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 Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I would buy the nurse lunch who does that!

Good Christ!

Cookies? I have to know, which hospital do you work for? Big city teaching institution?

I work in a 15 bed rural hospital, and as you can imagine, the place is pretty fiscally tight -like too poor for pizza parties tight. For example, it took us two months to order and receive new batteries for our vital machines and monitors when half of them decided to die at once. And even in such a setting, administration does some crazy ****.

Last month I noticed a new videol camera with wifi antennae on the ceiling of the linen room. It took a while to suss out the answer, but apparently it's supposed to be a camera that is controlled by the main hospital site of our health system (a 20 bed center 50 km away), where the laundry service is. That way they can count how many sheets and blankets we have and what we need to be shipped. So then I asked a senior nurse, "can't we just call and let them know what we need -or better yet have housekeeping call? It seems like an expensive solution to a non-existent problem." Well, apparently there had been accusations that our hospital staff was stealing linen, and the cameras were probably a way to keep tabs on this." Really! Would any nurse who has seen what's been on hospital linen want to take the stuff home? I would hesitate to use the stuff as shop rags in my garage!

Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
Well, apparently there had been accusations that our hospital staff was stealing linen, and the cameras were probably a way to keep tabs on this." Really! Would any nurse who has seen what's been on hospital linen want to take the stuff home? I would hesitate to use the stuff as shop rags in my garage!

And how on earth are they gonna know if you're taking a sheet for a patient's room, or if you're taking a sheet to stuff into your tote bag? (And I'm with you there... EWWWWWW!) Crazy!

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
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.

Cookies are a ridiculous idea for so many reasons! And everybody should be responsible for making patients feel welcome. You're right.

Now, about that avatar . . . . .

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/about-that-avatar-900567.html

Specializes in LTC.

This thread needs a warning..do not read and drink at the same time. I think I ruined my keyboard from spitting out my coffee laughing.

OMG. I need to thank everyone for brightening up my day with lots of laughs!

Our hospital one year offered employees a gift card to a local grocery store for a "Christmas Gift". It wasn't really posted anywhere that this would be happening. Well Christmas, New Years and the Superbowl came and went. Then somewhere one of the big dogs remember this and started looking into it. Word was some units recieved them and others didn't. Well I guess payroll sent the gift cards over with the check's right before Christmas. Also seems the units that didn't recieved them also had the same person picking up the checks. This person didn't know what all these extra envelopes were, so they gave them to the director. This director over seen 3 (30beds) floors, along with a specialty unit. There are easy 60 employees per floor. This director used every last one of these gift cards. So basically the Grinch did steal Christmas. Best part not a flippen thing happen to her.

if its not yours don touch it. what happened once they found out he took the giftcards?

Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

If I am reading the last sentence correctly - nothing happened to her

Not a thing happen to her over the "Stolen" gift cards that anyone heard of. Things got real hush hush about it. Nothing was ever replaced and she was still the director when I exited stage left 3 years after the fact. Now that I think about it. That was the last year the hospital did anything like that for Holidays.

that's stupid in my opinion.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
that's stupid in my opinion.

You might use the 'Quote" function so we all know what you think is stupid. And about that avatar . . . .

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/using-your-photo-816336.html

https://allnurses.com/pre-nursing-student/please-dont-use-907925.html

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