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.

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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.

u know i am trying to figure out the same thing --u think its bc maybe there is some confusion-- compassion = let yourself be abused ???---on my private duty case there are 2 nurses that allow the pt to abuse them--ex: pt will ask for a neck massage --over and over-- until your hands fall off-- now, i do not play ---i'll give a massage, but i have my limits --but the other 2 nurses will do it over and over and then complain about it-- i ask myself why?

do they not know how to set limits? on another issue i have had problems with a HHA that swears he's a nurse in disguise- :rotfl:

he is also disrespectful to me-- to the point where i do not even talk to him unless it is absolutely necessary-- now, i dont know if its my fault or he's sick in the head--maybe i didnt set limits with him to begin with and now he thinks he can get away with stuff-- there is definitely many reasons why this occurs--

on my part I think; 1: i didnt set limits with the HHA -- i was too friendly?-talking , laughing --joking--not appropriate for home setting --must be more assertive and professional! wow that hurt :crying2:

2: I try to avoid confrontations: something i must learn to handle

3; Mom always said be a good little girl---haha

if i come up with anything else i'll let u know

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TeeMarie: so much appreciate your reply and honesty. I am so glad there are others who are actually looking at this phenomenom and tryng to alter it by looking at themselves. Keep in touch. Check out my poll...please add your own comments so others can "get a grip." Harry.

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

I can't answer as I DO NOT Let myself be a victim of ANYONE. I am not co-dependent or fearful of people as a rule. I do stand up for myself in the face of a person attempting to bully me and am no one's doormat. Am I an anomaly in nursing or something? I can't imagine most of my coworkers taking crap from anyone, either. Maybe we are anomalies on my unit? :rotfl:

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

I can't answer as I DO NOT Let myself be a victim of ANYONE. I am not co-dependent or fearful of people as a rule. I do stand up for myself in the face of a person attempting to bully me and am no one's doormat. Am I an anomaly in nursing or something? I can't imagine most of my coworkers taking crap from anyone, either. Maybe we are anomalies on my unit? :rotfl:

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I can't answer as I DO NOT Let myself be a victim of ANYONE. I am not co-dependent or fearful of people as a rule. I do stand up for myself in the face of a person attempting to bully me and am no one's doormat. Am I an anomaly in nursing or something? I can't imagine most of my coworkers taking crap from anyone, either. Maybe we are anomalies on my unit? :rotfl:

If u can't answer why bother to respond--hummmmmmmmmmmm

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I can't answer as I DO NOT Let myself be a victim of ANYONE. I am not co-dependent or fearful of people as a rule. I do stand up for myself in the face of a person attempting to bully me and am no one's doormat. Am I an anomaly in nursing or something? I can't imagine most of my coworkers taking crap from anyone, either. Maybe we are anomalies on my unit? :rotfl:

If u can't answer why bother to respond--hummmmmmmmmmmm

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I think nurses train themselves to be cooperative rather than confrontational. But more than that, I believe that there is a genuine victim mentality associated with the nursing profession that's been caused as a result of losing our autonomy.

We can talk all we want about autonomy but in the employer/employee environment that most of us labor in, we have very little of it, and what we do have can be taken away on a whim.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I think nurses train themselves to be cooperative rather than confrontational. But more than that, I believe that there is a genuine victim mentality associated with the nursing profession that's been caused as a result of losing our autonomy.

We can talk all we want about autonomy but in the employer/employee environment that most of us labor in, we have very little of it, and what we do have can be taken away on a whim.

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Angie...very interesting reply. I had never thought of that possibility. So, if our lack of autonomy plays part of the victim/bully behavior, are u saying that Nurses bully because they feel a sense of lack of power because of company practises and that nurses who are victims feel that way because of the same? So, do u think it just comes down to having power, wanting power and not having power??? If so, what can we do about it as Nurses.

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Angie...very interesting reply. I had never thought of that possibility. So, if our lack of autonomy plays part of the victim/bully behavior, are u saying that Nurses bully because they feel a sense of lack of power because of company practises and that nurses who are victims feel that way because of the same? So, do u think it just comes down to having power, wanting power and not having power??? If so, what can we do about it as Nurses.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
Angie...very interesting reply. I had never thought of that possibility. So, if our lack of autonomy plays part of the victim/bully behavior, are u saying that Nurses bully because they feel a sense of lack of power because of company practises and that nurses who are victims feel that way because of the same? So, do u think it just comes down to having power, wanting power and not having power??? If so, what can we do about it as Nurses.

__________________

The question was why do nurses let themselves be victims of bullys. The basis for my answer lies in the belief that at the root of nurse victimization is health care management paternalism.

We all have felt the fear of losing our jobs, being blackballed, or being labelled a troublemaker if we speak up. We all have felt the squeeze between being ethically honorable for our patients and being a "team player." These are techniques management uses to divide, coerce and manipulate us.

Nursing is no longer an autonomous practice because by definition, we work for someone. We have no realistic recourse to being employed by someone at some point in our career, whether it's to gain experience as a new grad or to learn a new area of nursing.

Therefore, when management does things that are counterproductive to the well-being of the patient or heaven forbid, the well-being of the nurse, we are afraid to speak up. We become victims. They become bullies. This causes our self-worth to erode and makes a wound bed for the opportunistic backbiting, nurse-eating, and bullying behaviors that many of us have learned to put up with.

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