Don't ask, don't tell

The other day Michelle and I went out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.  We had a gift card from our Godchild from Christmas.  At one point in mid meal the waitress came table to table and introduced another waitress, saying that her shift was ending but that the new waitress would take good care of us.

I had never experienced this in a restaurant.  I thought - they're doing bedside report!

Bedside report is one of the new in things at work.  Basically, you do what the waitresses had done, give report to the oncoming nurse and introduce them to the patient.  We've done it inpatient for a while and recently started in the emergency department. 
I was against it but after my experience at the Cheesecake Factory I am now a believer.

Thursday, at a staff meeting, we were told we are going to trial "team triage".  Basically, a nurse and APRN or PA will be in triage and see patients there instead of in the area they use now (convenient care).  We tried it a few weeks ago but it lasted only about an hour. 

I'll spare you the details of why most of the staff thinks it will be a disaster.

One nurse at the meeting asked what the rational was for this and why wasn't staff who do the job included in the decision.  From the answer our boss gave I not sure she believes it will work but is committed to us trying.

I don't think team triage will work in the tiny work area we have, but then again, until my trip to the Cheesecake Factory I was against bedside report.

Why was I against beside report and why do I think team triage will be difficult?  Setting the merits or lack of merits aside for a moment, it is a continuation of a pattern of ideas that is dictated to us, the bedside nurses, by people who do not do our jobs.

When instituting a change, people involved in the change should be part of the discussion.  We have valid ideas and our buy in is needed for success.

Not involving staff is just poor leadership.