Taking it back to kindegarten

Or, everything I learned about how to treat people at work came from kindergarten.

I was aghast, appalled, angry at what was revealed to us at the latest shared governance meeting. People are misleading travel nurses, or any nurse or tech they feel is infringing on THEIR department. This can even be a nurse or tech from the float pool.

They are withholding vital patient information, such as report, from people who are just there to help.

It was a tale of two hospitals as explained by one of the participants in our group.

At hospital A, the flagship hospital, report was withheld from the oncoming nurse. No one was there to greet the nurse when they arrived to, again, help by taking an assignment and patient load. It was as petty as not giving needed information such as parking, or cafeteria hours, or even how to get into the department. How do you think that nurse felt?

By contrast, at hospital B the same nurse had a vastly different experience. They were helped to find parking, that their badge worked to gain access to the department, where they were greeted by the charge nurse, who facilitated them getting report and generally helped them get their feet. Same nurse, different greeting. I can tell you the nurse felt way better about hospital B.

I said that what was described to us made me want to shake hospital A.

And shake the hand of hospital B.

Are we 5? Or toddlers? When has it become acceptable to gaslight, and mislead people who are just there to help us?

sigh

Don’t make me take it back to the golden rule. Treat others like you want to be treated.

No, scratch that. The platinum rule. This is a rule that states that people are to be treated the way they would treat others. This involves having a little empathy.

These techs and nurses are just there to help. And we should let them. Healthcare has been taking it in the shorts since before the start of the pandemic.

We should all be ashamed of treating helpers this way.

Mr. Rogers would be ashamed at some of you.