The Good and Bad Reviews All in One Day

Friday, October 24, 2014 0 Comments A + a -

nurse work review nurse blog patient complaint


Mark Twain said, "I think a compliment ought to always precede a complaint, where one is possible, because it softens resentment and insures for the complaint a courteous and gentle reception.” 

A gentle reception?  That is not what happened to me.


Yesterday, I checked my mailbox, and found copies of reviews from intensive care unit relatives.  Both forms mention my name positively, and the first to be mentioned as one of the outstanding nurses who took care of their loved ones.  These brightened my day.  I felt like, OK, my workload can be the heaviest today.  I will take it.  I felt delighted for being appreciated.

But then . . . 

Then, I received my midyear review in the afternoon.  With it is a review by a patient from another floor, supposedly by an undisclosed previous patient. The patient mentions that I seem competent but if given a chance, he would fire me.  This turned my day around.  The complaint was like a big blow on my face.  I was knocked out.  Well, almost.

No reason was given.  Supposedly, this does not affect my review, but I need to be aware, my supervisor said.

I carried this “wonder” the rest of the shift, until I went home, until I fell asleep in bed.  Then I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning on a Friday when I could have slept in.  It is my day off.

What did I do or say, or not do or say to make a patient want to fire me?  The truth is, I am not aware of any patient so displeased with me.

Oh, how I wish I could have corrected myself.  I am in this business to care for, and not to piss off patients.

I want to improve myself for whatever it is that I failed to do but what is it?
And then I wondered more, what did this patient want to achieve, to get me terminated from work? For what?

As my supervisor said, I cannot please everyone.  I get that, but I do not want to displease anyone so much that he or she wants to fire me.

***

Paul took me out for dinner to make up for the bad time, not that he had anything to do with it. But tortillas in the restaurant close by and Horchata satisfied, at least, my stomach.  I felt a little better.




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