Bullying

dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I · Sep 5, 2011

Look up "mobbing" in Wikipedia. I appreciate your constructive attitude in the face of human nature at less than it's best. Good luck with the job.

Manatee111 · Sep 5, 2011

I have been accused by a nurse of bullying, but that same nurse has accused others as well. However I haven't been caught sleeping at at the nurses station by co-worker. I don't receive long distance calls on the hospitals phone. I don't listen to loud music and sing at the nurses station at 3AM. I don't sit and do my husbands home work while I'm on shift. I don't go into a patients room (confused or not) with my cell phone at my ear. I have however discussed this with other co-workers and there is a huge level of frustration among our nurse about the situation and I'm sure it ones across when we deal with her, but I guess we kind of have a don't tell policy amongst each other and no one really says anything about her to management. Let me tell you though, I'm getting close.

johnny depp23 · Sep 5, 2011

I started working at a place where staff seem to be like a clique and talk about another staff member behind her back because she doesn't meet their standards; its wierd to me... So now i feel like because i am new i am taking the load off of her and they are starting to gab about me. I dont seem to be fast enough, etc... But you know what, it kind of relieves me because it does take the insulting off of the other nurse, and i hope they realize that not all people are not perfect including them. Is it wierd or what? I think its working... And the bullying on the other nurse has been less.

The number one thing you need to remember when it comes to bullying is to just talk about it. And you also gotta praise ya kids when it comes to bullying. Just praise ya kids!!

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 5, 2011

Lateral violence in nursing is sadly an on going problem in nursing......I wish we could all just be nice.

http://www.bon.state.nm.us/pdf/news_winter2011.pdf

samirish · Sep 5, 2011

Is bullying as common between doctors or allied health workers as it is with nurses? If not, is it really because we are a female dominated profession (and that might be the reason) or are their other underlying forces at work here? Just wondering....

On a side note...I've seen nurses that feel the need to put every credential under the sun on their name badge. I don't see other health care professionals feeling the drive to do this. Is that somehow related to the type of person that is attracted to nursing in the first place (and possible related to the bullying) or is it something totally unrelated?

Just random thoughts making me curious what others think.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 5, 2011

i started working at a place where staff seem to be like a clique and talk about another staff member behind her back because she doesn't meet their standards; its wierd to me... so now i feel like because i am new i am taking the load off of her and they are starting to gab about me. i dont seem to be fast enough, etc... but you know what, it kind of relieves me because it does take the insulting off of the other nurse, and i hope they realize that not all people are not perfect including them. is it wierd or what? i think its working... and the bullying on the other nurse has been less.

is it bullying to talk about another nurse being unsafe behind her back if she is unsafe? if you're trying to brainstorm on how to teach her to start an iv or get ted hose on a little old lady? is it bullying to talk about you not being fast enough if you're brand new and the people talking are responsible for getting you up to speed?

i think an awful lot of people just love to talk about bullying, whether or not they actually know anything about it.

Isabelle49 · Sep 5, 2011

One of these days there will be laws against bullying in the workforce. It seems to be the way of life for many in the nursing industry. I never encountered it in the 13 years I worked in the business field, before becoming a nurse. What was I thinking?!

Katie5 · Sep 5, 2011

I have been accused by a nurse of bullying, but that same nurse has accused others as well. However I haven't been caught sleeping at at the nurses station by co-worker. I don't receive long distance calls on the hospitals phone. I don't listen to loud music and sing at the nurses station at 3AM. I don't sit and do my husbands home work while I'm on shift. I don't go into a patients room (confused or not) with my cell phone at my ear. I have however discussed this with other co-workers and there is a huge level of frustration among our nurse about the situation and I'm sure it ones across when we deal with her, but I guess we kind of have a don't tell policy amongst each other and no one really says anything about her to management. Let me tell you though, I'm getting close.

You said a lot of things up there and most made perfect sense.But I am wondering if you have discussed the things you mentioned above with the victim as opposed to dishing out meanness to her as punishment for the violations about.

It is amazing what communication could do- it opens doors for people to heard and be heard. You've tried your methods and they don't seem to be very productive, I percieve,why not try talking ABOUT it with the nurse as opposed to speaking OF it and then, not even to the guilty party.

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Sep 5, 2011

When I was a manager in computers, if you were a bully, you were gone. I didn't have the time or resources to deal with the constant stream of garbage. If you thought you could audition for "Mom's tattletale" and I discovered you were using me as a stick to beat the others "...or I'll tell the boss," honey, I loaded you up with so much work you couldn't see sunlight, or fired you. People who do this a) don't have enough to do, b) aren't doing what they should be doing if they're spending all their time doing this, and c) cost me manhours I have to justify to keep their headcount.

Make the world better. Fire a bully.

pixie120 · Sep 5, 2011

You know, I am always amazed at this particular job duty description (which i am apparently unable to see in anyone's job description?): "Attack all the other staff so my mistakes are so shiny bright. Report all the crap about others to the head nurse. Call in sick on sunny days. Report all the people who call in sick. Miss initials in the MAR. Write big report to head nurse about all the nurses who miss initials in the MAR. Zerox other nurse charting, put copy under head nurse door so SHE will see what I see. Give copies to the state and call the state hotline to report all this bad behavior." Not kidding, all based on real actions of "real" nurses.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 5, 2011

i think before we start mandating termination of "bullies", we first ought to be very clear on what it is to be a bully. there ought to be objective criteria -- otherwise susie and three of her friends all make complaints that "nancy made me cry", and poof! nancy is out of a job. only nancy isn't a bully . . . she's just someone who has been very preoccupied lately because her father is dying, her mother went to prison, her boyfriend is fooling around with the next door neighbor and she's got terminal cancer. (hey, if it's ok to give a nurse a black eye when you have terminal cancer, it ought to be ok to make susie's friend cry when you catch her about to defibrillate artifact or draw up insulin in a 3cc syringe!) or maybe nancy is the most senior person on the list to go to straight days, and if she loses her job, susie gets the day shift slot.

after years of reading an, i've come to the conclusion that much of what passes for bullying out there isn't really bullying at all. a lot of it is because someone got some valid criticism and they didn't like the way it was delivered. or that it was delivered at all. or because someone hasn't the coping skills to deal with stress or constructive criticism and they cry and then they complain to the manager about the mean nurse who "made them cry." or someone who just entered the work world and has spent their entire life getting trophies for showing up and "graduating" from kindergarten, dance class, etc. now cannot believe that more is expected of her than just showing up. or because someone has taken an instant dislike to a co-worker and projects all those feelings upon that co-worker so that even a smile as seen as an aggressive act.

don't get me wrong -- bullying exists. i just don't think it exists to the same degree that some "victims" insist that it does.