Bullying at work

[Clpowell]

I have worked as a nurse in the o.r. for almost two years. For the most part i enjoy my job. Most of my co-workers are nice and helpful. My problem is one older nurse. She was nice to me during my orientation and shortly after. A surgeon, had asked i not be in his room anymore for unknown reasons. My boss asked if he could give me another chance. He agreed but i had to be placed back on orientation despite no complaints from any other surgeons. I was placed with this nurse to reorientate in his room. After this things went down hill. She came to me one day mad that i hadnt helped pull our case carts for the next day. I apologized for my oversight and helped finish up. From that point, she has ignored when i address her. Her completely ignored me when i tried to apologize for whatever it is she felt i had done. Then she came into the locker room. She knocked my stuff on to the floor, walked right over it as i was trying to pick it up. This incident lead to a big scene of her playing victim at the o.r. desk. I flat out told her she knew very well what she did.

My boss was supposed to send us to conflict resolution. That never happened. Now the other day she was responsible for offering lunches and breaks. I was in a room for 3 hours and she never offered me a lunch or break yet she checked on the other nurses. Out of being permanently kicked out of that surgeons room and her disrespect, do you think i should look for another job? How would you deal with it? I try to be kind and polite but my patience is wearing thin.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

So did you not work out in that particular surgeon's OR again after another chance? I'd be worried my days were numbered if you'd been banned twice

[Clpowell]

I have been banned permanently from his room. This particular surgeon is crazy. He makes himself puke to cancel his cases, throws instruments at staff and has never given a reason to my boss or the anesthesiologist as to why he doesnt want me in his room. Yet this surgeons say hi to me and tells me to have a good day in the hall. I have no ther complaints from any other staff besides him. I have received great evaluations and been told i have had compliments from the other surgeons. I probably do need to look for another job. After reading your post, im feeling incredibly anxious about my job. Thanks for your insight.

[LaneyB]

I can tell you that I've worked in a hospital area where the physicians would sometimes unreasonably ban nurses/techs from their room. Nobody thought less of you if that happened, and your job certainly wasn't in jeapordy over it. Everybody including the managers chalked it up to the doctor being nuts.

I think you should speak to your manager again. In general I am extremely opposed to tattling, but purposely knocking your stuff over and not scheduling breaks is way over the line. I would throw in the words "hostile work environment" when I talked to her.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I was following you until the "she knocked my stuff to the floor" comment. You have GOT to be kidding me. That would be grounds for immediate "this nurse apparently has anger issues" report to the supervisor. Right then and there. And I would have left my stuff right where it was. You can't argue stuff all over the floor. Can you say passive aggressive nightmare? Cause apparently you are living your work life with a prime example of it. But NOT your issue. Your manager needs to control her charge nurses.

There is a corporate compliance section of most facilities parent company websites. Report it each time she declines to break you. Be 100% sure that you report that you did not get your break, and be paid for it. A few times of that, and I wouldn't be surprised if the manager questions you about it.

I would stop apologizing. If this nurse needs your help with charts, she can ask. Otherwise, she is under no obligation to have conversation with you. Nor you her. Unless it is related to the task at hand or patient safety/care.

Forget about the conflict resolution. She needs anger management, and some leadership reminders as it is beyond unbecoming and unprofessional of any nurse in charge to be throwing tantrums. Usually management frowns on that. If you are getting no where to your manager, go up the chain of command. You need your personal space and boundaries respected in the locker room (and in general) and you need to be able to take your breaks if everyone else is, and you are being singled out.

Surgeons are a weird bunch, mostly. You are better off not being in his rooms anyways. Whatever.

Now I really HAVE heard it all. Sorry this happened to you.

[Clpowell]

Thanks for your insight. Her and i haven't spoke to each other, other than direct pertinent patient information for over a year. It just seems to get worse. The o.r. manager knows. All that happened was she was talked to, back around evaluations. Now she is not offering me lunches or breaks. The manager has been on vacation. The charge nurse came to me to ask if she had offered me a break or a lunch. I said no. He said he was reporting it to our manager because he seen her in there eating her lunch when he was eating. I just feel the issue will once again be swept under the rug.