Mandatory behavior

Today after coming back up to Ogden from taking mom to a Dr. appt. I had to attend a Mandatory meeting. I have nothing against Mandatory meetings, I know we all have to hear and be taught certain things, but this one just made me so angry, and a few others in the class also.

I left my actual handout in my now gone truck, but it had to do with re-connecting with patients, making a healing connection, through touch, eye contact, sitting down at the bedside and really listening, removing our stethoscope and not appearing too threatening or busy, trying to find a common interest between the pt. and ourselves, proper greetings and farewells, it goes on and on. My co-worker leaned over and asked "what do you think this is costing". Between the cost of the program, training our trainers,12 trainers, o and they aren't called trainers they are "champions", they had about 8 hrs. each of training and now educating all 60 of us for 2 hrs. I am sure it is more than what it would cost to hire a couple of full time Rn's for a year. Rn's that could help with the load so we could actually do this better.

I don't mean to sound hateful, but we know all this information, we do all this stuff every day, to the best of our ability and to the best of our time constraints. It might not have had a name before, but if you aren't doing these things then you shouldn't be in this profession.

After about 90 min. someone was brave enough to ask the question that we had all been thinking. Why are we really here. Well, SURVEYS say, we are not making a Healing connection with our patients. Please, Who are they asking, and what are they being asked? And if they answered the questions at all, they must have lived through the hospital experience.

I know we all expect more of everything and from everyone. We want faster check out lines at the store, we want to not wait at appts., we want to call for information about something and not have someone with such a thick accent help us, we want fast food to be faster, and waitresses to not get my order wrong. We want service with a smile and the sun to come out tomorrow! We all want and deserve the very best. And we are DEMANDING it or else!

I believe everyone should always receive the very best care and attention we can give. And if they were sincerely offended or hurt in someway then "yes" please tell someone and we will try and make it right. But also the public needs to remember that no nurse, that I know, sets out at the beginning of their shift and thinks, I am only going to give 10% today and damn with the rest. If my Pt's. aren't satisfied then to Hell with them. Really this isn't how it goes. Instead we set out to organize and prioritize everything that is to be done and hope that all the surprises and emergencies that come up can be handled too. We are a team and sometimes the only way we make it through a day is with team work and maybe one potty break.

I know many of the readers of this blog are in professions that are also underpaid, over worked and under-staffed and very unappreciated. Our hands are often tied because of laws and red tape and HIPPA. And those who aren't in those professions are saying then get out, do something else, and stop complaining. It just doesn't always work that way. Someone has to be here, we just want the public to help and understand, that maybe your pain pill will be 15 min. late, and you may have to wait 2 hrs for that xray, and you haven't seen your nurse for 30 min. and you want to get back to bed. But also know that if you start having chest pain, or bleeding or problems breathing, you will have everyone you need and then some, you will have the smartest and best informed there to help. And then try and remember if you are the one getting all the attention that your neighbor in the next room may be waiting for their pain pill.

As usual I spoke up too much and voiced my opinion to loudly, but most in the room were agreeing, even the champions. We have become a very selfish and ME oriented society. What we deserve and what we want is our main goal, no matter how we get it. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and understanding and we in return need to give the same.

Please be grateful with me for those people out there who will help us when we are sick, educate our children, but out fires, protect our streets, work hard at leading our nation and especially those who are protecting our freedoms and our safety. We have been given much and we too must give. Even if only to give back understanding.