Management expects you to be like a dead fish in a river and go along with the flow.
Globally, nurses face discrimination and victimization in the workplace.
In Saint Lucia, nurses encounter injustice daily and are called “insubordinate” if they do not comply with management. These “insubordinate nurses” are targeted and blacklisted.
There are many issues plaguing nurses in Saint Lucia.
Nurses remain silent and nothing is being done to alleviate the issues due to poor representation and lack of respect from the relevant bodies.
Nurse managers
A manager is supposed to be someone you could report issues to without fear or backlash and with hopes of anonymity and confidentiality.
Imagine being unable to openly speak to your manager because you know the outcome.
The manager will go back to report the exact thing you said to the exact person you made the complaint against.
Backward mentality
Managers make way for their friends with or without the qualifications, experience and years of service.
Basically, the nurses who support management become managers or positions are created to place them.
Nursing has not evolved in Saint Lucia because of the same culture and mindset.
One set of nurses run the show and are stuck in the same “long time ago mentality and era.”
Management feels like whatever happened to them in the past should continue and happen to the oncoming nurses.
No one tries to be different. Surprisingly, the one who is different or at least attempts to be, is not liked.
Rivals and division
Managers are against managers, managers are against nurses, nurses are against managers and nurses are against nurses.
Nurses carry tales on each other and there is a “never-ending reporting.”
No disciplinary action is taken if a nurse report one of the manager’s favorite nurses.
If the manager likes you then you might be defended.
However, if the manager does not like you then you might be “pulled up” and taken to higher authority.
Unfairness or heartlessness
Gifts and tokens of appreciation received from high-end establishments are not evenly distributed.
The deserving nurses who take the brunt of the manual labor receive nothing whereas management keep the perks to themselves.
Many times, nurses “drown” as they work alone or with skeleton staff.
Nurses battle to provide quality care given the high nurse to patient ratio, workload and the patient’s acuity and category.
Management would not lift a finger or raise a leg to assist.
Yes, the nurse suffers but the patient suffers more.
A therapeutic nurse to patient relationship is not developed. A thorough physical assessment is not done and quality care is not rendered to the best of the nurse’s ability.
Favoritism
Managers give their favorite nurses preferential treatment and do not care how visible it is.
Managers openly say all nurses are free to leave the establishment and seek employment elsewhere.
Yet, they try everything to prevent nurses from leaving when the opportunity presents itself.
Management and “liked and unliked nurses”
The “liked” nurses are pampered and thoroughly trained for certain positions even without knowledge, qualifications and experience. These nurses bypass everyone who started working before them.
The “liked” nurses get a day owning when they do not report to work. Whereas the “disliked” nurses get NOD- not on duty and are scolded.
The “liked” nurses get whatever request they want. The “disliked” nurses must beg for their request and sometimes do not get it.
The “liked” nurses get weekends and holidays off even without requesting whereas the “disliked” nurses would not.
The “liked” nurses know every detail about scholarships whereas the “disliked” nurses are told close to the deadline.
The “liked” nurses get opportunities to learn new skills, go to workshops and get available sessions. The “disliked” nurses do not share the same fate.
Overtime, the “liked” nurses are promoted and the “disliked” nurses are transferred to another ward as a form of punishment.
Frustrated nurses
Minus their nurse peers and family, nurses have nobody to express their concerns to.
When nurses air their views to management, they are said to be complainers and get bad appraisals.
There are multiple managers and everybody wants to be in charge so there lacks structure and unity.
Rules are bent for some nurses and not all.
Management plays a significant role in the reasons nurses migrate. There is no one to manage management.
Then again. Who cares, right?
Reems Sonson
Our Tropical Living
Come live and love island life
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This is not a paid or sponsored blog post but based on discussion with a few nurses.
Wow wow wow. So well said. No lies there. The honest raw truth about nursing in St.Lucia. One of my reasons for leaving. Couldn’t take on the drama. I love nursing nonetheless. It’s my passion.
It is good that you love nursing and it remains your passion despite the odds.
This piece speaks volumes and resonance what nurses go through on a daily basis. Still we are bashed and discriminated against when we speak out. We are victimized and are made yo suffer when we speak out. And the sad reality of the situation is most times the HR department has no clue what is happening unless we surpass the managers and go directly to them. After doing so you are frowned upon and seen as insubordinate and not following the chain of command. And long list of injustices and harsh realities of working as a nurse in St. Lucia continues…while we are told we should not talk about.
It is true that HR sometimes has no clue of what is happening on the ward Cindy.
As someone who left, reading this is truly gut wrenching. There has been no change. Hopes of returning seem to be wishful thinking at this point. I’m very proud of those of you who are standing firm in the pursuit of making a difference. Our country’s health depends on it. We need leaders who are competent and caring, not toxic and stuck in the past.
No change at all. You are proud of us who are trying to make a difference and running on thin ice and we are proud of you for taking such a huge step and migrating for your personal growth and development.
Like I have said many times ,if they do not listen to the cries of the nurses the migration level will continue to go up. The emotional needs of a nurse should be given the same amount of priority as the work to be done. An unhappy nurse or toxic environment will not produce good work. Also, nurses should be each others keeper but instead we are each others worse nightmares. For things to get better change must come. Issues should be addressed and not just covered with bandages.
They hear the cries of the nurses but take no heed. Tanto tanto!
Power piece Reems!! Nothing but the truth, you have outlined many of the poignant issues that frustrate our junior and even senior ( the disliked nurses).
It has been noted that ” Nurses eat their Young” a horrible but truthful fact. The older ones speak about things being better back in the day, they lie. They were just as back stabbing and malicious towards each other, because now they have upgraded to becoming the perpetrators of victimisation with new fresh victims. I have reflected and tried to understand why a senior nurse wouldn’t want things better for the future? Why would you not want to be different? What pleasure do you gain from stiffling someone’s passion? Why is there so much jealousy when a little nurse gets educated? Why do we put her down? I have been vocal about this….Managers are one of the biggest reasons why our nurses are unhappy and leaving.
They need to sit, do some introspect, stop that self- righteous crap. No one is attacking you, we are calling out your horrible leadership style. We are blowing the horn on your double standards.
The Manager’s manager needs to read this post and take pointers. Nurse Surage, Nurse Pierrot, Nurse Cassius, Nurse Cepal, Nurse Duncan, and all the nursing leaders I haven’t mentioned. Please…. nursing is on life support.
Code Black…..
Thank you Candilia for such an accurate and impactful comment! Thank you for having the courage to speak up! Oh yes, some of the older and senior nurses eat their young. It is customary to hear the older nurses speak about nursing back in the day like it was the golden age. Nurses are victimized by these older nurses for being of the millennial, wanting a new and different culture, approach and structure and wanting improvements in nursing on the whole.
The older nurses are struck in the past. They are not forward thinkers and lack desire for change. They want the new and junior nurses to experience the same victimization they went through and say “when was my time!” Since these older nurses worked in poorer conditions, took decades to get promoted and did not gain further qualification, they expect the new nurses to suffer the same fate. They feel threatened by nurses when they speak out and try to improve on themselves. There is no escaping the older nurses because they are called in to work even when they are retired. They are then employed in higher positions instead of making way for the other nurses. How unfair! How will there ever be change in healthcare in Saint Lucia?
I agree that there is jealousy when a younger nurse obtains a degree. I blame the Ministry for not doing a thorough investigation on promotions and why nurses are migrating. There is too much of a laid back, “parmaylay” attitude. Then again, the Ministry is not affected by what is happening to nurses and does not care because their relatives get priority treatment and care and one on one nursing when they are admitted. The Ministry does not promote for quality work, degree nor years of experience but who is deemed fit by the manager.You must literally beg for promotion and recognition of your degree after your sleepless nights and sacrifices. How frustrating! If the manager does not like the staff, why would they be recommended for promotion?
It is sad to see nurses you preceptor at school and even when they begin working even when you perform better, are more qualified, have more years in service and are more experienced than, get promoted before you. Obviously if you were not competent enough then the manager would not allow you to be a preceptor.
It is no doubt that many good nurses left Saint Lucia because of poor working conditions, bad treatment and disrespect from their managers. They have no leadership skills because they took no leadership course. Managers treat you like a child and yell at you and expect you to say nothing.
I cannot understand why management would intentionally stiffle a nurse, prevent their growth and development and need for a promotion. How can you treat the same staff you call to do doubles, call out whilst on vacation or off bad?
It is sad what is happening to nurses in Saint Lucia. The managers and public will suffer the consequences when all the local nurses leave. The managers will now have to do floor nursing so I guess things will work out for them. Foreigners will be employed but a lot of challenges will occur due to the language barrier especially when managing the elderly and people who do not speak English. Imagine going to a healthcare worker because you are sick and need urgent medical attention and they cannot speak your language and there is no interpreter. You might get undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, improper quality care and might become disabled or even die. Do not ask about the lawsuits. It is easy to be blacklisted and called insurbordinate or marked down on appraisals when you speak up and do not support nonsense.
Funny you mention some managers Candilia. Most times the managers managing the managers are just like the managers. They are aware of all what is going on but do not care and cover up. Once you are in the sisterhood then you are fully covered. You become untouchable no matter what you do.
Anyways, let the “bad banch” continue being the army and rallying for change for themselves and the public. Apparently, they are the only ones being affected since they speak up.
Sadly this is happening everywhere. I once asked the question to a management staff ” does anyone care” he responded Yes, but yet still your staff is unhappy.
It happens across the globe. Good staff leave an establishment and no investigation is done as to why because no one cares.
Reems well said well written factual information 100%. That nonsense needs to stop but will it ever? The unfairness of the entire situation there are new members in the Nursing association I eagerly await a change!!!
Thank you. Sadly, I do not see it stopping anytime soon because we are afraid to speak up. Hopefully, there will be a change given the newly elected members of the Nursing Association.
Well said
😊😊😊
Happy New Year to you and your love ones. Wow. That’s serious statements . Are you planning to exit? Watch your behind. 😞
Thank you! Happy New Year to you too. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
She doesn’t need to have plans to exit. The allegations are true and they need to step up. If what they do every time is blacklist whoever goes against them and points out their faults instead of correcting them then in the long run they’re the one who are going to need to watch their behinds.
No fear!! We are raising a new generation of nurses who will not tolerate victimisation..it is wrong and we will speak out. This blog no doubt will hit a few nerves but this fact makes it a useful and powerful piece, many lessons in there , teachable, fixable issues.
Nurses have been tolerating victimization for years and do not speak out because of fear of the possible repercussions. Victimization is indeed wrong. The affected nurses do not speak up even when they are given a forum. I hope they get more courage to stand up for what is right. This blog post did hit some nerve but it is true and a useful and powerful piece as you mentioned. I hope this post reaches the eyes, ears and hands of the relevant bodies so changes can be made to safeguard nurses. Thank you for your comment. Much appreciated!
Couldn’t agree more let us stand up for what is right.
Amen