The silence is deafening, Social Work Fairy, but I can only assume that readers are all taking time to read the "Organizational Stress..." article before commenting. I know that's what I've been doing. I confess I'm going awfully slowly....faster now that I printed a copy...I hate reading long stuff on a computer screen...can't get comfortable....
I've gotten as far as "Lack of Basic Safety"...still have things like "Increased Authoritarianism" and "Impaired Cognition and Silencing of Dissent" ahead of me. It is so amazing to read this description of our very own madhouse in this paper from Philadelphia! Obviously, the problems here are the problems throughout the entire mental health system. We are not uniquely disadvantaged....we are the norm! Holy Cow.
Did you notice the early reference to Maxwell Jones? Maxwell Jones was a prime mover in the founding of the madhouse! And the description of the organization!... how about this: "...unhealthy organizations have a great deal in common. There is a general air of degradation and a sense that everything is always falling apart; one must be very careful to make sure that it does not fall on you. There is a general lack of energy, low motivation, and low morale among the people in the organization. ..... Standards tend to be low and norms are disrupted, unclearly stated, and unmonitored. There is a great deal of individual unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and complaining, but the complaining is usually indirect and frequently takes the form of gossip or rumors that in a circular way tends to lead to more dissatisfaction......The atmosphere of routine boredom and unhappiness is interspersed with periods of crisis....Learning from the past does not appear to happen.....Change efforts are met with a passive resistance that tends to chase off competent leaders, leaving less confident and competent leadership in its wake. There is a lack of transparency and an air of secrecy, even about events that could easily be aired publicly and openly. Ultimately, this is an envionment that leads to dishonesty and ethical deterioration." (pg. 19)
Now if that's not the madhouse, what is?
I'd like to skip ahead in my reading to "Sanctuary: A Parallel Process of Recovery"...but I haven't. That will have to wait until next week. But it does give me hope. Someone has taken the time to think the problem through - to provide a good analysis of what's happened, and to propose at least one possible solution. It helps to overcome my tendency to just be overwhelmed in the face of such complex problems. One doesn't have to be overwhelmed...one can come up with solutions...
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4 comments:
Hallelujah!
Great things are happening. Last week the State Legislature passed a hospital worker whistleblower protection bill that will surely be signed by the governor. However, I have not had a chance to read the fine print which may include a lack of protection for State employees. Just being cynical (I hope).
We all have heard of the criminal behavior of several staff members at The Madhouse's sister hospital. Bummer, but that's what can happen with a lack of oversight. Which is the mild way of saying that over the past decade the State has been turning a quite blind eye to its duty to watch over the chicken coop.
Today, the Denver Post printed an editorial calling for an audit of the State's two hospitals. It cites that such an audit has not been done in the past 14 years. Well, better late than never. Corrupt and/or negligent adminstrators should take note ... you're about to get a report card. And for those 'special' adminstrators, you may even 'get served', if you know what I mean!
Now is the time to turn the heat up. Stop sitting on your thumbs. Tune-up your voice and start singing. Loosen up your fingers and start writing to your Representives ... they're only going to be in town for a few more weeks before they revert back into their human forms for the next 8 months. Write to Governor Ritter demanding an audit, and tell him why you think that would be important. Let them know where they should start looking ... make it easy for the auditors.
This is the moment many of you have been waiting for. Don't let it pass you by. Make a difference. Make a change.
The SWF
I thought I would write before I go to bed. It has been easy lately here for me at the Fort. The atmosphere is still negative to a certain level here, but I have learned how to cope with it better. The simple thing I do is not listen to the usual bickering and fighting of the indentured, privileged staff on the units I work. Secondly, I simply remove myself from situtation when they begin whining about the same old stuff. The issue to me is that the old staff may not realize they are one of the reasons the new staff leave. You get us caught up in the "BS" on the unit and leave us angry at the end of our shifts. Do many of the constant whiners understand what psychiatric field looks like outside of here in terms of direct care. Many should be glad that they are allowed to make 18-20 dollars an hour for little to no documentated education and have retirement too.
This hospital is not really that hard to work at and if you believe it is you have not worked any other hospitals. I have worked every unit and yet to find a unit that was a true challenge in regards to work environment, the employee environment is a different issue however. When you fight and whine on the unit it does not make me angry or hate my job anymore. It makes me thankful that I have a family and a life and do not need to come to work to get my emotional needs met. The fighting, drama that many display here at work makes me think you are lacking in some area of your personal life.
Yes, there is problems here, but things change for good or bad everywhere you work. The difference here is no one leaves and shitty attitudes get worse. I do not want to become one of those angry people on the units that want so much respect, but have did little to better their own future. I do not care if you have been here 6 months or 10 years. If you are in my position we are at the very least equals and deserve equal respect. I do not care if you have been here 17 years, big deal, but don't complain about someone else getting promoted look at why you didn't.
It has been a very good couple of weeks after understanding the actual way this hospital works. I do not plan on staying here for years upon years in the same job. I will stay here until I'm ready to leave, and keep myself out of the same tired ass "BS" that goes on here by having an active life outside of here.
Many believe that they are so important in terms of this hospital. What would you do if this hospital closed? To many staff that is a scary thought. To me it's a challenge and that is the difference.
I want you to think of the new hires when you begin the fighting, arguing, and negative talk. Some of you sound like fools and act the part too. Honestly, I just ignore you and laugh about it with my significant other when I get home. Professionalism begins with us, no matter how great a company is or not. We set the tone of the work environment by are actions or inactions. If you are unhappy please leave or transfer it's your choice to stay therefore; it's your choice to be unhappy too. Go do something else, life is to short to be so unhappy.
Not a supervisor, but would not mind being one in the future(not an ass-kisser either).
There are paths for happiness and others for the miserable. Which path are you taking and how many are you dragging along with you?
Good night,
Whipper Snapper Thinker
Just think of how you want to be remembered here. Yes, write the governor,very good idea to care about one's job. What if things do not change are we adult enough to cut our losses and move on. Do you stay for the patients? If so that is codependence and is also unhealthy for the client. Your unhappiness projects on our patients and is detrimental to the treatment process too. The new nurses do not just leave because wages are less than the private sector. They leave also because of the milieu staffs' attitude and displeasure. People will work for a little less if work is enjoyable or fun many here could make a clown cry. I want us to look at ourselves in the same light we hold administration and supervisor to. It is easy to blame everything on them, but that is too simplistic of an answer to those in a supposed "thinking" field. Just think of those around you when you begin ranting, take a deep breath and get your work done. Just use your head for more than a "kickstand" and change your attitude or move on. Either choice will improve the company.
The previous bloggers have a good point. When the ranting, whining starts, the best coping mechanism may be to distance yourself. I would encourage you, though, to talk about it here. This venue has proven successful in getting some unprofessional actions and activities noticed, and changed. There are some managers who take heart, and actually act, on some of the information disclosed, and discussions held here. There are also some who would need a fire lit under their asses just to move, but I'll take any little improvement. No one is going to be able to get the administration changed. No one is going to get rid of loud mouthed RN's and lazy MHC's, who have been around way too long. But this is the easiest job I've ever had. Even on a bad day, this is easier than anything else I've done. So even though my coworkers have bad attitudes and chose to blubber and blather, rather than work, I'm going to stay at the Fort, but walk away when the voices become idiotic noise. I also have a voice, but will use it to get what needs to be noticed, noticed. Writing here is an example. And you could read today's paper! There's a good resource or two mentioned for those who would like to do something to improve working conditions at this place. For example, poor staffing leading to poor patient care, overwhelming call ins leading to dangerous conditions, and of course the continued use of staff that do not follow policy and procedures which lead HIPPA violations, medication errors and extended length of stays for patients who could be managed elsewhere. So when your coworkers play on the computers, talk to their families frequently on the phone, yak, yak, yak about nothing related to the Fort - walk, don't talk, and enjoy the check at the end of the month.
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