The Politics of Mgmt Cleaning house

caliotter3 · Jul 30, 2010

Not a house cleaning, but layoff with new owners. Instead of taking the opportunity to get rid of non-performers (of which there were several to choose from), the newly arm-twisted boss chose to get rid of two she thought were too weak to defend themselves. She paid for her decision soon afterward.

BackfromRetirement · Jul 30, 2010

In 3 wks, I was told complaints that I was never informed of. I was told of exit interviews from fired employees, who were terminated for constant call-offs, that I was "rude". Geeze, wrong place, wrong time.

dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I · Jul 30, 2010

I'd say soon you'll be happy that you don't work there. Very thin, cheap excuses for firing you, deflects the blame from themselves. Reminds me of a hospital who for years fired everyone for "inadequate charting." You could get a lawyer, fight it, make them prove what they say, but then you'd risk ending up working there again. Hope you have a copy of your evaluation. Hope this turns into a positive career move for you. May all your patients be compliant and all your doctors orders legible.

Misty1 · Jul 30, 2010

It seems that this is happening a lot this last year. I applied for a job went to the interview and was told "Oh we just got rid of a bunch of nurses".

Didn't accept the job.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2010

It seems that this is happening a lot this last year.

I think that the economy plays a major role in the companies' abilities to clean house. There are masses of unemployed nurses in local job markets across America, so these facilities often have plenty of prospective employees from which to pick and choose. If management gets rid of a sizable number of nurses in a facility, they usually have people lined up who will accept the vacant positions without asking many questions.

oramar · Jul 30, 2010

I think they are pushing out of older higher paid employees to hire cheaper younger ones. It is as plain and simple as that. When they lose all that experience at the same it is the patient that pays the price. Management makes money and as we know it is their main priority.

westcoastgirl · Jul 30, 2010

you won't want to work at a place that has such nasty politics or unprofessional management anyway. bet you'll be glad to be gone once you gain some distance.

mazy · Jul 30, 2010

I have survived many housecleanings, both in nursing and before I became a nurse. One facility I worked with was in such a mess, that they went through three DONs my first year there, each one cleaned house, then corporate came in, cleaned house again, and then finally they got a new DON who cleaned house again.

Fast forward a few years, I ran into some old co-workers, they told me corporate blew through, and every single administrator and department head is gone (including the DON). For whatever reason, all of the nurses have survived this current cleaning. i imagine when they get a new DON........oh, it's exhausting. I'm just glad I'm no longer there.

First of all, do not ever think that this is about you. I'm not sure if it is more upsetting to know this, but I doubt they are aware of who you are to the facility except in terms of their numbers game. I would imagine that the push is coming from above.

Be thankful you are out. When this stuff hits management usually there is a lot of vicious in-fighting, back-stabbing and nastiness that is really about administrative politics, and that unfortunately plays out for the affected workers as if it is about them. it's not about you! I think it's especially heartbreaking for nurses because we put so much of our heart and soul into the job.

As someone earlier said, it could be that they're getting rid of more senior nurses, trying to bring in "fresh blood," which is always a bad idea that will most definitely blow up in their faces. If you doubt that, my suggestion is to wait a month or so, till the dust has settled, then get online and start tracking their help wanted ads, which will be plentiful and increasingly desperate. :cool:

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 30, 2010

It happened to me many years ago. We got a new head physician for our NICU. He wanted to be the one to choose his own unit leadership team. So, within 6 months all the old educators and managers were gone -- in spite of the fact that we were all very good at our jobs and had the support of the staff.

The new guy wanted to "bring in his own people" who would kow-tow to him. So he started cleaning house within the first month that he arrived.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I've never felt at all "safe" in a job since then -- and that happened in 1986.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jul 30, 2010

we got a new medical director who chased off all of our hospitalists and hired his cronies instead.. they are so painful to work with that nurses have left in droves. he doesn't.t like nps, so is trumping up reasons to get them gone. it's a sad and frightening thing!,

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2010

I feel your pain

Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug. This entire week, I have been the bug & keep going back in only to "re-splat" myself again. So bad in my place this week that I cleaned my desk of all personal items on my way out today so that I can just walk away next week if need be. My sanity is at risk.

Good luck to you (well to both of us)