What Exciting Thing is Your Management Doing For 'Nurses Week'???

crjnursewarrior · May 9, 2005

Imagine if you will...........not sure if you are married but let's, for the sake of argument say that you are. Your annivsary is tomorrow. Your hubby comes in w/ some wilted flowers from the area convenience store, half-price sale sticker still on them. And says as he hands them to you..."oh, by the way, happy annivsary." Last week this same man stayed out late 6 out 7 nites without so much as a phone call home to let you know that he would be late. This same man, offers no romance for the rest of the year nor does he acknowledge your birthday and is constantly complaining that the house is never quite clean enough or the meals that you make (had he been there to eat them) are not prepared corrrectly. Would you "just accept it [the flowers] for what it was"?
We are accepting these "gifts" from management exactly for what they are.....lame attempts at plying us w/ "goodies" not because they care about us and what we do but only because it's obligatory. Now, it seems to me that this is a great forum for us to dump/vent. People can choose to read this thread or not. But better we dump/vent here rather than at work. And one more thing. We are NOT whining. We are merely stating that we are tired of being treated in a less-than-professional manner by our employers. Most of us "malcontents" have stated that we would much rather be treated better throughout the year and that we do see these "celebrations" for what they really are. A simple thanks every once in a while throughout the year is the absolute best way to celebrate nurses! IMO, if management would do that more, the nursing shortage would not be quite so bad. And one last thing. Please don't tell me that I am not a professional, I resent that. I am professional all the way. I take excellent care of my patients. I carry myself in the most professional manner at all times when I am working.

Excellent post....our patients are the only ones we owe professionalism to...management usually NEVER mind their p's and q's of professionalism with us!! If they did, they WOULD try to show some appreciation all year! :angryfire

crjnursewarrior · May 9, 2005

Our administration gave each nurse a cookie from the cafeteria for nurses' week. Personally passed out to each and every nurse by the CEO. Praise be, all of our morale and staffing issues are solved. We got cookies. When I received my cookie, I just wanted to drop to my knees:bow: and thank the CEO for the wonderful show of support of the nursing staff during nurses' week.:chuckle :chuckle

Hee hee hee LMAO...that's really cute. Your post made me laugh!! It is so TRUE! :coollook:

crjnursewarrior · May 9, 2005

Imagine if you will...........not sure if you are married but let's, for the sake of argument say that you are. Your annivsary is tomorrow. Your hubby comes in w/ some wilted flowers from the area convenience store, half-price sale sticker still on them. And says as he hands them to you..."oh, by the way, happy annivsary." Last week this same man stayed out late 6 out 7 nites without so much as a phone call home to let you know that he would be late. This same man, offers no romance for the rest of the year nor does he acknowledge your birthday and is constantly complaining that the house is never quite clean enough or the meals that you make (had he been there to eat them) are not prepared corrrectly. Would you "just accept it [the flowers] for what it was"?
We are accepting these "gifts" from management exactly for what they are.....lame attempts at plying us w/ "goodies" not because they care about us and what we do but only because it's obligatory. Now, it seems to me that this is a great forum for us to dump/vent. People can choose to read this thread or not. But better we dump/vent here rather than at work. And one more thing. We are NOT whining. We are merely stating that we are tired of being treated in a less-than-professional manner by our employers. Most of us "malcontents" have stated that we would much rather be treated better throughout the year and that we do see these "celebrations" for what they really are. A simple thanks every once in a while throughout the year is the absolute best way to celebrate nurses! IMO, if management would do that more, the nursing shortage would not be quite so bad. And one last thing. Please don't tell me that I am not a professional, I resent that. I am professional all the way. I take excellent care of my patients. I carry myself in the most professional manner at all times when I am working.

By the way Stidget99...this husband you describe...it makes me wonder...do you know my EX-husband?!?!?! hee hee :uhoh3:

flashpoint · May 9, 2005

I should have added that aI do feel bad for the DON, her father was a great man...one of the neatest people I ever met. It just sucks that no one would take over nurses' week for her. I resent the fact that because she is going through a really tough time right now that it is assumed that no one wants to celebrate. But...I really don't care...I am on vacation for two weeks! :)

lifesaverwv · May 9, 2005

[ I hate to rain on anyone's parade but I agree with stidget99. Every year the nurses are recognized less for all the many good jobs that we do. I read other nurses postings about how their managers treat them like gold. I'm jealous :) I'd be happy if our boss went an entire day without having a bad attitude & speaking nasty to someone. Maybe they'll give us a pen so we could write our own incident sheets. Sorry for the negativity, people can only take that for so long :) before they burn out.

estrogen · May 9, 2005

yet another travel cup, I'm sure :uhoh3:

panhandler · May 9, 2005

[They'd never come up with anything stupid, that insults your intelligence and good taste, correct???

1)Seven staff nurses from the ICU in a full page ad with isolated photos of groups of other hospital employees depicting the wonderful ethnic mix of skills and specialists in cleaning, dietary, security, and lawnmowing.

2)Meatballs and pineapple chunks served at 2 p.m. while I was sleeping. I've had better nightmares.

3)Mandatory class from 0730 to 1000 after a 12-hour shift: handwashing and using a non-coring technique when withdrawing NSS from a rubber-stopper vial. AH, yes, there's the little rubber embolus now.....

4)Mandatory Staff Meeting from 0730 to 0930 after a 12-hour shift: complete explanations of how the "hospital" "ACQUIRES" Philipine nurses twice a year by sending a Director directly to Manila, all expenses paid. (a slave ship is more expensive?)

5)Getting bawled out by the head nurse in front of a new orientee, and three hours later apologized to privately out of hearing of the new orientee, for imaginary "misdeed" # 4,214.

6) Hanging a new toilet roll in the bathroom I share with 25 other adults. Luckily I raised 5 kids to their mid-20s without committing BRATricide so I know how to deal with this issue. Creating my 15th requisition for a toilet brush for the same location.... having same rejected and being reprimanded for not following the chain of command, "misdeed" # 4215.

7) Learning a few new tricks every shift. Cash bribes to the maid: $10 / per 90 days: Having toilet paper at hand when you need it: priceless.

Mystery5 · May 9, 2005

Well, I'm just finishing up a very unbusy noc shift. I received my excellent offering for nurses week! We got a tiny little bag with honey peanuts, peanut M&Ms, a granola bar, some gum and a tiny bag of minute maid fruit snacks!

Whoopie!

RNKITTY04 · May 9, 2005

We got something different everyday. Monday was a small pair of bandage scissors, and a flashlite, Tuesday was a free breakfast,(passed on that, would rather have the sleep) Wednesday was a burn chart to hang in our homes with a depth gauge thing, Thursday was a chair side massage for day shift, Friday we all got small bonus checks (approx $75.00) I guess compared to some of you I am doing pretty good, but I too would rather have none of this and more thanks for busting my a-- night after night.

I take exception to the poster who calls me a whiner, I kinda thought that this BB was for venting to others who understand. Guess I was wrong. I will keep it all inside from now on and just increase my dosage of Diovan.

Thanks.

AMV · May 10, 2005

Our hospital did the same thing. Hospital Week this week, but no mention of Nurses Week last week. Nothing. I know you all think they are just "token" thank you's, but imagine NO acknowledgment - NOTHING!

Our hospital took the (to me) wrong step by re-naming it "hospital week" and the management/administration plans to have special food for the staff every day of that week........but of course at night, nothing but leftovers will be available. Rofl way o'the world....
The lab techs have their week; so does u/s, PT, and Pharmacy. We even had "Doctors' Day" in March ( I think every day is "doctor's day" myself, but I digress).
Why not let it remain "NURSES' WEEK" and celebrate nursing and our influence on health care separately? I found that insulting to change the name, myself. Oh but I am whining aren't I? sorry..... :rotfl:

lifesaverwv · May 10, 2005

This is a place that we all can come together to ask questions, relay info to others & to give each other emotional support when needed. Everyone needs to vent sometimes, it's healthy to do that. My hospital did nothing last week, today they gave us cookies. Whoppie

Gompers, BSN, RN · May 12, 2005

I haven't been to work yet this week so I don't know what our "gift" is yet - in the past it has been tote bags, insulated lunch bags, things like that. They have a dinner for us in the cafeteria - 1100-1300 for days, 1700-1900 for eves, and 0100-0300 for nocs. Sounds like we're lucky to get at least some recognition at night. They're pretty good about it - usually when there is a dinner for the day people, they also have stuff for the off shifts as well - they give us a dinner during the week of Christmas as well. There are raffles at these dinners and prizes include $25 gift cards for different places, that kind of thing.

ETA: My favorite nurse's day recognition has always been from my family, because they make it a point to say how proud they are of me. I've also recieved some very nice nurse's day cards from the parents of babies I've cared for in the past. Those are always wonderful and special!!!