Stupid hospital/company tricks

Nurses General Nursing

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The stupid nurse trick thread and some of the abusive policies cited in the getting fired for being late/calling out thread have triggered me to start this thread. What ludicrous policies have been put in place where you work or have worked, what was the rationale for the policy, and what was the result?

My example:

One hospital I used to work for tried to force the nursing staff to bake cookies for the patients using what looked like a cross between an easy-bake oven and a toaster oven. Cookies were to be offered at....you've guessed it...7pm. Yes, right at change of shift. They also wanted us to DOCUMENT offering cookies. Predictably, this new mandate was met with howls of protest from nursing, which were entirely ignored.

The ovens went to each floor except ICU to "make the hospital feel welcoming and increase patient satisfaction." The already busy nurses often burned the cookies, or ate them during report, as they had not had time for a break all day. The majority of our cardiac patients were also diabetic. The floor smelled often of burnt cookies. The staff was resentful. A few months later, the cookie ovens disappeared, never to be mentioned again.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Yes, Mrs Brown. I will get your pain medication, right after I finish scrubbing your toilet and giving you some more toilet paper!

:eek:

:barf02:

Specializes in Ambulatory Surgery, Ophthalmology, Tele.

We had a log we had to write in every time we received a telephone order from a doc. Once we wrote the order in the chart we had to flag it, take a patient sticker put it in the log with the date and time and what doc. The doctor then had to sign off on this order by a certain period of time. So when a doctor walked in to check his charts he was bombarded with the charge or secretary wanting him/her to sign these phone orders.

It doesn't seem like a big deal but it was a real hassle on a very busy day when you had one or two patients not doing well. What happens when they are not doing well? You need to call the doc for orders, many times multiple telephone orders especially if the last order is eventually a transfer to higher level of care. The time I am using to play with the chart and a log book I could be helping my patient. I really didn't like the log book. :bored:

I was thinking about the whole cellphone debate (sorry to bring that back). The original post about the transporter using a phone. I assumed it was the phone he carried that told him where he needed to go for the next transport patient. Not a personal phone. I do agree personal phones are not professional to use in front of a patient. That's a big no-no. The only exception would be looking up a med or using the calculator but as one person said you could say something out loud like, "I think I'll look that up in my drug book".

Sometimes I don't even like to use my bible app at church thinking that people will assume I am just playing on my phone.

Specializes in ED; Med Surg.
And there was that year when we got a red plastic cup filled with potting soil with a seed packet on top and a note that said "bloom where you're planted".. that was our "thank you" during nurses week.

At least you got potting soil and a cup --- heeee heee! All we got was a packet of seeds. They must have had the same idea company...

Specializes in Ambulatory Surgery, Ophthalmology, Tele.
Christmas bonus? What is this Christmas bonus that you speak of?

I took an hourly pay cut when I left the bedside/hospital but the stress level is remarkably less so it was worth it. (And I work 40 hours a week instead of 36 so my paycheck is almost the same) We do get a Christmas bonus and a nice Christmas dinner at the local country club with open bar (I don't drink but I know others like this), live band/DJ and games where we can earn some cash and gift cards. (I won $100 at the last Christmas party).

We work very hard every day but I do feel like the employer does try to show their appreciation at Christmas. And there aren't any stop sign light noise monitors or anything like that. I wouldn't mind the cookie oven, hmmmm. :rolleyes:

Specializes in Ambulatory Surgery, Ophthalmology, Tele.
You are certainly entitled to your opinion. However, I'd rather see money get used for things like better staffing.

What took the cake for me was when it was hospital week and they had organized a shin dig in an area of the hospital with finger foods, the local massage school was there giving massages, and I think they had ice cream sundaes. The day that started we had a "morning huddle" at the beginning of the shift saying that CNAs and the secretary would be sent home early and we would be short staffed due to "budgeting". As much as I love an ice cream sundae I would rather have adequate staffing, thank you very much.

Specializes in LTC, Acute Care.

Seriously, why is it stupid not to allow cell phones in patient care areas? Most places you work at don't allow cell phones on the floor while you are working and on company time. Why should nursing be any different.

Our policy is no cell phones; yet that's how our NM gets in touch with us even though there are several phones at the station a dedicated CN line. Maybe she didn't get the memo....*snicker*

In our breakroom there is a very pretty, computer created sign encouraging staff to be mindful about how much linen we use because we have been consistently going over our laundry budget. Take only what you are going to use; re-use the heavy blankets if they are not soiled, etc.

Our hospital put up a sign in each patient room that says we won't be changing their linens every day unless they ask. Otherwise, we will only change them when they are visibly soiled.

Specializes in Peds, School Nurse, clinical instructor.

How about replacing the nice terry cloth clothing protectors with cheap plastic bibs. This brilliant change was suppose to cut down on laundry costs. Well, now everyone has to be changed after they eat as all the spills roll down the plastic bibs onto the residents laps thus causing even more laundry :banghead:

Specializes in M/S, pedi.

Here's a small stupid trick. Someone in the dietary/kitchen dept decided it was too much money for bendy straws. Have you ever tried to give someone a drink after a procedure, where they have to lie flat for 3 hrs p/o? Without a straw that bends? Awful. It's been resolved since.

Why would nurse be the ones responsible for making the patients feel welcome? Should that be EVERYBODYS job. Nurses are busy enough and making cookies is just ridiculous. Maybe at home for a certain patient, but not everyone. Not all the patients are allowed to have them.

Specializes in Med-Surg/Ortho, Telemetry.

So our patient satisfaction scores are down, yay us! A couple weeks ago, our CNO told us that and then a few minutes later said for night shift, we need to round every 2 hours and WAKE UP the patient to ask them if they are ok. My mind couldn't get around that. You want us to improve our scores by waking them up? Ok, sure I'll do that.

Specializes in Med Surg.
So our patient satisfaction scores are down yay us! A couple weeks ago, our CNO told us that and then a few minutes later said for night shift, we need to round every 2 hours and WAKE UP the patient to ask them if they are ok. My mind couldn't get around that. You want us to improve our scores by waking them up? Ok, sure I'll do that.[/quote'] Maybe someone should call the CNO every two hours at night to test that out before it's implemented.
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