someone would be willing to choose to go to work 15-30 or MORE minutes early and not be paid for that time.
I went to work early. I did not clock in early or start early. I sat in the foyer (or someplace) and relaxed from the drive. Of course, while doing this, I had opportunity to observe a little about what was going on, but I wasn't 'looking' for anything before my shift started.
Obviously I would take a great performer, but…it's not an either, or. It is possible to be a good nurse and always be on time. True, being on time does not make someone a great nurse; and being late does not mean the person is a bad nurse. However, you don't need to make a choice between the two.
I wasn't clear. I meant to compare someome early to someone on time, no brownie points for just being early without the performance to back it up. Just being early in of itself holds no merit to me but not meant to justify being late. Again I don't work a shift, just participating in this bread from my specific experience.
Your post above about the Today show, that's beyond tardiness from someone who's undisciplined and disorganized, that's a blatant FU.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
i don't care if someone is early to work but I'm impressed if they're a great performer. I'm not impressed by being early in of itself. Someone being early or me taking the time to talk someone down, how do you place value higher on one than the other? .
I do not value being early over being great at your job. It's not either/or. I am early AND I am fantastic at my job. Our providers are all fantastic. I just wish they could be fantastic AND not late.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I can attest it is really hard for me to understand why someone would be willing to choose to go to work 15-30 or MORE minutes early and not be paid for that time.
I totally get that. For me alone, getting there 30 minutes early and not being paid for my time is worth it to have all my ducks in a row at the beginning of the day. It's worth it for my own peace of mind and feeling of organization. And I totally get that it would not be worth it to others.
I do not value being early over being great at your job. It's not either/or. I am early AND I am fantastic at my job. Our providers are all fantastic. I just wish they could be fantastic AND not late.
I thought you were asking for thoughts, your OP already made your stance clear.
As with ALL disabilities, one has to learn to deal with the world around them. Another words, it's an explanation, never an excuse. Once you know what is wrong, then you come up with a game plan so that it doesn't continue to repeat.
Not trying to be a downer. We have family members that hit just about all you have listed. And What I wrote is our moto of sorts.
I absolutely KNOW they do not think like me. I AM trying to learn how they DO think, which is the point of this thread.
It's okay to not be ruled by the clock....up to a point. For me personally, if I'm making social plans with someone who I know is temporally challenged, and we agree to meet at 4, I will expect them closer to 4:30 or 5, and plan accordingly. No skin off my nose.
HOWEVER.....when that person is a healthcare provider who is expected to see a patient every twenty minutes from 8:00 AM until 4:30 PM, and the first two patients are roomed and waiting for the provider, and the provider doesn't even show up in the building until 8:25, yeah, that's kind of a huge problem. Likewise, a nurse who is expected to be clocked in and ready to receive report at 0700, in order to relieve the off-going nurse who has been working for 12 1/2 hours and is dead tired and ready to go to bed, and the oncoming nurse doesn't clock in until 0720, that likewise is a pretty big problem.
Can you change the first appointment time for the late providers to 8:30 so that conicides with the time when they typically arrive?
To me, it doesn't matter what the problem is. It's ok to be late every now and then. But if it is constant, then in my opinion there is no excuse. NONE. It's rude and inconsiderate. I"m not just talking about in the medical field, but across the board. I am meeting more and more people who believe a set time is just a suggestion of when they should leave the house. And everyone should wait until they get there. THEN want to 'visit' before getting started. By the time the meeting starts, it should have been over and everybody gone.
If a person is late for an appointment, then they should pay for missing the appointment. IT isn't far for everyone else who had to jump through hoops to be there on time. Everyone has things to do and places they need to be. Everyone.
Libby1987
3,726 Posts
I'm not late to things I can't be late for. I would take the chance and crap my pants before I missed a Vanco trough. I won't crap my pants for a protime.
i don't care if someone is early to work but I'm impressed if they're a great performer. I'm not impressed by being early in of itself. Someone being early or me taking the time to talk someone down, how do you place value higher on one than the other?
***I'm not an hourly or shift employee, I'm not holding anyone up and I have the sense to make a responsible decision.