[Diary/Dairy]

I actually had a patient's family recently be glad for me to be their nurse that night because I was "firm".

I have had other patients say when I entered the room, "Oh it's the blunt one."

I just laugh, I am trying to accept myself more, and I am firm, and can be perceived as short with people. Oh well, just trying to do my job..

[handyrn]

Talk about being bullied on the job, I was a surgical nurse for a while and I had to inform a surgeon that the needle count was off. He was a hothead. He got so mad at me that he started THROWING the needle holders with used suture needles still attached at me! He was also throwing other instruments at me. He also threw his bloody surgical gown at me. All this while yelling at me and telling me that I was F-ing incompetent. The funny thing about this was that the week prior to this, he had to reopen a patient because he had left an instrument inside of her. Anyway, I was told that I could not file a formal complaint because he was on the hospital's board of directors. Needless to say, I did not remain a surgical nurse for long as this hospital tended to put up with this sort of thing from the surgeons all the time. No wonder surgeons think they are gods when the staff allow them to act this way!

[Anxious Patient]

handyrn:

He got so mad at me that he started THROWING the needle holders with used suture needles still attached at me! He was also throwing other instruments at me. He also threw his bloody surgical gown at me.

Wow. I have read about so many cases of abusive or hothead surgeons in the OR. As a patient, this is so troubling because I'm sure when this type of surgeon meets the patient he becomes Dr. McDreamy, but when operating he morphs into a tyrant. The patient has no way to avoid this type of doctor unless they are best friends with operating room personnel who can warn them in advance. Scary.

[handyrn]

I always thought that it would be good to videotape sugeons on the job so that the patient could see how they are in the OR. You know, I used to go to a church that was very big on believing that what came out of your mouth became the truth and that what you read/watched on TV/heard could harm you as you were opening yourself up to it. Boy, if they only knew what the Drs were saying and the language they were using while their minds were vulnerable AND their body cavities were exposed! I bet these Drs would have a lot less patients since there are a lot of Christians out there that probably believe this.

[longtimerRN]

Look at why nurses are bullies. Do nurse bullies differ really from school yard bullies. I think employer bullying is out of control and the government should do something about it, call your congressman and start a letter writing campaign and get nurses who have been bullied to sign it and then the governor will listen and then there will be legislation. I know plenty of nurses blacklisted and bullied who didn't deserve it and it was mainly, but not all by fellow nurses who had found some "status" in the hospital. I have seen it all and sufferend my share, but like many of you no where to turn. Going to the hospital is not good, they will send you to risk management who will pretend to be your friend, milk you for info and then fire you. Unions are weak, and they play friendly with management. You are alone unless you can find a few good nurses who will have your back when someone tries to blackmail you over something. That's my advice, always have a few friends who will back you up.

[Recuerdo]

Unions are not weak unless their members are.

[pinoy_guy]

Originally Posted by longtimerRN

I know plenty of nurses blacklisted and bullied who didn't deserve it and it was mainly, but not all by fellow nurses who had found some "status" in the hospital. I have seen it all and sufferend my share, but like many of you no where to turn.

sigh.

there should be somewhere to seek help for this, preferably an entity outside the hospital.

can complaints be filed under harassment?

Originally Posted by longtimerRN

Going to the hospital is not good, they will send you to risk management who will pretend to be your friend, milk you for info and then fire you.

this is true.

I have seen at least 4 cases in my hospital.

HR/RM will be very friendly and "get all the facts" but after the whole role-playing, they turned around and "found" the nurse "guilty."

I think in 2 of the cases, the nurses were fired.

so be very careful before trusting the HR/RM people. they are not your friends--they are company people.

Originally Posted by longtimerRN

That's my advice, always have a few friends who will back you up.

what if you're working in a hospital where the admin has a reign of terror over the nurses?

nurses rat their coworkers out.

like in one case, a nurse was reprimanded for using a separate IV Line for phenytoin--the nurse was accused of being "wasteful."

but if the nurse had just piggybacked the phenytoin to the other IV drugs, there is the risk for something bad.

the supervisor was "thinking outside the box" and thought she was saving a few cents.

but if an adverse drug event had occured, that would cost the hospital millions.

I think stupid people have more time to suck up, and some of them get promoted to positions of power.

oh wait, I forgot--if an adverse drug event had occured, only the staff nurse loses her license, not the supervisor. not the admin.

maybe the supervisor was not as stupid as she was pretending to be.

it was only when the nurse stood her ground--and refused to use a secondary IV line for the phenytoin--that the supervisor just turned around and walked away.

nursing is turning out to be a dangerous job.

especially when a lot of coworkers are too willing to stab you in the back so they can get ahead.

[Kati2005]

How's this for dumb:
My co-worker got called into the office for leaving using iv tubing on the counter in the patient's room. My co-worker had given her patient a unit of blood and when it was done, took down the tubing and put it back in the biohazard bag but forgot to put the bag in the redbin and left it on the counter. The nurse went to the NM's office and reported her. It was the dumbest thing ever.

[lindarn]

Originally Posted by handyrn

Talk about being bullied on the job, I was a surgical nurse for a while and I had to inform a surgeon that the needle count was off. He was a hothead. He got so mad at me that he started THROWING the needle holders with used suture needles still attached at me! He was also throwing other instruments at me. He also threw his bloody surgical gown at me. All this while yelling at me and telling me that I was F-ing incompetent. The funny thing about this was that the week prior to this, he had to reopen a patient because he had left an instrument inside of her. Anyway, I was told that I could not file a formal complaint because he was on the hospital's board of directors. Needless to say, I did not remain a surgical nurse for long as this hospital tended to put up with this sort of thing from the surgeons all the time. No wonder surgeons think they are gods when the staff allow them to act this way!

If I was leaving the hospital, I would have filed a complaint anyway. Not reporting abusive doctors does nothing but encourage the practice to continue. I would also had filed a complaint with the state medical board to start a "paper trail" for future individuals who may want to pursue legal action against him. JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

[dialysis12041999]

After reading the article, I do agree that nurses are bullied by other nurses and Doctors but if you look at nursing history this behavior has happened throught out its history.

Until recent times, nursing was a female profession dominated by males health professionals. I am sure that their are plenty of nurses out their that can remember giving up their seat to a doctor. Females just didn't have rights to speak up. Remember nursing history is full nurses that were poor and forced to take care of military wounded, some were ladies of the evening that took care of the sick( Thats how we have the sex kitten, short white dress, boobs hanging out hiding in the closet with doctors history). Or the EVIL Nurse Cratchet character came from un desirable people that held health care provider positions.

The earliest records of nurses were Male nurses. Remember within recent memory 40 years ago- minority nurses in some southern states were not allowed to apply to become a RN. This is why there is a large number of older minority LPN's. Yes nursing does eat its young but it is up to us to change that. We have control of our own behavior. The choice is ours if we want to improve our profession.

Nursing as a profession is changing. And its changing for the better! Our patients faces are changing and they are living longer. Nursing needs various types of people to treat our ever changing patient population.
I encourage our newer nurses (and seasoned nurses) to study our nursing history. This will explain why were are where we are today. The key now is taking what we know about our past, never forget it, and improve on it.