When SW try to micromanage Nurses

[Shell5]

I work on a psychiatric inpatient unit with children and adoclescents. The administrator is a masters prepared sw. The nurses work directly with the patients along with the sw's who do it, ft and gt. 1 of the sw's seem to micromanage and seem to insist on being in control back on the unit. She goes out with the mental health techs and she has most of them wrapped around her finger. She gave one of them her furniture. I don't go out with the techs. I simply have a boundery against it. Her fiance lives in new york, so i guess she doesn't have anything else to do. The techs seem to listen to her when she comes back to the unit which makes it very difficult for me to have any say, so it seems. It is demeaning to me and very frustrating. She has been there 15 years and i have been there about 2 now. She sticks up for the mht's, but not the nurses. I am frustrated and don't know what to do. I heard she has put her application in at another facility which would be a godsend, but what if she doens't leave? I am so fed up with her. What is some good advice? I feel she knows she micromanages and it seems as if she has all this education she should know that her going out with the techs is not professional. I just don't get it. Should i email the boss and talk to him about what is going on? If i tell her i think she would not see it. I think she would take offense to it. Thanks in advance.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

Yours is a tough situation, but a common one in mental health. I have worked on two hospital mental health units, and both had a management structure like the one you have described. Many of these units are run under contract, and the companies invariably put master's or doctorate prepared social workers or psychologists in charge of the program. My experience has been that they have little understanding of, or appreciation for, the role of nursing in such an environment. Fortunately for me we had a strong nurse manager in the first unit I worked on (the second one not so much, because there was a lot of turnover due to this kind of frustration).

I suggest bringing up the situation with the lead nurse on your unit. It sounds as if there should be a meeting between your administrator and the nursing staff to clear the air about the frustration the nursing staff is feeling, and the undermining that is going on with your techs.

[Shell5]

I emailed by Nurse Manager about it and he basically blew it off acting as if I need to go to the SW and talk to her about it. He is just doing that because she has been there 15 years and he is scared of her. It really upsets me. Things work out so good when she is not there all the time. She doesn't seem to realize that we can do fine without her there all the time. I think if I told her she would be offended and she probably would just try to undermine more but act as if she wasn't. That is just the way I see her being. The unit is not a social club. We have work to do already! Any suggested would be welcome. I don't want to hurt her feelings. I don't think she means ill intent. I just don't think she realizes that her being back there causes a lot of problems and makes it hard for some us the staff to be able to solve our own problems without her input into every little detail.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

It's a bad spot when someone the unit would be better off without believes they are invaluable and things will fall apart if they are not there. The lack of backing from your nurse manager is bothersome. It might be worthwhile to sit down with the SW and use therapeutic communication (i. e., "When you say/do (a) it makes me/us feel (b)." That way you are focusing on the action and not the person. In the situation with the techs, tell her that you are directly responsible for supervising them, and when she gives them direction it undermines your credibility. It she concurs and helps you out, you have gained a new ally. If not, then you know that she is too set in her ways to ever change, and you have to make a decision about continuing to work under those conditions.

I wish you luck.

[Shell5]

I did talk with both of them individually. They are both leaving and I am glad. :) I think they have been there too long and they are burned out. I am ready for the change. I thank the Lord and I thank all your suggestions.