Motivation

Some people are intrinsically motivated.  I would like to say I have at least some of that in me.  It is important to me to do my job well because I have a particular standard of care that I hold myself to.  I try to treat all my patients well (which is nice because one of my recent patients was a coworker of my boss and evidently raved about her time as my patient J).  However, it would be foolish to not consider the extrinsic motivations as well.  I think we all want to be recognized both monetarily and generally praised when we do well.  I think that is what makes nursing a little bit more difficult to maintain any level of motivation outside of internal standards, a general concern for the well-being of our patients, and whatever level of obligation we feel to our coworkers. 

Nursing in a hospital is like working for the government (so I hear) in the manner in which there is little motivation to necessarily excel.  There is no real mobility.  No promotions.  Raises are based exclusively on longevity.  We get paid well, so I have no complaints on that side, but it isn't exactly motivating to know that, good or bad, we all move forward one spot on the board.  I make the same as employees who show up routinely late or not at all.  I make the same as people who never miss a day and come in extra when needed. 

An example: they recently hired a nurse to work at our MP clinic in Tualatin.  She lives in Washington.  This was an explicit discussion upon hire.  She showed up day 1 in denim jeans (and therefore could not work), day 2 she didn't show up at all.  When she did show, she was evidently curt and disagreeable.   After her new employee orientation, she decided that it was ‘too far’ to drive to MP.  Did they fire her?  Of course not.   They are now going to use her exclusively at our Gresham site. 

Example 2: Gal who runs the Gresham site took a leave of absence because she was upset at the buyout.  She returned for a week and then had a vacation planned (with now no vacation time).  She has decided to extend her vacation by a few days…which now conflicts with other vacations, despite the lack of vacation time and her very recent unauthorized LOA.  Did they fire her?  Write her up?  Nope.  They set her up with a part time gig to stay at MH hospital and are going to keep her ‘on call’ in the department once the clinic transitions in September. 

In the interim, I get to float to her clinic to cover.  Float to MP to cover.  Float to SC to cover.  Because I show up, I get to have the long commutes and work in unfamiliar places.  It is part of my job.  I get that.  And, again, I think we get paid well.  However, it is demotivating to know that were I to say ‘nope, not gonna do that for you’ or not show up at all that there would be no penalty.  Conversely, the best I can hope for if I do everything that is asked of me is to make exactly the same as the people who have the same number of years as I do.  

Speaking of which, I am off to MPH tomorrow to help out.  At least that will stop in September....hopefully.