The way nurses treat each other

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi everyone. I need some advice from you all, but first let me give you some background. I am 46 and have worked either as mid-level manager or owned my own business my whole adult life. I have decided to become a nurse for many reasons which I will not go into right now, but one of those reasons was to be able to give a little back and know at the end of the day I can look back and say - "hey, I did something today that really helped someone"! I am in my first year of nursing school and I love it. I like clinicals the most because I really do feel like I am helping my patients. This is very rewarding. Here is my problem - The way nurses treat each other. I have never seen such back biting and overall down right meanness expressed towards members of the same team as I see amongst fellow nurses. I sense little or no professional camaraderie between nurses who work on the floor. Here are my questions - 1. WHY does this happen? 2. Is this just the hospital I am at or is it a general problem? (if it is a general nursing problem - no wonder there is such burn out in nursing - who wants to go to work every day and be treated by your coworkers and managers in this manner?) 3. Is this something I am going to run into for the remainder of my career? 4. How can I avoid or minimize it? Is it more common in med-surg and less common in advanced nursing areas, (nicu, cicu, etc..)? Please give me some advice on this - There must be an area or speciality in nursing that I can go into where I will be treated as a valued member of a professional team and not like dirt by some or even half the coworkers I am working with. By the way as a student I have been treated well, (no complaints) - my conclusions are from observing the nurses and how they treat each other. Your input is appreciated.

Maybe it is more honest to say many nurses find themselves in an oppressive situation. Meaning, we have all this responsibility and accountability and little authority. We are told it is our duty to speak for our patients but when we do we are punished too often. It seems a scapegoat position. Don't tolerate it? Go somewhere else? Well, we can...and are likely to find similar..a few different faces, maybe a few nicer people...but one thing I am likely to find is the same mentality and treatment of nurses. in most facilities unfortunately. I DO believe nurses are the scapegoats of the healthcare system, but nobody will save us; we will have to do the work ourselves if we want it to change.

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Maybe it is more honest to say many nurses find themselves in an oppressive situation. Meaning, we have all this responsibility and accountability and little authority. We are told it is our duty to speak for our patients but when we do we are punished too often. It seems a scapegoat position. Don't tolerate it? Go somewhere else? Well, we can...and are likely to find similar..a few different faces, maybe a few nicer people...but one thing I am likely to find is the same mentality and treatment of nurses. in most facilities unfortunately. I DO believe nurses are the scapegoats of the healthcare system, but nobody will save us; we will have to do the work ourselves if we want it to change.

You are more than right! And studies have found that this kind of abusive behavior is more likely to occur when people feel powerless. And double right, too, that no one else is going to "save" us. We must do that ourselves. I know that I was a thorn in my manager's side, I admit it, but everything I did was worded professionally, and I always acted professionally. So, although she hated to see me coming, there wasn't a whole lot she could do about it - AND, I now have records of all my correspondence with her if anything should 'come up'.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

WOW guys, great comments, great advice. I am soaking it all up. Thanks to everyone who has responded so far.

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Get yourself a shopping cart and do some careful shopping. Don't buy if it is not completely what you want.

I mean to say they are good and bad. And it exists sometimes in one institution.

When you interview for a job keep in mind that you need to size them up as much as they need to size you up.

Keep in mind the probation period is not only to see if you work out but also to see if they do.

Keep your antenna up at all times. If at interviews they do a bait and switch or even ask agressive questions or make agressive comments be aware. Are they controlling in the interview or overselling? Walk around see how staff act.

Let them know you are checking them out as much as they you.

Don't settle. If you find yourself in a bad situation get out. If they are mean at the top don't even consider them as everything filiters down.

If you are on a bad unit and you find some other thast is better change or leave. Decline exit interview. While you are in school is a perfect time to shop. See where you would not consider working and see where you think migh be a good place.

If you are not treaded well life will be hell. If you are treated well no matter what else you come up against you can handle it.

Not every place is as you described nor is every nurse.

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Wow, wanna read one more from an experienced nurse? I enjoyed this post for the simple fact that I am one who has tried to stamp out the perception that Nurses eat their young. Fortunately I have had more positive experience than negative. A clique was "busted up" by management at my hospital this year. This particular group of nurses spent so much time trying to be the top dog that they ran off good nurses and submitted patients to poor care. I believe the final straw was the morning they were so busy arguing with one another about "that's not my patient" when a code was called that 2 MD's, the nurse educator, and nursing admin were running the code! Don't be afraid of being the thorn in the Manager's side. Speak up if you need help and keep business at business and friendship away ffrom where you work. Let me clarify that last statement somewhat: Be friendly, have lunch together time permitting, share anecdotes if you feel comfortable, but leave EVERYTHING at the job when you leave. I enjoy the closeness I have with everyone on my unit, but I am their Charge Nurse, not their drinking buddy.

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Get yourself a shopping cart and do some careful shopping. Don't buy if it is not completely what you want.

Let them know you are checking them out as much as they you.

Don't settle. Not every place is as you described nor is every nurse.

:rotfl: :rotfl: Wow ,Agnus, You are so right with your observations. We have 3 hospital campuses in town so when I said earlier we lost good nurses, luckily most transferred to other units and found out that all nurses are not carnivores.....

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