Nurses being victims of workplace bullys.

Nurses General Nursing

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  1. Why do Nurses let themselves be victims of bullys?

    • 7
      Because Nurses, in general, are co-dependent.
    • 11
      Nurses, in general, want to be liked by everyone.
    • 9
      Nurses are, in general, uncomfortable with conflict and anger
    • 10
      Because Nurses, in general, lack assertiveness skills.
    • 15
      Because Nurses, in general, don't want to "rock the boat."
    • 7
      Because Nurses, in general, still buy into the Florence Nightengale mentality.
    • 5
      Nurses, in general would rather deny problems, not confront them.
    • 15
      Because Nurses, in general, want everybody to "get along."
    • 3
      Because Nurses, in general, are women who let themselves be "door mats."
    • 4
      In general, Nurses have low self-esteem.

86 members have participated

I am increasingly amazed at how Nurses let themselves be victims of workplace bullys and let themselves be harassed and treated disrespectfully. I would like to find out the possible causes of this, so here is a poll...please participate. Ad other possible causes if you like. Please participate so we can begin to find sollutions to end this vicious cycle in our profession. Thanks.

Can you link me to that research? I mean this in an earnest way. I am interested to read up on this and perhaps get some insight as to why this is. And why some of seem able to overcome it. Thank you.
hi..i think i just typed in workplace bullys and lots of links came up and i got that info from one of them, i think in the UK. :)
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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

well...i'm with you deb and stevielynn. i don't allow others to bully me, so none of the responses on the poll allowed for me to check that option. :)

i was assaulted by a monster of a man while on duty in the lovely state of california. i had the man arrested. the man was charged with a misdemeanor felony and released. i'm told i have seven years to file charges against the man. i wrote to the governor and the da of ca and got "no response"! :rolleyes: the hospital is so afraid i'll file a lawsuit, they won't give out evals on me since whatever they say may be used against them by any attorney i might hire. i talked to a couple of ca lawyers after the assault who told me i had a definite case against the man and the hospital, but there wasn't enough money in it for them to take my case. :angryfire soooooooooo....a criminal felony is a bother to lovely politicians in ca! :stone

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[color=#483d8b]welll arnold swarz.....as you have always said at the end of your movies, "i'll be back!!!" i'm going to bring this case out in the open if it takes all seven years. :angryfire

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[color=#483d8b]california laws are pathetic when it comes to protecting women as evidenced by what happened to me. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
i would have to search...but I believe I got it from bully.org.

thank you. I dont' remember seeing those specifics there, but I am happy to go look!

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Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.

i think it's more martyr than victim mentality. there is a difference.

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Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.
thank you. I dont' remember seeing those specifics there, but I am happy to go look!

from the UK link

Approx 20% are teachers, lecturers and school administrative staff

Approx 12% are health care professionals, including nurses, paramedics, GPs etc

Approx 10% are from social services and caring occupations including care of the elderly and people with special needs

Approx 6-8% are from the voluntary and non-profit sector, with small charities (social housing, disadvantaged children, special needs, etc) featuring prominently (these usually involve a female serial bully); this sector has show the highest rate of increase in calls since 1998

Approx 5% are civil servants not included in the above groups

http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/worbal.htm

it's interesting that female dominated professions are the professions wherein people are complaining about bullies.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

i think it's more martyr than victim mentality. there is a difference.

Sometimes I think we have to listen to ourselves talk.

We're powerless against management. We're powerless against the state BON. We talk about TPTB like we have no control, no say, no real autonomy.

To me, that's a victim mentality. Although I'll grant you that there ARE a lot of martyrs in this business. There are even some Victim Martyrs....

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
from the UK link

Approx 20% are teachers, lecturers and school administrative staff

Approx 12% are health care professionals, including nurses, paramedics, GPs etc

Approx 10% are from social services and caring occupations including care of the elderly and people with special needs

Approx 6-8% are from the voluntary and non-profit sector, with small charities (social housing, disadvantaged children, special needs, etc) featuring prominently (these usually involve a female serial bully); this sector has show the highest rate of increase in calls since 1998

Approx 5% are civil servants not included in the above groups

http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/worbal.htm

it's interesting that female dominated professions are the professions wherein people are complaining about bullies.

I wonder what the exact correlation is---female dominated professions being the worst??? I was in military and bullying was not open, (we had social actions to deal with complaints)---- but very covert and passive-aggressive. I find nursing not a lot different. And to me, people are people everywhere you go. Just my experience, I know.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I see the stats, now did anyone read and plan to use any of the suggestions at bullyonline.org?

and I agree, nursing is full of martyrs. this alone is a HUGE problem. I refuse to martyr myself or bully anyone else. My miseries need not be pushed on others, is my thinking.....and i won't be anyone's door mat either.

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Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.
Sometimes I think we have to listen to ourselves talk.

We're powerless against management. We're powerless against the state BON. We talk about TPTB like we have no control, no say, no real autonomy.

To me, that's a victim mentality. Although I'll grant you that there ARE a lot of martyrs in this business. There are even some Victim Martyrs....

are you powerless against the BON? are you powerless against management?

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Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.
I wonder what the exact correlation is---female dominated professions being the worst??? I was in military and bullying was not open, (we had social actions to deal with complaints)---- but very covert and passive-aggressive. I find nursing not a lot different. And to me, people are people everywhere you go. Just my experience, I know.

i guess all either of us could do right now is speculate. complaining about bullying says a lot about the perception of the complainer more than the enviornment. bullies are easily handled. you write them up. if no one listens on management level you take it to administration. if no one listens, you leave, or learn coping mechanisms that wrests power away from said bullies. there are a million jobs to be had in nursing. we can all find a good one. people complain about bullies when they feel helpless and stuck. i think women fall prey to that more than men. more women are martyrs, more women are "victims" and more women are "victim martyrs" as angie succinctly put it.

i really don't think that profession, or any of those professions attracts bullies. i think these professions attract people who assume responsibilities that they have no business assuming and then feel as though theya re stuck with them despite the crap circumstances and then begin to feel helpless and then do nothing but complain. bad cycle. i fall prey to it, and try very hard to be aware. i was almost caught in a situation like that in 2003. i got out by giving birth, and then after being out of that enviornment, i suddenly felt so free. after that, i looked long and hard, even using this site to try and find the perfect job. and i did. WOO HOO!

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Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.
My miseries need not be pushed on others, is my thinking.....and i won't be anyone's door mat either.

well put :nurse:

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
i guess all either of us could do right now is speculate. complaining about bullying says a lot about the perception of the complainer more than the enviornment. bullies are easily handled. you write them up. if no one listens on management level you take it to administration. if no one listens, you leave, or learn coping mechanisms that wrests power away from said bullies. there are a million jobs to be had in nursing. we can all find a good one. people complain about bullies when they feel helpless and stuck. i think women fall prey to that more than men. more women are martyrs, more women are "victims" and more women are "victim martyrs" as angie succinctly put it.

i really don't think that profession, or any of those professions attracts bullies. i think these professions attract people who assume responsibilities that they have no business assuming and then feel as though theya re stuck with them despite the crap circumstances and then begin to feel helpless and then do nothing but complain. bad cycle. i fall prey to it, and try very hard to be aware. i was almost caught in a situation like that in 2003. i got out by giving birth, and then after being out of that enviornment, i suddenly felt so free. after that, i looked long and hard, even using this site to try and find the perfect job. and i did. WOO HOO!

well done! I agree with much of what you said here.

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