First week as head nurse trainee

[FC]

I will have working for me an all female staff, except for the ward master. They are all civilian, except for one good lieutenant. These women have an easy job, and complain and bicker constantly. They already think I'm too demanding. Tough doo doo, I'm going to put an end to this belly-aching. They have so much to be grateful for, and instead they have too much time on their hands and complain. I do have a few good nurses, but most spend their time in idle gossip, trying to prevent any changes, which is IMPOSSIBLE in the hospital world. They have, one at a time, tried to tell me the way things will be, and should be. I care about people, but I don't want them acting like my adolescent girls.

[karlunity]

I care about people, but I don't want them acting like my adolescent girls.

 

FC

 

Good LUCK.....you were safer in Iraq:blink:

 

Karl

[Guest MorgansBoss]

I wonder how many supervisors could read your post and wonder when THEY wrote it?

 

My apologies to our distaff members but I learned long ago that I'd rather be responsible for 100 men than 10 women. I don't mean to be derrogatory (although I know it sounds that way) it's simply the different way men and women think. Women (generally) take everything much more personally than men and male supervisors tend to overlook this subtle difference. Women (again, generally) require much more explaination of WHY you want them to do a particular task. Can be a real challenge for a male supervisor.

 

[FC]

Already one cried and said the counseling was demeaning, which it was not, she was not written up, just questioned about a complaint about the guerneys not being "fan folded". She walked out of the office saying that she had to go. Later she didn't want to talk because it was in public, but she didn't want to go to the office either. Balderdash! Rush used to say that when the woman cries, it's all over with. Ain't it the truth! I certainly don't mean disrespect to the very "together" two ladies that come here.

One claimed that I berated them amongst the O.R. crew, then claimed that an O.R. tech said I was responsible for five techs quitting, which is a total lie, since I had no position of power down there. They quit because of the management being ungrateful and forcing them to either work late without pay, or walk out of the O.R. at 3 with a case going, and no promise of a replacement.

They bellyache at having to work one stinkin' weekend every two months! Heck, in O.R. we were on call seemingly all the time! They are complaining about going back to being open 24 hrs., just 5 days a week. They had done this several months back, but there weren't enough patients then.

Then I told the LTC the info he wanted on whether we were off 3 or 4 days this weekend. I said I was concerned about coverage if O.R. had add-on patients today. The clerk accused me of trying to screw up their weekend plans and trying to make them work when they were going to be off and had plans.

Dang it, I'm not going to listen to this hogwash.

[Emul8]

Well, speaking as a woman who has been on both sides of the management fence I will say that I agree somewhat with MorgansBoss in that I would far rather manage 100 men than 10 women, and if I were to be "in the ranks" with them, I would prefer the same arrangement.

 

Women are just too cut-throat and bitchy for me. A MAJORITY of the women I have worked with do take things way too personally and will come gunnin' for you if they feel that they have been wronged. I know this because I am a woman and I have gone gunnin' for a manager when I actually WAS wronged, and I managed to right the situation. But mine was valid, unlike many incidents that I have witnessed involving women.

 

I remember marvelling at the men I worked with in an industrial setting around 10 years ago, some of them would nearly come to blows over one thing or another, but at the end of the day, they were on speaking terms and would often go out for a beer together. Women, once a "sister" does her wrong, are like elephants...we NEVER forget, and we usually don't forgive either.

 

So, as long-winded as this is, what I really mean to say is that I wish you the very best of luck FC, you have a tough job ahead of you...and while I am sure that if you were still in a military setting with these women, you wouldn't even have to question whether you could make headway, I hope that your caring and your dedication will serve as an example for these women to shut the hell up and strive for a greater good!

[fritz]

Could this maybe be a military vs civilian thing, rather than a man vs woman thing?

 

Just a thought. The male nurses and the female nurses get along pretty good here. I had one fine male nurse and the rest of the female nurses were polite to me also. Maybe they fought like cats and dogs after they left the room, but I doubt it.

 

fritz

[FC]

I just think they are spoiled, and have too much time on their hands.

[tinkerfive]

If you need something changed or done differently, you might try to make them

feel as if it were their idea or at least had some input on it.

 

There is far less resistance to being asked (their idea ) to do something than being told ( your idea ) to do something.

 

 

Best of luck!!

Tinker

[karlunity]

The Hippy said women have minds like steel plates and every wrong ever done to them is engraved on them.

 

FC.

 

I have found that reality is often relative.

 

Those nurses may well feel that they are overworked from their pov.

They have not experienced your reality in the OR.

 

I have gone into some fifth grade classrooms where "the kids are out of control"

and have driven the fifth grade tracher to tears.

 

Compared to my 7th and 8th grade classes, I found that fifth grade a walk in the park. It all depends on what you are used to.

 

You HAVE to explain things to ladies and appeal to their better nature, once they see the reason, they pitch in.

The Hippy said to recall the women are not as strong as men and cannot take as much and at the same time many women have two jobs as they have to go home and cook and clean and most men don't.

 

Karl

[Guest Guest_RGRWJB_*]

Hey the field grade is always right!

[swamprat]

Tony,

Just a suggestion but I would try to change my title of;"Head Nurse"! Now in the Marines a head is a toilet, in the sex world it has a whole different meaning. Maybe your title is confusing these poor souls.

 

Swamprat

[Jimro]

FC,

 

I feel your pain, and I only had one female troop, civilians HAVE to be worse.

 

I almost beat the living crap out of her when she refused to do what I told her to do. She told me this "I'm not going to do anything I don't understand." Thank goodness Mama taught me not to hit girls. Every male troop I had never had a problem taking orders.

 

After the crisis was over (The General's telephone center was cut off from the rest of the network) I "calmly" explained to her how the rank structure worked. She would do what I told her to do, and when I had time I would explain the "why's" and "how's" to her so that she could understand. You might try that tactic with your crew if you think it might help them to trust your leadership.

 

I have always appreciated bosses who were "no nonsense" and "life ain't fair". The best bosses are always consistant a**ho*e's. Just like your daughters, your nurses need consistancy. And I realize that only a man with no heart can stand a woman crying, but it really is emotional blackmail, tell her to check the drama at the door.

 

Best of luck, and I hope that your crew shapes up.

 

Jimro

 

 

 

 

 

[FC]

All are true statements. I'll think about them. I'm sure not perfect. I'll listen to them, and take their suggestions, as long as they follow my guiding principles, listed below, and they are not willing to change to meet the mission. I can easily let go any one of the contract nurses, but GS employees are a tougher nut. Luckily, those have been around for a while, and I've worked with all of the GS people before. They wanted a GS to get the head nurse job, but guess what? They didn't get what they wanted. The ward master is a straight shooter and wise. He said there are a lot of people that want their jobs.

There is a pool party Monday. One of the contract nurses was taken aback when I said I planned to show up! I do care about people, but I have expectations.

 

Guiding Principles, ala Harkin...

 

Command policy and the patient come first.

 

Work hard when there is work to be done.

 

Prepare for the busy times; avoid idleness.

 

Relax and laugh when you have the time.

 

Be friends, be comrades, avoid petty animosity.

 

Help thy neighbor.

 

Be grateful, not a complainer.

 

Love your work!

 

[karlunity]

"I'm not going to do anything I don't understand."

 

About time some one told her, You are in the army Miss Jones not a club.

 

Gunny to Karl. "Get into that bunker"

 

Karl to Gunny "Sorry Gunny, I am not doing anything I don't understand.

 

Why is that bunker here?

 

How will my getting into change the effort of the wars against the Reds?

 

Should we hold this bunker?

 

Do we have the moral right?

 

Have you taken into account the effect that it will have on the environment or the local life forms?

 

For that matter..Why are we here, not just at the war, but why is there life on Earth?

 

Please enlighten me?

 

The Gunny looked and said "Dear boy, if a Ak fires in a jungle and no one hears it, did it fire?

 

He called the General who rushed out to Hill 41 and explained our war aims.

 

The NVA also stopped firing and called for a school circle.

 

Together we duologued on the merits of the conflict, borrowing a C-130 from the AirWing, Gen. Gaip was able to fly in and present the case for his side.

 

After a relaxing brunch of a rather mild but not at all weak local wine and a very nice bit of cheese, we resumed the battle.

 

 

Karl ...A seeker!

[Jimro]

LOL Karl,

 

Somebody put that essay in the archives NOW!!!

 

Thanks, I needed a good laugh.

 

Jimro

[TLynn]

FC, I truly wish you luck because you're going to need it. Personally, I think those nurses need to get a wiff of real life in the trenches and what it means to work a bit.

 

This ain't no free lunch and being a nurse is not an easy job. They want that kind of life go somewhere else. They want to serve and to help people step up to the plate and quit their bitching.

 

End of story...

[Dr.Hess]

Tony,

You're screwed. You were safer in Iraq. You need an exit strategy and an exit time table. Maybe someone from the Democrat party can assist, as they seem to always want these things too.

Seriously, though, good luck, you're going to need it.

 

Dr.Hess

 

[Horsefly]

Something I've learned over the last 100 years is that women can't walk out the door at work and leave work there.My wife and sister-in-law would bring work home with them just because they didn't get finished at work or they wanted to do it where it's quiet.And that's unpaid.I've never seen a man do that.If things at work are crappy or somethings going on you don't like,your going to stay hare-lipped 24 hrs. if you can't leave it at work.The women I work with are more dedicated to their job than us dudes,and work very hard,but let one little change happen,and all hell breaks loose.I've heard women say men gossip as much as women,but that's bulls_it.Our ladies have more dedication to our job than us,but they take things so serious,I don't see how they keep from stroking out.The easiest going,happy ladies are the ones that work just to have something to do to get out of the house,sorta a hobby,but the hell raisers and hardest workers are the ones that depend on their job to survive.Putting in 10hrs. a day,going home to clean house,do laundry,make sure everyone is fed,has got to be a big load to bare.Jerry