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 Med/surg, ER/ED,rehab ,nursing home.

policy started to drug screen everyone who had an on the job injury. That was OK. But to test someone who was injured months before the policy started, right after they were released to come back to work, really showed the foolishness of the bosses. What a waste of money and the insult to the returning RN. Also, writing up and accusing a staff member of trying to avoid this drug screen, when injured. The supervisor is the one who did not put in the call to have the drug testers there. The staff did not have the legal right, much less the phone number ,,,,to order this test. This nurse pleasantly consented to the test. But fought back on the write up. She prevailed. The supervisor had already been dragged over the coals. It is always pointing fingers and blame instead of looking at what is really occurring. We also had the street light "thingy" for noise issues. Days really did get noisy. It didn't last more than a year. Now they are doing some kind of timing to let the bosses know if you washed your hands upon entering ther room and leaving it. Since the ONLY sink is next to the patients bed, it is determined by some kind of sensor.

Specializes in ER, Addictions, Geriatrics.
no cell phones allowed in patient care areas. This occurred because an admin got his panties in a twist when the transporter was on their phone whilst transporting a family member. The admin was not in the medical field.

We have this rule too. But seriously, why would you be on your phone in front of a patient? I hate when I'm trying to assess someone and they continue texting or talking as if I'm not there. I'd be mad if I was a patient and saw my nurse texting in front of me too!

Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.

Our ED decided that we have to do full, detailed property sheets on EVERYONE who comes in, including fast track patients who might only be there an hour! I completely understand doing this for OR, ICU, & general admission patients, but for Pete's sake, write a disclaimer on the consent form that people are responsible for their own property, so we can get back to the more important pt care!

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Nurses baking cookies? What kind of morons ran your hospital?

The kind with a sweet tooth!

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I am also noticing a theme of weird rewards (lots of pizza parties). Our hospital once gave out those wooden/bamboo hand-shaped back scratchers with the facility name. We did get good use out of them, and menaced our coworkers with them for months. We would run one lightly over someone's hair, tap someone else's shoulder and hide, etc. We made great use out of this crappy gift. Hand shaped backscratchers were also placed inappropriately in the simulation lab. :whistling:

The hand-shaped scratchers were supposed to celebrate our success with the "offer a helping hand" campaign where we had to offer assistance to anyone within a given # of feet with a scripted response. We loved to use the script to annoy each other as well. ex-

"Jane! You seem frazzled and lost! Can I offer you some assistance? I have the time!"

​note: the above scripting is most effective when delivered to colleagues with a faux-lecherous leer.

:roflmao:!!!

I find if strange for pizza being a reward; however, it is cheaper than putting thought into a catered celebratory event to celebrate the staff-because they do the worker that needs to be done.

no cell phones allowed in patient care areas. This occurred because an admin got his panties in a twist when the transporter was on their phone whilst transporting a family member. The admin was not in the medical field.

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.

Specializes in Float Pool-Med-Surg, Telemetry, IMCU.

We have signs on our unit about "The Starbucks Customer Service Model" as an example of how we should deliver service. I can see it now..

"Yes sir, that'll be one double tall Dilaudid, hold the NS; I'm on it, sir! May I get you anything else- I have the time!"

:roflmao:

Closing the binder rings on the chart will make it go off : )

How about being terminated from your position (10 years with the hospital) when you're four days late getting your flu shot?

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.

no cell phones allowed in patient care areas. This occurred because an admin got his panties in a twist when the transporter was on their phone whilst transporting a family member. The admin was not in the medical field.

Guess I'm old-fashioned but I don't think they belong in pt care areas either. You're there to take care of your pts, not talk on the phone.

Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

Guess I'm old-fashioned but I don't think they belong in pt care areas either. You're there to take care of your pts, not talk on the phone.

More and more nurses are using drug books and other references on their phones. I have them installed on my phone but only really use my phone at work for the calculator

Specializes in ER, Addictions, Geriatrics.
More and more nurses are using drug books and other references on their phones. I have them installed on my phone but only really use my phone at work for the calculator

I get that aspect, and many of the docs I work with use apps on their phones. But they always do it discreetly at the desk, not out in the patient care area where it looks like they are just texting or otherwise.

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