Pros
Waterman is a relatively small, community based institution. It is beautiful and bright. Most of the modern conveniences of it's larger family members. There is a small town feel in the friendliness of the employees. Familiarity and warmth abound once you walk through the doors. After a short time, one begins to feel like a member of the family and strangers are not strangers for long as they are welcomed in. Many employees have worked here for 10 plus, 15 plus and 20 plus years.And that says a lot about an institution if you do not consider that some people may be afraid to venture out beyond their comfort zone and others may not be in a position to take the chance that they may be out of work for an extended period of time while looking for another opportunity. But, at first blush, I thought,' wow, this must be a great place to work if they have been here that long.'I had forgotten that commitment to an organization is a thing of text books and the past.
Cons
On the other hand, with the now not so new CEO came a change not only in the weather but the energy of Waterman. Granted our present CEO had big shoes to fill and it is understood that each leader wants to have his/her own style and leave his/her distinctive mark to show what difference they have made. However, such a road is rarely smooth and most do not want to venture along the road less traveled. This man is no exception. In the world of management and business doing more with less is the goal. But if you consider people to be the most valuable resource, you have to practice what you preach. Stewardship, dedication to those people you work with and to nurture their personal and professional lives as you do your own. Sounds good right? Having the best and most modern facility, televisions, computers, remote control window blinds, etc, draws attentions away from, if ever so briefly, the fact that the staff is overworked-nurse to patient or tech to patient ratios and expectations , underpaid all other things being equal- Waterman pay is less than their competitors, employee satisfaction is waining(though few bother to tell the truth anymore as there is no change to the status quo. And yes, expectations of "leaders" do not change. Patient satisfaction scores is the mantra of the year. How can we focus on patient satisfaction scores when we have to document the same thing in 3 different places, customize IPOCs to each individual patient and complete the daily update of same by a certain time in the day. Visit each patient hourly in such a way that they will remember that we were Always there and simultaneously answer call lights from any other patient near by, pass out meds in a timely fashion while always reviewing side effects of said medications in a way that the patient will remember that we always did that. Round with physicians on each patient when MD comes by and answer questions from family, visitors or staff of any patient who may ask us something. Juggle all that and Case Management, Dietary, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Infectious Disease ( hospital), be there to help your tech and fellow nurse should they need you. Also do discharges complete with education on medications, make sure the patient has no after care needs that have not been addressed and then be ready to take the next admission with a smile. All that would be ok if we felt we were supported and that we had a say in how the hospital was being run and we were not made to feel as if we were an expendable means to an end. If there were opportunities for advancement that were not plagued with politics and personal agendas. If we each had a mentor who was there to guide us through troubled waters and with whom we would believe as we once did when we first embarked upon this road of nursing as a calling and an honorable profession not just 12 hours that we had to get through, that a nurse was the most wonderful thing anyone could ever be-then all that is asked of us...would come as a natural progression of how things should be and not how things better be if we want to continue to have a job.
