LATERAL Violence. How Nurses treat Nurses!

Nurses Relations

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hi!

i have had a very interesting experience with the aacn's "healthy work environments" initiative. it really does seem that one just had to "name it to claim it!"

i have posted an excerpt from the aacn's on-line and journal article on lateral violence - has anyone had any experience with these behaviors (below)?

how much of your practice is impacted by issues such as these!?

i know that, in retrospect, i have had a role or two that i am not proud of! however, i resolved that i would be a part of the solution - not a part of any problem. so, what do you recognize?

have you been a victim or a villain?

how do we stop this now?

please share your feeling, comments, observations or experiences.

thanks!!!

and

practice safe!

from the june 2007 edition of : critical care nurse

manifestations of lateral hostility

lateral hostility, bullying, horizontal violence, and the like may be conveyed in a nearly endless variety of forms that denigrate a nurse's professional dignity. some of those expressions identified in the literature include the following3,14,17:

* backstabbing, gossiping

* belittling gestures (deliberate rolling of eyes, folding arms, staring straight ahead or "through" when communication is attempted)

* constant criticism, scapegoating, fault-finding

* elitist attitudes regarding work area, education, experience

* humiliation

* ignoring, isolation, segregation, silent treatment

* inequitable assignments

* inflammatory angry outbursts, impatience

* insults, ridicule; patronizing, or condescending language or gestures

* intimidation, threats

* judging a person's work unjustly or in an offending manner

* making excessive demands

* sabotage, undermining

* unfair evaluations of work

* unwarranted criticism sarcasm

* withholding information or support

full text link at

http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/cgi/content/full/27/3/10?maxtoshow=&hits=10&hits=10&resultformat=&fulltext=lateral+violence&searchid=1&firstindex=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=hwcit

thank you for any imput!

;)

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Then she should change careers. Sorry, but it's a part of our job to pass it on to the next generation.

According to my own job description, it's not part of my job.

And that's jumping the gun to say that if someone doesn't want a student following them around, then they should change careers.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I have been at work around one student who thought it was all about her. She talked the WHOLE time, i don't even know when she breathed, wouldn't hold still, tried to pick stuff up off of my table, my STERILE table. I asked the circulator to come closer to me, mumbled to her to "please escort her out of her before the surgeon blows his top." Luckily, anything remotely like that instance is very few and far between.

This doesn't mean i harbor any ill feelings towards students, yes i was one once, i am one now actually.

But i feel that no one should be forced to teach students if it's not in their P and P job descriptions.

Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

Hey there Emmanuel Goldstein -

*** I take it that you are on a contract or travel assignment, based on your post. I think that maybe we should put together a CHECKLIST (looks like you have nearly a perfect score! :eek: ) that can help someone determine that they are in a TOXIC environment on a travel assignment and they should be able to leave without any penalty in the first 10 days! :)

I think that a large number of travel/contract assignments are difficult due to the way that their CORE STAFF treat others. Maybe that is why they have to resort to the guerrilla staffing tactics known as "travel/contract nurses". I can honestly admit that several of my "travel/contract" assignments have been absolute nightmares. I could have scored really well on the checklist, too. :rolleyes:

Maybe these facilities that think their staffing issues are all NURSING SHORTAGE related should take a look at their workplace for indications that is is not A HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT. And maybe THAT contributes to staffing drought. Just an idea. :idea:

Hey there nanacarol and tbinurse -

*** Thank you for sharing your experiences and I will be getting the Bartholemew book. I think that you have to identify the problem in order to work toward fixing it - I believe that the staff that work with either of you are very fortunate. :)

Hey there LPN_Marie -

*** I, too, believe that teaching others is left to those that want to do that! I 100% support your ideas - now, I know that answering a question/simple clarification is something that ANY of us would readily do with ANY student. But, I think that a PRECEPTOR is an important role. It is a role that one should be eager to do, have instruction in how best to do it and (biggie here) have the TIME to be able to do it well. I think that to just "dump" any student on a nurse and expect optimal outcomes for either only penalizes both. A preceptor SHOULD not have a full assignment and then just have to "teach" a student by virtue of their presence. A preceptor should have time to prepare for the "lesson", the time/resources to spend with the student AND a recognized process for ensuring that the student (and preceptor) gets the most out of the experience. Just because someone is good at something - does NOT make them a good preceptor at it!

When being a preceptor is forced on a nurse it is never beneficial to anyone - the nurse (who is probably really good at their job) or the student. Time spent with preceptors should be the time that allows for improvement of a students clinical practice. I think a STRONG PRECEPTOR program is essential to students in nursing programs - this alone can mean the difference between a marginal clinician and a strong clinician. When students have poor preceptors they are being shortchanged, at best.

And no you (or anyone!) should be FORCED to precept. You have a primary responsibility to your patients and to force you to keep a full load and precept on the fly is almost to force you to practice in a manner that is not SAFE. Bad juju there!

Hey there Tweety -

*** I think that you would be an absolute delight to work with - you really do get it. I'll bet that you are a valuable resource for all that are lucky enough to work with you! But to be fair, in my experience I have never seen a male nurse get targeted in the manner that I have described. I'm not saying that it does not happen, but I just have not witnessed it.

But, then again - most guys that I have worked with just communicate in a far more direct manner. When I was in the fire service - I could count on the fellas to just say it and then "it" ended. They did not talk behind my back, lie to my face and then carry it around for 6 months - "punishing" me and undermining me. No, I know that sometimes there was a degree of seething, but since our very LIVES depending on each other - it was VITAL that we trust one another and work as a team. Hmmmm, could that work in nursing?

THANKS to ALL for sharing.

Let's all work to make our workplaces better EVERYDAY!

Practice SAFE!

;)

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Isn't the word 'violence' a little strong? No, I've never experienced violence at work. Yes, I've encountered gossip, cliques, and some strong personalities. I don't call that violence, that sounds like a melodramatic overstatement to me.

I have witnessed behavior like this that ended in violence several times, at my place of work, and nothing happens to these people because we have strong unions. I have also witnessed bullying behavior. Sometimes, I do find myself wondering why I entered into this profession based on the situations I have seen.:o

I have witnessed behavior like this that ended in violence several times, at my place of work, and nothing happens to these people because we have strong unions.

If that were so, then such people would presumably not exist in places that are non-unionised. But they do and often to a greater extent.

Levin

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
If that were so, then such people would presumably not exist in places that are non-unionised. But they do and often to a greater extent.

Levin

I have always felt that it is a shame that a 'nurturing' profession has sometimes demeaned themselves in such a way:o

I have experienced lateral violence and I am ashamed to say that at times I have done it myself to other people. For myself personally, I had to make some positive changes in me, and make a conscious committtment to act more kindly and professionally toward my co-workers whether I agree with them or not. I found that if I were in a room with other people gossiping, talking rudely about other staff I could get up and walk away or if I were invited into the conversation, I could participate in a more positive manner. I have found that it starts with one person and I don't have to participate. People catch on quickly and will move on to more positive conversation around. It starts with me and the changes that I was willing to make personally. That's my 2 cents worth. Peace

Margo

Specializes in Med-surg, trauma, IV therapy.
I have experienced virtually all of these behaviors at the workplace since I first entered nursing. I'd hate to mention this, but I'm a female who has been treated much more respectfully at male-dominated workplaces such as factories, storerooms, etc. It has been my personal experience that nursing is far from a nurturing profession with regards to coworker treatment, because I am constantly having to watch my back.

like being beat up with a basebal bat , emotionally, mentally, and physically mostly by my co-workers with their gossiping, backbiting, etc. Is it because we are still a my, the staff relationships are what really drag us down. :angryfireNursing is not a nuturing profession. It feels female dominated profession and that's how women show aggression, i.e. gossip. Its really not the patients is it, its the co-workers who cause most of our stress to some degree!!! Yes, patients are stressful but, oh

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Is it because we are still a female dominated profession and that's how women show aggression, i.e. gossip.

Perhaps the women you work with show aggression in such a manner, but please spare the rest of the female population from getting lumped into such a degrading stereotype.

Specializes in Med-surg, trauma, IV therapy.
Isn't the word 'violence' a little strong? No, I've never experienced violence at work. Yes, I've encountered gossip, cliques, and some strong personalities. I don't call that violence, that sounds like a melodramatic overstatement to me.

Backstabbing, scapegoating, gossiping are forms of violence. They are psychological and emotional abuses to a person rather than physical abuse..

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Perhaps the women you work with show aggression in such a manner, but please spare the rest of the female population from getting lumped into such a degrading stereotype.

Thank you.

Who would work is such a profession as described above??

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