CrazyGate Report: The First Meeting went smoothly, I thought. Grievance not resolved, as expected. On to the second step!
Did you know that the final four were (emphatically) notchosen. They were, in fact, the four who scored highest on the test that all applicants were administered. What does that tell you about the test? Boy, would I like to see that test! Would this be a matter of public record? I should think so, this being the civil service and all. And what were the test-scorers looking for in the way of answers, one wonders. What did the range of scores look like? etc. etc.... Food for thought...food for thought. I understand the candidates had their team interviews - a pro forma exercise, apparently, since the decision will be made by "HMG". The process reminds me of elections in places like Cuba. After the voting, the Leader decides who wins.
On another subject, the other day the Director, an Assistant Director, the Director of Nursing and the one of Psychology all entered one of the units, in a group. At the time, the unit's patients were outside planting flowers in the courtyard, and the unit was quiet. Staff sat at the "staff table" in the mileau and greeted the approaching dignitaries. After pleasantries were exchanged, a dignitary asked if the "Visiting Hours" were posted. Staff directed them to the patient info board. "No," they said. "We mean, are they posted on the door outside the unit, as you come in?" This was rather an odd question inasmuch as the entire group had, in fact, just come in by said door themselves. Had they been interested in the existence of the sign, one would think that they would have looked for it themselves on the way in.
Nevertheless, staff (helpful and accomodating as they always are) volunteered to go down the hall and out the door just to have an official look for the sign. "Yep. It's there," was the staff's report back to the dignitaries. "Would you care to see the patients? They're in the courtyard planting flowers. You're welcome to go on out and visit with them," offered the staff.
"No, thank you," said the dignitaries and they left.
Food for thought...food for thought.
Reminds me of the day I was working on a unit and an even greater gaggle of dignitaries came in together. Gosh, must have 7 or 8 of them. They all flowed past me like a parade, giving me friendly nods as they passed. They marched right down to the "Men's Room", opened the door and looked in. They all looked. Then they stood around a little while, making remarks to one another, occasionally peeping into the men's room. They they all left.
.....
It's probably just me, but I always wonder what that costs. These are relatively highly paid persons. Even twenty minutes of say, 6 of them, could cost upwards of a few hundred bucks. Are we taxpayers getting our money's worth? .... I don't know.
I just don't know.
But I'd like to. I'd really like to know how much it cost to have double completencies administered, too. How many hours of staff time (HST = number of hours per staff times total number of staff) times average hourly wage (AHW) equals how much. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out. It's HST x AHW = $X, am I right?
One thing I feel reassured about, though, is that the Grievance Process in the current instance is bound to go smoothly. Which will be a really refreshing change for me, having experienced - one way and another - 3 which did not. The problem, of course, with a grievance process that doesn't work is that nobody uses it anymore...and then there's really no way to deal with patient-care issues as they arise. Patients become frighteningly at the mercy of the team...Just think for a second, if you were at the mercy of the team, no recourse. I'd sure be hoping for a engaged, ethical, compassionate, experienced team. And hope would be about all I'd have to work with, here lately.
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17 comments:
I shouldn't, so I won't, but gosh I could say something about administrative types standing outside a patient bathroom, intermittantly peaking in, rather than observing, or better yet, interacting with patients planting flowers. Ok, I have no self restraint - my guess is that they are used to the smell of their own xxxx, and therefore chose this site, rather than a sweeter smelling one!!!
speaking of obstacles at Crazygate, do you or anyone out there know ada regs for employees? 2 diabetic staff are not being allowed to take the 5 to 10 minutes they need in privacy to test blood sugar and take their shots! one supervisor requires that the times they use for taking the insulin is taken away from the lunch break! the other stupidvisor says they don't have to allow time away from the job just because the workers are embarrassed to take shots in front of the coworkers. They are asking for a 5 minute break, not a 2 hour lunch! It seems like if Keith is a doctor he should be able to understand that workers take care of themselves and not getting sick and costing him money for sick leave. Is this a greivable issues?
Excellent comments, readers! :)
I don't know ada regs, but have become familiar with Hospital Procedure 27.58, "Employee Grievances". The only issues that are not grievable are a:leave sharing, b: discretionary pay differentials and c: performance evaluations that do not result in a corrective or disciplinary action.
So this issue appears grievable to me....or, the employees in question could simply go ahead and take the breaks, receive the corrective action and grieve it then...be careful not to say anything subordinate along the way. Smile politely and exit, is my advice...
...on a more personal note...taking care of the diabetes is far, far more important that conforming to idiotic directives. Please do take care of yourselves! Politics is fun, but your body makes it possible.
Blog On!
Gaddefly
It is rather easy to find out about the ADA regs and I believe that you are allowed to take a few minutes to do med type things...... Hey how do you even get a lunch time most of us never even get lunch........... Always remember you have free lawyers to talk to with csap and that is a good thing...
Wow, I am not surprized that a supervisor at Crazygate would think that a staff member should consider the job more important than individual needs, but that words spoken to the effect would exit a supervisor's mouth, that is crazy! Said supervisor or supervisers, might choose to refrain from that kind of speech in the future if they have any common sense at all. Their are employee rights to be considered, as well as human rights. It also would not take too much effort to find out how some folks in administrative positions spend their lunch time, and even their company time; for example, going to medical appointments, shopping at Costco, personel errands off campus, children's school related events and even spa workouts. A wise concept is to not sweat the small stuff, and the payoff for giving an employee a little privacy/personel time, may be less sick leave, or in the very least, less blog time!!!
Is it possible for these staff person(s) to take care of their personal medical issues outside of the 8 or 10 hour shifts that they work?? (as a tax payer should I be paying for that?) And I haven't known a clinical floor staff person yet who actually got charged, on the clock, for a lunch hour or 1/2 hour. However, I have seen many take time out to sit and eat their lunch during the times that clients are or aren't down at the cafe. What say you??
I say I hope I misunderstood the last writing. If I didn't, my response is this - should taxpayers be paying for the time spent by anyone at the Fort who chooses to workout in the gym, go to outside(not Fort related) appointments, children's school programs,pet appointments, numerous smoke breaks, the grocery store for coffee, online exploration, personel phone calls, or any of a number of activities that don't have a thing to do with pt care, and SHOULD NOT be done on Fort Logan time? Most of the units who have 8 hour shifts, as the norm, established a long time ago that there would be no 30 min lunch break, and only an 8 hour day, not an 8 1/2 hour day. New employees have no say in that, and if they did, it would take a long time to get going, and in the mean time, those employees who have individual needs, like taking a medication could succomb, if they have to do everything outside their 8 or 10 hour shift. What's next, going to the restroom before the shift begins and after it ends, to be sure you are in the milieu all eight hours doing pt care. Shame on whoever begrudes any staff an opportunity for a break, or an opportunity to eat something during their shift. They may be eating at the desk, counter, or table, but at least they are available, not in the nurses station or conference room or their office, where the interuptions are probably less. There aren't many milieu workers who like getting up and down a half dozen times before finishing their sandwich, but THEY DO!
Besides it's the law, staff get to take breaks and I know many milieu workers who seldom ever get to take a legitimate uninterupted break. Of course we could fix this problem by not hiring people who need breaks, never hire anyone who has a medical or mental condition, don't hire anyone who smokes, don't hire anyone who is too heavy or too thin. And once we get perfect people hired, then of course we need to get rid of all the imperfect ones. I would one of the first to go, I admit it, I have a number of the above intolerable qualities. (Throw some insubordination in there as well, because I actually do what I am supposed to do, ethically, morally and legally), as opposed to some of the things my boss tells me, to do which aren't any of the above, in regards to pt care and the paperwork, whenever there is a survey around the corner. God forbid any taxpayer gets sick and goes to either a medical or mental hospital. Their caretakers, (the doctor's, nurses, therapists, mental health workers, CNA's, even housekeeping and facilities people) are going to be in a foul mood when they come to do any sort of task/care if they can't eat, smoke, use the bathroom, take their meds, or get a break during their shift. Please God, let the staff who cares for me be the biggest nurse, who just ate lunch, at the desk, then took the state mandated 15 min break to go to the bathroom, off the unit, got in two cigarettes on the way back, and took her antianxiety pills, just before answering my call light or request.
Oh! the drama of it all!!
and No tax payers should not be paying for someone to work out at the gym, or pet appointments, children's school whatever....or any extra activities that is not covered using earned annual leave and/or sick leave.
AND....there is NO State "mandated" 15, 10 or 5 mintute breaks. Breaks are granted by supervisors...read the policy.
If you ask for these accomodations then a descision has to be made, and someone becomes accountable.
However, if you just go ahead and do what you need to do, then it's often overlooked and becomes part of the standard practice.
Like getting to work late and staying late. Or making personal phone calls, falling asleep at your desk, surfing the web, running personal errands, taking work home, etc.
Of course others are taking note in case they need to use this information as leverage to feather their own interest.
What is the mission?
E2
If you want more privs at work, accrue student loans, postpone your life, and go to school longer. I'm just sayin'.
Yep...that's the conventional wisdom...yet I've got a Master's Degree and additional post-graduate work in psychology...and nobody here has ever been even remotely interested...lord knows I've offered...perhaps, in this culture, degrees aren't what is most highly prized....know what I'm sayin'?
rumor has it that there is an asst.director position now avaiable and the old one still has on her answering machine that she is the asst. director what ever happend to her?..Hum? Gladfly Keith 's right hand women I could see it in lights. However you aren't young enough L.T. has in the Bag. Sorry Gadfly...
Darn it!!!
g.f.
Such is the life at ft logan...be that as it may, i need help...the issue of raises for rn I andII's is still on the table.at the last nurse managers meeting it was again mentioned that it would be most helpful if we could get pay stubs from psych nurses in the private sector. so, if any of you nurses out there who read the blog have friends who would be willing to give us a copy of their pay stub...with the name blacked out..but please write on the stub the years of psyche experience..please get it to me on geriatrics..we probably should be pro active and help in any way we can..we're the ones that would benefit if the raise goes through...also, please read the nurse managers meeting minutes..I have asked our team leader to keep the raise issue on the table and ask for a monthly update.send the information to candy mcilvain geriatrics, or drop it off. thanks..and spread the word......it can only help the cause.
Our "head of all nurses" stated in one meeting... that she meets monthly with her peers from the other hospitals in the area. What do they discuss if not staffing related issues... staff retention stratagies, pay and benifit enticements? More of our RNs are regularly quiting FT.LOGAN to collect those pay stubs the administration claims they are in the dark about.
Not sure where to put this - guess I'll put it under "Food for Thought". Recently, a patient who has been here for a very long time, and was getting very discouraged about the lack of action on his discharge dispo, was helped file a grievance by a staff person. Now, this staff person was taken to task by this patient's primary staff and the gist was this staff person was VERY wrong to have helped the patient. Well, guess what? Shortly after the staff persons dressing down, the patient has been interviewing placements, and will be discharged soon. Anyone surprised?
5 minutes for a finger stick? How about 45 minutes to pump breast milk during working hours!
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