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How Should I Deal With a Problem of a Divided Nursing Staff When Management Clearly Is Showing Favoritism?

Nurse comforting patient in wheelchair

Question:

Dear Donna,

I work at a large private specialty office. In the last two years our nursing staff has become divided into two sides. Clearly, management favors two part-time nurses who continue to call in when scheduled, come in late regularly, walk out when it gets tough and make their own schedules. This, of course, is at the expense of myself and two other nurses. This often makes us severely understaffed. In addition, management entertains complaints from these two nurses against the loyal and hard-working employees. All of us are looking for other positions. I have spoken to management and to the others in a group setting and privately, with no success. These are adolescent games, which I want no part of. I just want to do my job and not have ridiculous complaints about me brought to my attention. There is no one to go to above management, except the head physician, and I'm certain he would dismiss my complaints. Do you have any advice for me?

Loretta

Dear Donna replies:

Dear Loretta,

If you and the other staff have gone to your manager as a group to express your concerns and complaints and relayed how the behavior of the two is lowering morale, resulting in insufficient staffing which affects patient care and creates bad feelings amongst the staff, then there is really not much more you can do. Every situation cannot be improved, changed or corrected, especially when your manager allows it to continue for whatever reason.

Here's an article you may find helpful: ?Knowing when it?s time to move on? (http://news.Nurse.com/Apps/Pbcs.dll/Article?AID=2011111129003).

Best wishes,
Donna