Slipping back for another reason

[bear53]

Hi. Havent posted for quite sometime , but right now just feel I need to vent a bit. Thought a past incident had been buried, but the anger over how it was managed by my imediate manager has resurfaced.

So here goes. 18 months or so ago I was involved in a critical incident at work on the road when I came across a near fatal accident as a community nurse. Its taken time, psychologist x2(I changed) and treatment to get over this, and the waves of panic whenI see ambulances with sirens/ lights are decreasing. At the time of the incident I was not offered critical incident debriefing (though my incident report claimed I got it), and my unit manager didnt really acknowledge this as a stressful event for me.

Fast forward 12 months, new unit manager now, and aggression towards health care workers campaign/community education well underway. A patient I visited at home was verbally agressive towards me, yelling at me, offloading how unhappy she was with our service. I can put up with rude patients, and am an experienced nuurse, but this really upset me at the time. I reported it to the office when it happened, and filled in an incident report. When I met with my manager I requested she ring the patient and explain that this is not acceptable behavour ( not an unreasonable request? To show support to me?) She didnt think it necessary! and left it to the next nurse visiting the next day to raise the incident with the patient All I was offered was EAP counselling, which I declined as I was seeing my psycholigist . We are still seeing this pt,at home, I have been there once since, while she was pleasant, I felt uneasy , but trying to move on.

So last week a general email is sent out to all hospital staff from the CEO outlining agression managent and how every incident will be treated as cat.1 or 2 now , and the staff involved will be sent a letter of support from the CEO. among other things.

I just feel that theres policies made to look good but the reality to me is, they are not followed. Just feeling this incident has blown up again in my face. Taking a few days off work now. Being kind to myself , just feeling I need to vent now and get support. sorry for the long tirade!

[Croix]

Dear Bear~

Welcome back to the Forum I hope your husband is now in a better state since he stopped working in Malaysia.

There often seems to be a vast gulf between management and nursing staff. This was echoed in my own area, I was invalided out of the police a long time ago with PTSD, anxiety and bouts of depression.

I guess a lot of it boils down to different goals, with management not seeming to care on many occasions about the welfare of the staff under them when it conflicts with political perceptions and managerial targets.

There is always a temptation for new good sounding policies to be put into place, sadly some simply do not survive in anything other than name, due to the real cost in exercising them. A letter of support is not really anything, a course of counseling with the possibility of associated time off is a toll on the system.

Your manager may be reluctant to take action due to legal liabilities, I don't know. From her perspective it might be a case of one person's word against another. Unsatisfactory from the point of view of protecting staff. At least in many A&Es cameras record actions.

Hopefully your colleague attending the next day was able to set out standards the patient should follow.

I guess the offer of Employment Assistance counseling was something, perhaps better than being totally disregarded. I don't blame you for being unease when you had to see that patient again, it could have been very awkward.

Taking a little time off sounds a very sensible thing to do.

Feel free to talk here as much as you would like, you are very welcome

Croix