I have heard nursing leaders refer to their nursing staff as their children. I think this can be good if it is in the context that your staff is like family. But I think it can be damaging if you feel you need to “parent” your staff.
Nursing shortages are nothing new, and they’re going to get worse. So why haven’t we adopted solutions that other countries have already? There ARE ways to get around this.
The next time you feel like pulling out your hair if “just one more person puts on that call light,” remember that, as nurses, we’re No. 1 in the hearts and minds of the public out there.
Sometimes we get so stuck in the mud of winter, get so despondent that we forget that spring is right around the corner. Of course, I am talking metaphorically. Often, we forget that we can make changes — heck, even be the change.
Let’s face it, healthcare is siloed enough without nurses running around with an “I’ll do it all on my own” attitude. Pride is a toxic condition no nurse can afford to suffer from.
As nurse leaders/managers, I believe we have to be smarter in what we decide to let go and shrug off, as we might wind up having to do those things ourselves too often.
No matter what your faith, pretty much everyone has heard of King Solomon, son of King David, who was given the gift of wisdom. How, therefore, can I say I think he is wrong?
Antibiotic stewardship is a change you need to embrace. You can’t just say I prefer it the old way, give everyone an antibiotic who asks for one and that will be that. But I get it. You are willing to change, but sometimes the residents and their families aren’t.
As the government shut down over the weekend, it struck me once again: We in long-term care do not close our doors. Ever.
You know, it’s really all how you look at things. We all have days that stink, but spinning the situation differently can change how we deal with apparent downers.
