Specialties Geriatric

When staff knows more then the DON

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  • RNbeachmom
    RNbeachmom
    Specializes in Psychiatric and Urgent Care. Has 2 years experience.

The DON at my facility knows how to delegate and that is it. She has no real clinical background and can hardly make a decision. Instead of utilizing home health care she sends our nurses out to do a home care nurse's job and this leads to incomplete work at our facility. How do we address this? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Silverdragon102
Editorial Team / Admin

Silverdragon102, BSN

1 Article; 39,477 Posts

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC. Has 35 years experience.

moved to the Geriatric Nurses and LTC Nursing forum

Katie5

Katie5

1,459 Posts

The DON at my facility knows how to delegate and that is it. She has no real clinical background and can hardly make a decision. Instead of utilizing home health care she sends our nurses out to do a home care nurse's job and this leads to incomplete work at our facility. How do we address this? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is a MAJOR part of leadership skill- to delegate and delegate well.

Ideally it is preferred to have a DON with both leadership and clinical aspects, but when one is a bit lacking, then the DON would need to get with someone who is more knowledge that she in that area and work on the issues at hand.

GHGoonette

GHGoonette, BSN, RN

1,249 Posts

Specializes in PACU, OR.

Appropriate delegation of tasks is the function of a manager. If she is not utilizing her resources - IE her nurses - appropriately, she needs to familiarize herself with her staff and their capabilities. It's not so much lack of clinical experience, but poor human resource deployment.

Nascar nurse

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN

2,218 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management. Has 37 years experience.
Instead of utilizing home health care she sends our nurses out to do a home care nurse's job and this leads to incomplete work at our facility. How do we address this? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is unclear to me what setting you are in. Are you in LTC or home health? I just don't understand this part of your post.

CapeCodMermaid

CapeCodMermaid, RN

6,089 Posts

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health. Has 30 years experience.

How about when the DON knows more than the Corporate clinical nurse? I tried to tell her the way she wanted to do the POC wasn't right, but she wouldn't listen.

Hospice Nurse LPN

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN

1,472 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice. Has 15 years experience.
It is unclear to me what setting you are in. Are you in LTC or home health? I just don't understand this part of your post.

I thought she was in LTC, but I'm confused, too.

pixie120

pixie120

255 Posts

How about when the DON knows more than the Corporate clinical nurse? I tried to tell her the way she wanted to do the POC wasn't right, but she wouldn't listen.

ummmmhhh, yeah. Same here. And mine is very, very argumenative, disruptive and verbally combative...and we careplanned it, lol

pixie120

pixie120

255 Posts

I thought she was in LTC, but I'm confused, too.

Yeah, I can't answer until I figure out what setting she is in.

Nascar nurse

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN

2,218 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management. Has 37 years experience.
ummmmhhh, yeah. Same here. And mine is very, very argumenative, disruptive and verbally combative...and we careplanned it, lol

You careplanned the corporate nurse? Now that made me chuckle. (maybe I'm reading it wrong?)

pixie120

pixie120

255 Posts

You careplanned the corporate nurse? Now that made me chuckle. (maybe I'm reading it wrong?)

Nope, we careplanned her behavior with our interventions. We believe in the nursing process.

pixie120

pixie120

255 Posts

Nope, we careplanned her behavior with our interventions. We believe in the nursing process.

Intervention number one: buy return trip airplane ticket.

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