Problems on hospital units

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych.

How do others deal with the nasty office politics and patient complaints? From my experience, managers don't address problems on the unit while they encourage nasty gossip and backstabbing. And patients make up or greatly exaggerate complaints and are believed regardless of their medical histories and medications that may be altering their recollection of events, while managers don't care what the nurse says or what documentation says. So how do you protect yourself and prevent yourself from being targetted by managers or coworkers?

So how do you protect yourself and prevent yourself from being targeted by managers or coworkers?

Leave and find a work environment that isn't toxic.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Hard to say, actually. I think that even in the more calmer environments, there will be a bad apple in the bunch. What has worked for me is that I try to remain calm and relaxed while around these people and work around the silliness. But, then, I am not currently targeted.

I have let people know that I do not wish to hear their comments about others, I stay to myself and during my lunch, I try not to remain in the area to draw people to sit with me and start yapping. At one of our insane meetings, I made an annoucement that I am not pleased to be drawn into their mess and that they have better leave me the 'duck' alone (use your imagination to know what was REALLY said). Everyone's mouth dropped to their feet...but, they leave me alone.

I am sorry you are experiencing this-it is not pleasent.

True, everywhere has their 'bad apples', but if it's coming from the management on down then it isn't going to change. No point in getting dragged down with the rest or making yourself sick and stressed out over it.

hmm, well... being perfect does require a great deal of focus and persistence. it's exhausting and overshadows the entire nursing process. nevertheless, living and working in a toxic, paranoid, vicious state requires the utmost vigilance. be steadfast.

when confronted with "allegations", politely, respectfully and assertively require details and evidence supporting the claim. guide management to stick to facts. emphatically eschew feelings, impressions, points-of-view, predilections, experiences, what-ifs, and wishful thinking. you know what they say about "opinions... ". invite the provocateur and facilitators to prove their assertions. have them do this in your presence with a neutral coworker as your support. level the playing field. if this is not do-able then rightly assert, denounce, and dismiss the claim as bogus; doesn't stand the test of inquiry.

of course, having stood your ground, some malcontent will declare open-season on you. but, just remember, you represented yourself. it was worth it. so... let the games begin again and agian and again.

:typing

hmm, well... being perfect does require a great deal of focus and persistence. it's exhausting and overshadows the entire nursing process. nevertheless, living and working in a toxic, paranoid, vicious state requires the utmost vigilance. be steadfast.

when confronted with "allegations", politely, respectfully and assertively require details and evidence supporting the claim. guide management to stick to facts. emphatically eschew feelings, impressions, points-of-view, predilections, experiences, what-ifs, and wishful thinking. you know what they say about "opinions... ". invite the provocateur and facilitators to prove their assertions. have them do this in your presence with a neutral coworker as your support. level the playing field. if this is not do-able then rightly assert, denounce, and dismiss the claim as bogus; doesn't stand the test of inquiry.

of course, having stood your ground, some malcontent will declare open-season on you. but, just remember, you represented yourself. it was worth it. so... let the games begin again and agian and again.

:typing

when open season was declared for me, i resigned. no job worth having nightmares at night or living in exhausting hypervigilant state, being surrounded by people who watch you with an eagle eye and can easily set you up.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych.

Toxic units appear to be rampant. The same type of situation has occurred in every nursing job I've had. Apparently managers are quite willing to lie about the environment in interviews in order to hire nursing staff, so you don't know what you're walking into even when trying to check it out before accepting the position.

+ Add a Comment