Dear
As a nurse for over a decade, I think I have reached my breaking point with SLBMC. The most recent posts have been geared towards the matron but that’s not the peak of our problem as nurses.
The most problem my colleagues and I are having is with the ward supervisors and departmental Managers.
When I say they are the worst and they are also responsible for nurses leaving the hospital. We are afraid to speak out because when you do, you are labeled as a bully or being disrespectful.
It will also reflect in the way your duty is written. You would be denied requests while the nurses who kiss their ass get every single request.
Other issues we are facing includes: being denied vacations and given the excuse of staff shortage while another nurse gets to go on vacation because they are close with the supervisor.
Let me get on the topic of professionalism because these sisters love to talk about being professional when they lack it, how is sitting at the nurses station discussing staff with clerks and other staff members professional? How is arguing with staff professional?
How is critiquing a few staff members who actually do what they suppose to do but allow other nurses to get away with non sense.
Such as: leaving the ward for hours at a time knowing we are short staffed, giving a nurse incentive days they are not owed, allowing the nurse to go on multiple vacations when other nurses have not been on vacation as yet. And we can’t dare say anything about it because the ward sister will go to the matron and ask her to have you moved to another ward.
This is why the hospital is the way it is and patients are not getting the care they deserve because if a nurse works well on a ward and the ward supervisor don’t like that nurse, the ward supervisor will make lots of complaints to the matron and the matron will put the nurse on change list while other nurses who are not very proficient gets to stay on that ward.
That’s how bad and unprofessional some of these sisters are, that they will be willing to let go of good nurses because their egos are not being stroked because their ass are not being kissed.
But as for now we can only air our grievance to the media because we have no other outlet.
We are fed up and cannot change a rigged highly flawed system. So all we can do at this point is to vent. That’s what it has come to, venting on media because we are afraid of backlash if we talk.
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It’s heartbreaking to see how the system treats nurses who are trying to do their job. We deserve better than this!”
This happens everywhere, sadly. I’ve seen it in my own hospital too. Nurses are always asked to stay professional, but management seems to get away with unprofessional behavior all the time.
Stay strong! It’s important that your voice is heard, even if it’s through social media. Hopefully, it sparks some much-needed change at the hospital.
Defensive (toward management): “I think it’s unfair to blame all ward supervisors and managers. There are always two sides to a story,
@UNFAIR
It sounds like you know exactly what’s happening and all you can say is, It’s not me. Get a spine and stand up for your colleagues. Or simply tell your side. Sounds like you are part if the problem. No backbone.
Your commentary is a weak excuse. So let’s hear it, what do you have to say, so people can understand the other side. Or did someone tell you to comment?
It sounds like a toxic environment. I think forming a collective voice with other nurses might be more effective. You all need a union or a support group to back you up.
I get the frustration, but venting on social media isn’t going to fix anything. Maybe it’s time to organize and confront the administration directly
Here we go again. One sided stories from nurses painting the innocent with guilty. The nurse who wrote this article does the samething to her colleagues. So why are you complaining? It hurts when the shoe is on the other foot. Please stop giving misleading information.
Do like all the former UPP members: LEAVE!!! Ask Tabor how he did it!!
@time to organise I get your point about uniting. However the venting on social media works for that place. Its the one thing they monitor more than anthing else. As soon as they see SLBMC they get scared that the dirty laundry is being put out to the public.
But you are right united we stand divided we fall.
give me a darn break u all nurses u ruly you have nurses leaving the compound with man an coming back half hr before there shift ends essspecially nurses in ER its there habit an yes wen the supervisor like them they dnt report them I am currently a patient in ER an its wat I see happening I dnt want say too much next thing they give me bad injection to talk too much but yes supervisor have favoritism that’s true
then u have tehnicans in the dept of xrsy an ultrasounds they send away the orderly with u because they sleeping I was in pain an they send the orderly with mi back in ER its not right lot a things going on need to be looked I to
Frustrated Nurse
I am so disappointed when some nurses feel like it’s okay to discuss management on the media because they don’t get what they want when they want it.
Vacations slots are booked way in advance at the beginning of the year. Some nurses are on months and months of sick leave and does not accumulate extra days and yet they request extra days and expect them to be given. Some nurses are given special shifts to work and they still call in sick when it’s their shift to work. Some nurses call in sick once every week, especially on the weekends. Junior nurses are being elevated over senior nurses because of their unethical practices. Some of them hardly work six months in a year and expect to benefit from extra days along side nurses who work extra hours and come to work when they are scheduled to work.
Some nurses sit in the nurses station and discuss patients and their colleagues in a very demeaning manor and don’t expect they too are going to be discussed when they are not present. The same nurses who you discuss the manager with also discuss you with the manager. Bear that in mind. It’s a good thing I don’t live there because I would a done move out long time.
The Same stick that hit the wild goat also hit the tame one.
Since we like to come to the media about issues and challenges in our work place,
others who know the truth will have no choice but to respond like wise.
Other nurses don’t want to work along side some of you because of your attitude. If you are wrong you are wrong. The supervisor must sit back and allow you all to cause injuries to patients because they can’t speak to you or correct you and explain the right thing to do. Many of you when you are corrected you report sick the next day or you send in a bex leave for all like three weeks and a month. Some supervisors just leave you all to do what you all want because you don’t even get reprimanded for your unethical behaviors.
Some nurses request transfer because they don’t want to work with some of you. Supervisors are there to manage the day to operations of the wards. They are there to ensure that the hospital policies, procedures and protocols are followed not to suck up and friend up with staff.
The patients are why we are in the hospital not to be friends and company with each other. Do the job that you took an oath to perform and stop making excuses. Take care of your patients and stop all the negative in house fighting and backstabbing each other. You don’t have to spell out what type of nurse you are in the work place it goes before. If you make an error it has to be discussed and find ways of preventing reoccurrence. We are responsible for peoples lives. We are not perfect but together we can do the right thing when we put our heads together and discuss best practices for our clients.
Some of you from the time you walk into the ward the nurses are wondering if somebody died the way you all have your faces. As if some one is begging you to come and do the work you are being paid to do. You all need to stop the nonsense and do quality, professional nursing care yes I said professional nursing care.
I could go on and on but God. Bless all the good nurses who continue to go above and beyond for their clients and administer quality nursing care. Amen.
NO GOVERNMENT ENTITY OR FORMER GOVERNMENT ENTITY WITH A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR IS RUN PROPERLY.
HONEY, PUT UP YOUR CROCS AND TRY AND WORK FOR CALVIN AYRE.
ANTIGUA, ESPECIALLY THE PUBLIC SECTOR IS GONNA DRIVE YOU MAD BEFORE YOU GET A HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT.
Fine, then break!
Change careers or leave the country and do your nursing somewhere else but stop bloody whining on social media like a child.
One thing IO have always preached to staff I supervised or managed. And that is this: A workplace is not a democracy. It is run as a dictatorship. You take orders and follow orders. And when you do not like it, you have the choice to move on. Yes management should have some humanity in how they give directives to staff. But those directives are not open for discussion. That is why management has to take full responsibility for the progress of the company they run. Many workers believe they should have a say in how the company is run. Well my advise is start your own company. And when you she the very same staff having climb to management level their very same colleagues start to hate them. And it becomes very difficult for such to demand respect from their former colleagues. That is one of the reason I never believe in promoting people from within. I was once there and had to break up with many old friends when I got promoted. It is very painful. And as the saying goes, It is lonely at the top. Being at the other side of the table is a total different ball game. It reminds me during slavery when the massa promoted certain slaves to be over others. They are then hated by the group and seen as traitors.
Just know a workplace is not a democracy. You may be invited for your opinion but that doesn’t mean that it will be taken in consideration. Many time when I was ask to give my opinion to the Board, I was shock when they took a decision different to what I suggested. Over the years I matured and learned that although my opinion was sought it was only for them to be able to take all things in consideration.
Staff needs to learn to just follow orders. That is what you are paid to do. No matter how dumb the orders are. You are not the one carry the responsibility. You only carry out orders.
If an army goes to war, the soldiers are trained to just carry out orders. No questions asked. And anyone he decide to refuse to follow and carry out the orders will be court martialed. Which can be as high as the death penalty in some cases and seen as mutiny.
Unless an order given is inhumane one should always follow the order. Even if it is under duress. In which you state in writing that you strongly object to follow this order. I have on many time advised especially those in the accounting profession to put in writing any order that they execute under duress. If anytime in the future there is an inquiry your statement would be your defense. As they say, cover your back. And accountants should especially remember the MBS Inquiry. Only Jarvis the Accountant went to jail. he had nothing on file to show that he did execute some transactions under duress. All he said,”when the minister said pay, you pay”.
@Frustrated Nurse
Well written. It is important to hear the other side. I replied to @unfair for just making a blanket statement in an earlier comment.
It is important that we hear both sides and your comment is unfortunately very plausible. If this is the case, you need to stand your ground and and defend you point of view as to your experience. The truth most always comes out. The unfortunate part is, if what you’re saying is true, it will drive good young nurses from a very honorable profession. A profession we need desperately in Antigua.
It is only when the stone hit the pig then the squeal is heard.
There have been many articles on this platform concerning how the young medical staff especially young doctors are treated at SLBMC, yet there was no word.
Now the shoe is squeezing the other foot , we are now hearing about breaking point. Solidarity brings about strength. Nurses need to support doctors & vice versa.
It’s sad that some people are in disbelief and talking about oh she should not air on social media or she should leave and she should just take orders well my aunt works there and it’s never one day she would come home and not tell us how they treat some of them for them nurses who love to flaunt and are dating other staff but yet the nurses who knows must always turn a blind eye I went one month ago because a cabinet door fell on my arm on the Saturday bleeding deep and sitting there for 2 hours changing my gauze every 30 minutes because of how deep the cut was when the dr saw me she said oh I will clean it up n dress it for you n that was it no stitches nothing so I went to my dr on the Wednesday and when he saw my wound i had to be stitched up but before that i went to pharmacy and the pharmacist is the one that said i need stitches as well how the hell are we supposed to support these drs and nurses when they don’t do their dam jobs the right way Antigua is pitiful
So they tell us we can eat what we want, live a toxic lifestyle and when we get sick just come and they will fix us up. Fast forward to 2024, our bodies are in shambles, our naturalists demoted and demeaned and when we go up on the hill all they can say is “nutten wrong with you”, just before we drop dead (it has happened).
We do need to improve conditions at this our only hospital but the reality is, when it comes to healthcare, quality and affordability are bitter enemies. What we are going to keep seeing is more and more private facilities pop up as people lose faith in the govt’s ability to take care of them in a timely manner. Have you taken the time to count how many “xyz Medical” signs you pass on your way to work? Yes, the medical industrial complex has successfully raised it’s flag over Antigua and Barbuda. Another one conquered. Welcome to progress.
What will ‘poor people’ do then? In that, is part of your answer. Realize that you cannot afford to mistreat your body. Eat healthy and exercise. Find out about natural foods and herbs and start incorporating them now, while you still have health to preserve. There is so much information on Youtube. Now I’m not saying go rub inflammation bush on a broken leg but we better start paying more attention to the persons and things which God has given us for our healing. Many of them are growing right in our own backyard.
That’s why so much persons dying at the hospital 🏥 nurses and doctors giving wrong medication 💊 to patients.. and I there and see they treat patients like dog.
Nurses have g- strings showing off to Dr. And flaunting their bodies. But there is a God and he hates injustice.
Not even rats and cochroaches want to live In the hospital they are scared of death from the nurses abs doctors. PM..please look In to it …People losing their love ones to carelessly.