I lived the life of an administrator yesterday. I walked several miles and talked to half the hospital until I was hoarse.We did another Cookie Brigade, where senior leadership walked through the hospitals, giving each unit and department green shamrock cookies. Everyone received a cookie...well, except the Diabetes Center. They hate when administration gives out cookies!
So I had a morning full of meetings, went on Cookie Patrol with Elvis, Nurse Jackie, and the CFO for two hours, and scampered back to my office to grab my folders for PI. Both process improvement projects kicked off and are doing well, but they require a fair bit of facilitation.
I facilitated my butt off, to the point that I started getting hoarse. As that meeting ended a half hour late, I had to run back up to Admin, grab my stuff, and hit the highway. One of our new employed physicians had his office blessed and formally "St. Fozzied," and all of Administration needed to attend. The office is nice...very airy and bright.
I facilitated my butt off, to the point that I started getting hoarse. As that meeting ended a half hour late, I had to run back up to Admin, grab my stuff, and hit the highway. One of our new employed physicians had his office blessed and formally "St. Fozzied," and all of Administration needed to attend. The office is nice...very airy and bright.
I hopped BACK in the car, did the Cookie Patrol at the other hospital campus, and spent an awful lot of time talking to people. On one hand, it's awesome that I know so many people and can continue building those relationships. On the other hand, it's bad that I have stacks and piles of work that needs to be attended to (in both offices!).
I probably walked 3 miles throughout various hospital corridors and excused myself from the gym tonight.
I do have a story to tell, though! During the first round of Cookie Patrol, I went up on the Pediatric floor. There were a couple call lights blinking and so I answered one. In my experience, the patients usually need something small, like ice chips or the phone. I don't mind answering call lights, but two of the Peds nurses took extreme offense to the fact that I did that. I thought we were all a team and all striving for utmost patient satisfaction? The nurses saw it as stepping on their toes. Then again, these nurses were recently transferred from OB to Peds and maybe were taking out their frustration on me? It was weird. And as it was, all the patient (a cute 8 year old) wanted was help fixing their pillow.
I do have a story to tell, though! During the first round of Cookie Patrol, I went up on the Pediatric floor. There were a couple call lights blinking and so I answered one. In my experience, the patients usually need something small, like ice chips or the phone. I don't mind answering call lights, but two of the Peds nurses took extreme offense to the fact that I did that. I thought we were all a team and all striving for utmost patient satisfaction? The nurses saw it as stepping on their toes. Then again, these nurses were recently transferred from OB to Peds and maybe were taking out their frustration on me? It was weird. And as it was, all the patient (a cute 8 year old) wanted was help fixing their pillow.
So I extend this question to Case-Manager-Extraordinaire-formerly-known-as-Nurse-Starbucks...would it really tick you off *that* much if an administrator answered a call light on your floor?
I've had a young co-worker mad at me for three months because she thought I was stepping on her toes...when all I was doing was what I always did as support staff for the programming person...She thought I was doing the work because I didn't think she was capable. Hey...we are on the same team.. and why stew for three months without talking to me?
ReplyDeleteI'm not a nurse but I have always been one of the "little people" and while your intention was to help out the team, I might have (perhaps initially) felt a little like you were telling the "world" that I wasn't doing my job. Because I know you, I know this couldn't be further from the truth but, because you are administration, it might have felt like a critique of the nurse's performance and she felt a little threatened. I know that as a measely stay-at-home mom, I would feel a little threatened or feel insignificant if someone could walk in my house and suddenly the kids are eating broccoli, the laundry is put away, and the stain in the middle of my rug was gone. It doesn't mean the well-intentioned guest/miracle worker did it to step on my toes, it would have made me feel like I'm not good at what I do.
ReplyDeleteI'm not being combative - just trying to present the other side (in a long and drawn-out way!!!)
Personally, I think it's cool that you jumped right in and answered a call light :)
Oooo, touchy subject. First let me say that in my experience, OB nurses are kind of like a sorority girls. They are territorial and often bitchy. And if a non-clinically-trained administrator walked up and answered my call light, I MIGHT feel like they must think my job is so easy that anyone 'off the street' can do it. We nurses are a proud bunch of people. We are independent and like to have control - for the most part. And these traits are good when peoples lives are at stake, but the seasoned nurses tend to eat their young in addition to developing massive egos about 'their floor' or 'their patients' so in that respect, yes, that is a stepped on toe situation.
ReplyDeleteBut on the other side, we get so incredibly bogged down with all the processes, medications, vital signs, bedpans, needles, antibiotics, codes, blah blah blah, that it is refreshing when someone can do the little things...like answer call lights. Those things can be done by anyone, and it gives us more time to focus on things that can't be done by just anyone. Nurses are highly trained professionals that are expected to know as much as the doctors, with just as much responsibility (it seems) but none of the credit or respect. So while I would be grateful for someone from admin to take even a small part in direct patient care, a lot of staff members are, like I said, territorial and just don't like people 'messing' with the system.
Clear as mud?
I can see both sides of the issue. While I thought I was being a team player and squashed my fear of entering patient rooms (y'know, because of my irrational fear of bodily fluids), I see how this could have been misconstrued as me stepping on toes. Thanks for helping me think through this!
ReplyDeleteOkay, so what should I do if I round up on the floors and there's a call light blaring for several minutes? Would it be better to answer the light myself or gently remind a nurse to do it?
Yikes, the questions never end!! :)