What's the worst thing the workplace bully did to you? has done to you?

[night owl]

I worked with a so-called nurse that took every monthly note out of the eight pts charts that I had to chart on and did God knows what with them. I couldn't prove it, but she was the only nurse at the nurses station when I finished up the very last one and said, "Pheeeew, thank God I'm done with those dreaded notes!" The next day I went back to one of them to check on something I wrote and it wasn't in there. Huh??? I checked another chart for the same thing and IT wasn't there either. "What the ----?" I checked the rest of them and not one was to be found! I went right to the head nurse and told her the story and then told her I wanted a transfer off the unit today because I could no longer work with that blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, BLAH!!!.... I was outta there in 2 hours.

She did other things like taking my work keys and hiding them for a few days until she saw me ripping my hair out trying to find them. When I finally asked for the last time, "Has anyone seen my keys before I spend $25 dollars to get new ones?" ($5 a key) She would say, "Oh, these?" And open the narcotic box and reach up top and way in the back and pull them out. "Yeah, thanks, those are mine!" and yank them out of her hand and give her the dirtiest look. She could have given them to me the first day I lost them, but nooooooooo, she watched me squirm for three days. I wanted to choke the "B!"

Another time I was decorating the unit for Valentine's Day. (actually had time to do this years ago) I must have cut out 500 hearts of all different sizes, plus bought some really nice decorations from the hallmark store. She asked me to run some blood to the lab. I asked her to watch my decorations, tape etc that were on one of those little stainless steel carts we used for meds (way back when) so the pt's wouldn't mess with it. (Alzheimer's unit) "No problem." I come back from the lab and I couldn't find the cart or the decorations. Asked her where did she put it. She said "I didn't touch it." Yet I found the cart put away, but no decorations. I just knew she put them some place so I searched high and low for them and never found them. I wasn't going to let her spoil my plans for decorating our unit, so that night I went home and I cut out another 500 hearts and went back to the store and bought some more prettier decorations. The next day I did the same thing and she says I found your decorations. "Where?" I said. "Right here in this drawer." "The h*ll you did!" I said "I looked in all of these drawers and they weren't there! But thanks, because now I have double the amount and will decorate to the hilt!" She says to me, ''Who's azz are you kissing?'' I said "No ones! Especially NOT yours!" Oh she burnt me up! But I got her back with all the decorating. Those were just a few things she would do to torment me besides humiliating me in report, spreading rumors about me, undoing dressings I did. She died 8 months after I transfered off the unit. Guess what from? Ca of the brain! And everyone that knew her had NOT one kind word about her.

So tell us if you care to share, your horror stories with the workplace bully. Inquiring minds would like to know.

[Good_Queen_Bess]

Originally posted by vablueyes

I had to deal with two nurse bullies. We work in a rural ER, three nurses per shift. These two made sure I got the heaviest load..and they took the easy ones, and worked together. I had to do everything for my patient alone, and they would sit on their butts and watch. At lunch time, they would tool off together, and I'd eat alone...no biggy, because I really disliked them. Finally, one day I had a patient who delivered a baby, and I had to take care of both mommy and baby, and clean up after the ordeal. They left at 7:00, and I was still there at 10:30. I confronted them both the next day, and told them they were sorry excuses for nurses, and terrible team players. I then went to my boss and told her "either they go, or I go." Well, I'm still there, and they are driving at least one hour each way to work...so, I guess the best nurse won, after all.

Good Job!!!!!

[Dayray, RN]

Heres one for you I have lots of them but this is the most eveil I think.

I was a new grad LPN and was in an IV cert class needing to get 10 documented sticks. So one of the nurses says "would you like to start an IV on me"? "thank you that would be great" I said so she says well if I let you start an IV on me you have to give me some fluid becuse I have a hang over". I turned her down becuse I dident think that was approprate. Anyway therw out the day she keeps asking me. heres where the evil part comes in. She asks me at the nurses station if front of the other nurses, who all say I am just being silly and giveing here a littel fluid is no big deal. Well I was new and so I wanted to fit in and felt that mabey I was just being too carful.

So I started the IV on the nurse in a patient room hang some NS she sighns off my littel sheet and I go about my job. Then the charge nurse comes after me looking very angry she calls me in the break room and rips me up one side and down the other and sent me home early. I have never been so scared or felt so low in my life. not only did I fell that I had done something wrong and abused my postion as a nurse but I thought I would lose my license. I actualy got in my car drove to an empty parking lot and balled. The next day I came in early and and talked to the director. She wasent mad at me although she told me not to do that again but she also told me to watch my back becuse the one of the nurses who told me it was no big deal was the one who had told the charge nurse and she had presented it in a way that made it sound as if I was praticing medicine.

Had to pull the dagger out of my back it was only a prelude of things to come after that I got a reputaion as recklas and practicing out of my scope within a few months rumors begain to be made up and I heard stories of that I had done all sorts of things ranging from d/cing patients without doctors orders to preformning minor surgerie

[burp]

im a agency rn work in icu and er, im a 275lb weightlifter type and was army for 8 years so i havent got much bullying from anyone but a few mds tried . i NEVER let anyone from a cna to the hospital director talk to me in a way that i wouldnt use myself. you must stand your ground immed!!let them know STRONGLY that you will not tolerate that kind of abusive behavior. bullies are like sharks, they smell weakness like blood in the water. if you dont let them get started in on you it only takes making one example and word will get arond that you are to be left alone. ive been very fortunate over my years as a rn to only have one real confrontation at work .be nice but DONT TAKE ANY ABUSE. it makes it worse for the next rn let alon yourself

[Vailgang]

Recently I was complaining that it would be nice to hear that I was doing a good job like the doctors used to tell me. It is then when it hit me: They had told her differently. they had complained to her. More or less I was told that they never meant that I was doing a good job. I was made the office manager because they worked with me. And they went to administration and fought for me to get a larger salary and raises then the hospital allows. They said I wouldn't take a cut in pay when they hired their Mom (who needed a job) as the new office manager. They nominated me for special employee recognition award. It made me so mad. I know that it isn't true but to have that told to me made me so furious. And for some reason I like her but man does she make my job hard. She said other things that were equally hurtful but I won't go into details. No can't go to anyone, she is the doctor's Mom. I just have to know in my heart that I am doing a good job and that the doctors believe that to by their actions.

[HarryPotter]

This is a great topic.

I know of businesses that have folded because of harassment and bullys.

I know of a toxic work environment full of gossip, people talking about people behind their backs, people being isolated, people being given the silent treatment, people being scapegoats.

The people that were scapegoats became depressed, had low self-esteem, were thinking of quiting, were generally afraid to approach anyone about what was going on (thinking that there was something wrong with them). They walked around with their heads hanging low, tried to pretty much keep to themselves and lost their desire to contribute to the workplace.

I am happy to say that the Manager of this workplace was open and grateful for this problem to be addressed in a educational staff meeting. After this meeting, people that had been the scapegoats slowly began to regain their personal power.

Another situation involved my own children who were gossiping about my Honey with each other. One of my Daughters and her kids were visiting from Florida and my Daughter actually refused to come visit me in our home because of her judgements about my mate. I, of course, found out what all was going on and confronted them both about how mean they were being. I pleaded with them to talk to my Honey, but neither of them would. And, still haven't. During my Daughters visit, I had to drive 50 miles round trip to see my Grand-kids from Florida. Looking back, I never should have...it was a exhausting and tension filled visit.

My Daughters and I continue to talk, and this subject has come up from tiime to time. But, what I haven't yet said is that unless they "clean it up" with my Honey, they are not welcome to visit us in our home. The thoughts of actually saying that makes me so sad, and also afraid that I will loose my relationship with them. On the other hand, being treated with love and respect and kindness is a basis in relationships. (I should probably talk with Dr. Laura).

And then, of course, there is what happened under the reign of Saddam in Iraq. He was more than a bully. He was evil.

"Business enterprises-and public institutions as well-are organs

of society. They do not exist for their own sake, but to fulfill a

specific social purpose and to satisfy a specific need of a society,

a community, or individuals. They are not ends in themselves,

but means."

Peter F. Drucker.

from "The Essential Drucker"

[LydiaNN]

A couple years ago, I supervised a woman who I caught in numerous white lies before catching her falsifying her timecard. I went to my supervisor with what I had discovered and asked for guidance. She contacted HR, who told us how to proceed, so we had our butts covered. Unfortunately, the woman blew a gasket at our meeting and stalked out. An hour later, I get a call from HR informing me that she had filed a racial discrimination complaint against me and that they were legally bound to investigate. I had to meet with an HR rep that afternoon, who asked me "if we were to interview your co-workers, would there be anything that you have said or done that perhaps could have been misinterpreted?" I said no and meant it. The next week, the beyotch in question told HR it wasn't "anything specific, she just knew" that I was racist. They told her that they couldn't investigate a nonspecific complaint. A few months later, they actually found a way to pay her to go away with a promise that she wouldn't sue the agency for anything (after the timecard incident, she was coming up with something to call HR and complain about every week). What was really maddening was that I had spent months defending this woman to my supervisors, and the minute I ask her to explain an inconsistency, I turn into the enemy.

[lifeisbeautiful]

im a agency rn work in icu and er, im a 275lb weightlifter type and was army for 8 years so i havent got much bullying from anyone but a few mds tried . i NEVER let anyone from a cna to the hospital director talk to me in a way that i wouldnt use myself. you must stand your ground immed!!let them know STRONGLY that you will not tolerate that kind of abusive behavior. bullies are like sharks, they smell weakness like blood in the water. if you dont let them get started in on you it only takes making one example and word will get arond that you are to be left alone. ive been very fortunate over my years as a rn to only have one real confrontation at work .be nice but DONT TAKE ANY ABUSE. it makes it worse for the next rn let alon yourself

Burp, couldn't have said it better myself *wink* and I am 5' 7 and 125 pounds! When I first started nursing, I was quite intimidated by the floor bullies. I always felt that I was somehow responsible for their 'mood', but in reality, they bullied me because I let them. Well, I quickly changed my line of thinking. I don't have a problem standing up for myself anymore and I have found that keeping my cool and asking questions is the best way to diffuse a bullying situation. Plus, it irritates the bully that is trying to shovel out the snide remark or create the hostile situation. Yelling, crying, raising your voice, 'tattling' (meaning having to report everything that hurts your feeewings because you can't take another person's opinion without it being a 'personal attack' ), tantrums, trying to hard to 'please', etc. are what bully's feed off of. Like Burp said, bullies try to push buttons so they can obtain their power. Bully's are the real cowards. Yup, don't take the bull. You only go through this life once. If unhappy, you have the ultimate power to change. It is so strange. Nursing is suppose to be a profession of kindness, compassion, patience, understanding, and acceptance, but many Nurses have a hard time applying these when it involves their fellow coworkers. I can honestly, say I have met more mean coworkers in Nursing than any other job (not that all of my coworkers are mean to me, but I have see how they treat others).

[boulergirl, CNA]

Some of these stories here brought to mind an old boss of mind. She didn't antagonize me directly but I've heard horror stories from other NAs. She would see the nurse's aides struggling to dress a resident, and brush them aside. Then she'd tell them "I'LL show you how it's done!" and proceed to do it herself, while beating the resident. This same nurse would cut people's hours if she didn't like them or they tried to go over her head with a complaint. She left me alone with a building full of residents one night. One of my co-workers was told to come in to work even though she'd JUST HAD SURGERY. She spent the whole night on the couch while I ran the building.

This boss ended up resigning under investigation. The NAs had had enough, and reported her.

[virmm1, LPN]

I worked w/ a nurse who would throw out either pts blood specimens or lab reqs then lead our boss to believe we weren't doing our jobs right. Had double computer documentation to prove it. she was so far up boss azz ,if boss had opened her mouth wide enough we could have see the knife wielder looking at us. Of course to boss she could do no wrong and we needed to stop picking on her. She was recently dxed w/ bi-polar. Last I heard they don't make meds to cure mean and nasty.

[VizslaMom]

I'm so glad I don't work with any other nurses that are like the ones described in this thread. Geesh.

They sound like psych patients! - or - They sound like they SHOULD BE psych patients.

[peaceful]

We have a boss at work who is rude, belittles you, go out of her way to start a fight. I have only worked at this site for a few months. I kept hearing stories about her & thought oh I would just always remain professional, this person won't get to me. Five key people have quit because of this woman. Well my last week has been hell with this particular boss. I have twiced been in tears over a project that must be completed, and she gives me confusing directions, keeps changing her mind on how she wants done, did not tell me about an important deadline. The whole situation is crazy. I can not continue to work in an atmosphere with such off the wall personnel. Needless to say, i am looking for new job! Thanks for listening!

[GingerSue]

You'll find something better.