I’ve been the nurse manager for a year now. I’ve hired and worked very hard to fully staff the unit and allow aides and the charge nurse out of assignment. I was working with a bigger budget than I actually thought I had. I was then informed 2 months ago that I am way over budget and I needed to cut staff. As you can imagine the staff that was so happy and satisfied is now angry, resentful, frustrated, etc. And of course so am I. The charge nurses are now in assignment, and usually without an NA. Several have quit or transferred because they don’t want to float out to the other units. Morale is low, there is much complaining and excuses for not doing their job. I had a meeting with the CNO and director, tried to plead, explain, justify the need for the staff. We are an intermediate care unit, our acuity is high. We have many Novice nurses. I was Told, too bad, maybe just decrease the acuity, reduce the skills they work hard to advance and develop. Send the highest acuity to the ICU.

This is not what I wanted. I wanted to advance and develop them for higher acuity. That’s what they wanted. Now it’s just short staffed overwhelmed nurses and there’s nothing I can do. I tried to empower them, encourage them, make believe they are IMC strong. Encouraged that motto to no avail. I even help on the floor when they are really short, doing blood sugars, passing meds, answering lights. I don’t think they care or appreciate it.

They even post in our Facebook group how they hate floating and being short, and how overwhelmed they are! Real great for morale 🙄

I’m kind of lost, and don’t know what else to do except pray. I just want a positive environment, that’s all I’ve wanted and worked for. It’s crumbling down and I can’t stop it. God I need you to guide me and help my nurses. I don’t know what to do anymore.