Assertiveness Training Needed

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Specializes in ER.

I think nursing needs more people skill training. Starting in nursing school, possible scenarios, and effective ways of responding, should be taught.

Instead of encouraging victimhood with talk of NETY, a multifaceted approach needs to be adopted. This should include assertiveness skills, and learning how to deal with some of the difficult coworkers and their many obnoxious behaviors.

Learners need to learn the difference between true bullying and just normal bad behavior. There are various flavors of difficult people and nice people need to learn how to effectively deal with them!

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Specializes in Operating Room, CNOR.

Dude! I am in the same boat. Just found Dan O'Connor YouTube videos. Extremely useful!! This just might save my career. Look into it...

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Specializes in school nurse.

Testify!!

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

Preach!

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.

That is an excellent idea! Next time I see one of the nursing instructors on my unit, I'm going to mention it.

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All these new nurses complaining of NETY...I wonder how they survive in the real world. Not everyone is nice, especially patients.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
I think nursing needs more people skill training. Starting in nursing school, possible scenarios, and effective ways of responding, should be taught.

Or maybe a class in...

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Davey Do, your avatar is so funny! I loved Johnny Fever. What a show.

Regarding the original post, I am totally in agreement with professional behavior being taught in nursing schools. I'll look at the suggested videos later & hope they are good.

A problem with the bad behavior that I encountered was that it was being executed by those in charge, not just co-workers but the bosses. This is a work culture that should be brought to the attention of someone higher up. It may or may not be received well, though. When Nurses Hurt Nurses is an excellent book published a few years ago if you want to take a look. I've worked in really good environments where most of us helped each other but I also worked in one where I was humiliated in front of patients by the charge nurse, made to feel like an idiot, & openly talked about at the nurses station when physicians were present. I could go on and on. Even the patients would comment on the other nurse's behavior. So, I knew I wasn't being too sensitive. But, the book really helped me understand the culture. Even now, when I read posts like yours, it brings back the hurt but I actually feel sorry for those nurses.

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Learners need to learn the difference between true bullying and just normal bad behavior.

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THIS!!! In two years in a hospital with over 1,000 RNs (granted I've only been on a handful of units), I've seen plenty of 'normal bad behavior'. I've called out a few of them on it when it has affected me personally, but going into my third year of nursing, I've yet to be eaten ;)

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