taking priviledges away

[lifeisbeautiful]

What is the hospitals rationale for this iron fist? These restrictions will drive nurses to other areas of the hospital or to quit (as well as creating resentful employees). Then the hospital will need to bring in registry or travelers and many of them won't abide by these rules the same way because they know that: (a) the hospital really needs them (b) it is a temporary assignment, so what difference does it make? I have to say some of the happiest and smartest nurses I've worked with are Registry.

Our facility attempted to implement (what I found) unreasonable policies, like absolutely NO personal items in the work area, not even a small bag. We had to keep our belongings in a locker down the hall and around the corner. That was great, but the catch? We were never allowed to leave to go to our locker if we needed something.

You may P @ 12 & 6 for 2.5 minutes..any unscheduled bowel movements will be docked from your pay........geez

:rotfl: Hey, at least you get to go! I have read numerous posts on this board regarding not even being able to take a break. :chuckle

[tiroka03, LPN]

I am not sure of everything that led up to this. As the upper management which agrees that night shift only can not have these priviledges, are not around during nights.

My quesse is weak supervisors. There seems always to be a handful of people who believe they can push the limits. But, the superviors don't want to handle those people. So, as a result we all suffer.

On, my unit we read and talk in 15 min increments, we have a back room and one by one we go back and have coffee or read. If the supervisor comes around, we just say, hey I am on break.

The catch is there is one "princess" who likes to tattle, so if she is working all deals are off, and we all sit and stare into space.

Mainly, I believe in our cities it is not an easy deal to get 4yr RN's to work nights in a facility like ours. We are half long and half short term. So, they take what they can get. Unfortunately we got what they could get.

One supervisor likes long term and refuses to even come to the short term, and the other likes short term and refuses to go to long term. They both work opposite nights. So on any given night, you may or may not have a supervisor. Except when they tip toe through and police the unit for contraband.

Before I moved here, I worked in a hospital, and had excellant supervisors. They were on site, helping and being a part. Here it is so different. We are basically on our own, and if an emergency should arise, it depends on who is there - whether they will assist or not.

Problem, there aren't so many places to go in my town, or I would have left quite awhile ago. The pay in my facility tops the others in a 50 mile radius. I have to feed the kids.

Still I am studying, and hope to go up a level in nursing and get the blank out of there. But for now, I wait.

[ERNurse752, RN]

That is terrible treatment. My mom is a nurse who got a new job and then found out about policies like this. She spoke with her feet and got a new job.

Wouldn't patients and families think it's pretty creepy, to look out to the station and no one is talking or doing anything at all?

Is this something that could be taken up with HR?

Stepford Nurses...

[apaisRN, RN, CRNA]

You can't TALK? Mot even to say "Susie, your patient in 12 is climbing out of bed?" You can't take care of patients without talking to your team members!

I can't imagine this kind of situation, espcially on nights. I have to work one night a month and I munch junk food at the nurses' station all night long - gotta keep awake somehow! And the bosses are okay with our reading novels when the patients are all asleep and there is NOTHING to do - but most people read Nursing 2004 or something.

Stick it out if you must, but you gotta have some plans to get out of this place sometime!

[SmilingBluEyes]

i think i would drive the distance needed to get out of there. but that is just me. you have to do what works for you. best wishes. it is indeed a creepy and terrible place to work, pay tops or not.

[mattsmom81]

Can the nurses not stick together and meet with someone who is in power and negotiate? Perhaps you all need to be more assertive with your union reps as well...they usually will assist in my experience. I'm sure management hopes its passive nurses will just 'go along to get along'. There's power in numbers but so often we won't stick together. How about a petition...will anybody go out on a limb and sign it??

I'm wondering when the cameras at the unit and in the break rooms come next..I've worked in places like this and it is not fun. And yes I would leave for greener pastures if nobody will stick together and try to effect positive change...life is too short to work with Nazis IMHO.

[boulergirl, CNA]

Whoa!

I thought my workplace was bad until I read about yours. I don't get shift differential either, but at least I get to have coffee!! How the heck else do they expect their staff to stay awake at night?!? :angryfire

They don't let you talk...what do they think they're dealing with...kindergartners? Sounds like mgmt's got a reindeer stuck up their (bleep!)

If my supervisors started pulling the crap they're pulling at your job, they'd be scrambling for new staff.