Recommendations from disaffected managers/co-workers

I've got a year before I apply, but I'm just wondering about recommendation letters...

From my personal experience... I've worked as an aide in the ICU, and while I was there, a nurse wanted to go to CRNA school. She was (in my view) a nurse who worked hard, minded her own business, cared for her pts, etc. She wasn't in the "clique", if you know what I mean. When the clique / nurse manager found out that she wanted to go further her education, they acted very cold towards her. She eventually got accepted to the University of New England's program-- Her husband is a resident MDA there. I can't imagine them writing a decent recommendation for her. Even after she left, they continued to speak ill of her.

Has anyone been in this situation when applying for anesthesia school? Did you feel as if you would not be evaluated fairly by your manager/co-workers because they were disaffected toward your goals/ OR (as lame as this sounds), you weren't in the clique? And if so, what did you do to receive a fair recommendation for your hard work?