Family Smooth Over!

We have all been through this:  Patient is fine, no complaints, pain is under control, and all is well.  The family arrives and suddenly everything is wrong!   How can a nurse handle this without causing more stress to the patient, the family, the rest of the staff, and other patients on the floor?  Learn to smile (ALWAYS), gently touch their hand or arm and say, "You know what, you may be right, but, what can I do FOR YOU, RIGHT now that would make things better?"  The family member is so shocked that you said they might be right.  In their mind they are thinking, "She/he said I might be right, she/he wants to do something for me".  It may as simple as a cup of coffee or a warm blanket.  Try it, it is hard to be mad at anyone that has a smile on their face.  Does this work EVERY time?  Of course not, but more times than not, it works.  Remember that you do get more with honey than you get with vinegar and it only takes one person to make a difference and that person is you!

Tip to start the day off right

When we get off the elevator in the morning and hear "Run, it has been a nightmare", this starts the day in negative manner.  Negativity breeds like wildfire.  Learn to smile and say, "Everyone must be taken care of, give me report so you can get out of here!"  Breath, get report, go on walking rounds, and smile at your patients.  Will make a difference in the outcome of their day and yours!  Try it, I would never steer you wrong!

"What the horrors of war are, no one can imagine. They are not wounds and blood and fever, spotted and low, or dysentery, chronic and acute, cold and heat and famine. They are intoxication, drunken brutality, demoralization and disorder on the part of the inferior... jealousies, meanness, indifference, selfish brutality on the part of the superior."  (Florence Nightingale, Mother of Nursing)

What does this quote say to you?  My perception is there has been a war within the culture of nursing for many years. Any thoughts?

 

Recently spoke with an individual who went to a very plush rehab center.  The nurses were not friendly, did not have knowledge of the medications they were administering, told the patient to "just take them, the doctor ordered it, I don't know what it is for."  The individual was intimidated and feared retaliation if she complained of the care she was receiving.  What type of patient outcome do you think this was?  The individual did not feel good about this experience and anyone she relays her experience to will not go to this facility.

Nursing 101 and for the rest of your life:

• ALWAYS know what medication you are administering to your patient, along with the side effects why the patient is taking the medication, and how it will benefit them, both short and long term.
•  If you do not know the answer, find it.  You may have to excuse yourself and find the answer or you can simply look the info up on the computer you should ALWAYS have with you when administering the medication since we do have an electronic medical record (EMAR) in the majority of facilities now.  If your facility has not transitioned to an EMAR yet and is still using a paper MAR, know the info before you enter the room.
• NEVER intimidate the client, this does not promote positive patient outcomes.
• Nursing is life long learning, we never know everything and do have to look information up or ask questions of our colleagues.  The minute a nurse tells me she/he knows everything, I am afraid of  them.  They are a danger to the patient served and their colleagues.
• Smile....you may be the only bit of sunshine the patient sees all day.  One person can make a difference and that one person is you!

I want to let you know about the fantastic care I received at Clark Memorial Hosptial yesterday!  Amazing! We do have a wonderful community hospital.  Shout out to Aaron, Drake, Shannon, Angie, Brittany, Meghan, Ronnie, Dr. Garcia, Dr. Linder, Debbie (I think she was the other nurse in the OR with Ronnie), I am so sorry if I have left anyone out.  Awesome team in Preop, OR, and PACU!  This is what positive nurses and staff promote! WELLNESS and POSITIVE patient outcomes!

I am having surgery today.  I have a fractured humerous at the greater tuberosity.  The fracture is at the joint which is releasing fluid and keeping the bone moist so it has not healed.  I will update you on how my family and I are treated today.  Should be an interesting day!  Be kind!

Some of you reading may think, "Oh those nurses just make this stuff up, really, the morale and atmosphere cannot be that bad". Well, folks, I hate to tell you but it is TRUE!!!!! In 2009, the Joint Commission issued a sentinel event in regard to the attitude in nursing and implemented standards that required accredited health care organizations to develop rules and regulations and put them in place. These regulations should specify what types of behavior were acceptable and to create a formal process to manage unacceptable actions. The Joint Commission did advise the health care facilities that cruel, rude, and socially unacceptable behavior among health care professionals places the patients served in an unsafe position and the quality of care is not top notch. Not only does it place the patient at risk, the nurse who is being bullied is at risk .

What type of horizontal violence am I speaking of?

• Refusing to help the novice nurse, a supervisor advising their co-workers not to answer any of their questions, not to help them at all- let them sink or swim!
• Refusing to take part in duties of the floor.
• Setting others up for failure.
• Administration mistreating the staff nurses when they need to be off for illness, surgeries, etc.
• Old fashion bullying.
• Condescending attitudes (Where did you go to school? You don’t know how to do that?)
• Retaliation (nurse calls in and will be given the most difficult patients upon return)
• Nursing faculty mistreating one another.
• Hazing of novice nurses or seasoned nurses new to the facility.
• Staff nurses mistreating nursing students.
• Nursing faculty mistreating nursing students, weeding out.

This writer is convinced that EDUCATION and ZERO TOLERANCE are the keys to eradicating horizontal violence in nursing. We must be kind to one another and show compassion. We must all be accountable for self AND others. If we are witness to this behavior and do nothing to stop it, we are as guilty as the perpetrator. The protocol must be enforced, no exceptions to the rule, learn to apologize to all, including coworkers, families and patients who witness the behavior. Remember, one person can make a difference and that one person is YOU!

Horizontal Violence in Nursing

Many of us have heard the saying, “Nurses eat their young”. This is true. Nurses are mean spirited towards one another, bully one another and like alcohol, there are no boundaries: nurse educator to nurse educator, nurse educator to student, staff nurse to nursing student, staff nurse to staff nurse, management to staff nurse, and the list goes on and on. We must stop tearing one another down and start building one another up. A good place to start is nursing school. We need to provide education and prepare the students and provide the tools to eradicate this type of behavior. Seasoned nurses must role model positive behavior for the novice nurse. One person can make a difference and that person is YOU!

Negative behavior by the nurse will affect the patient, the patient outcomes will not be positive. Nursing management must learn to be kind to the nurses who work for them. This is a no brainer, happy employees are harder workers. Nurse management can send all the cards they want that say, “thanks for working the extra shift”, “thanks for all your hard work,” or “we are glad you are on our team”. It is their actions that speak louder than words. What are your thoughts? Do you have questions about handling a difficult situation?