why the cliques in nursing ?

rgroyer1RNBSN, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2008

My sicu isnt that cliqueie on day shift, night shift on the other hand were as tough as nails with the exception of me the house sup, the thing with our night shift is that most of them have been here along time in ER, know each other and have all transferred down to ICU, they let the new people have er. But after a month or so they warm up and you get alot of good friends, we just have alot of people pass through who dont stay, but if you can tough it out some your alright, well look at me IM not dead yet!!lol!!

oldiebutgoodie, RN · Mar 19, 2008

One of the reasons I left ICU nursing. In 2 different ICUs, I was treated like dirt. I started thinking I was just a lousy nurse. Then I transferred to a regular floor, and amazing! People talked to me! People wanted to go to lunch with me! I was shocked. When I transferred out of the last ICU, there were people there who had not spoken to me despite my being there a year.

So, when the ICU divas complain about being overworked, I say they brought it on themselves. I'm still bitter. But at least I have my confidence again.

Oldiebutgoodie

geminigirl11 · Mar 20, 2008

Thanks for this question; it's been weighing on my mind. I started in my current ICU 7 months ago after a few years of floor nursing. I noticed that the ICU nurses who have never worked outside of the ICU have a really different sense of themselves as nurses, not right or wrong but different. I work with people from so many different cultures and backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. I think my unit, like so many of yours, is a microcosm of whatever struggles are going on in the larger society. Luckily, I am an incredibly outgoing person and had a few close connections walking into this unit. This has helped. Having a strong work ethic has also helped and I would reccommend regular venting with close friends so that we can keep reaching past the clique barrier. Cliques are paper thin at times and I believe persistence is key. Humor helps too as long as you get enough time to vent about the real hurtfulness of cliques.

I have quite a reputation at my facility that does not really reflect who I am. It reflects people's issues with having to interact with a strong female. I would say that racism is in the mix too as people from all over the world and the USA work at my facility. (I am white). I also could see why people need to leave their units; we've got to take care of ourselves. Thanks.

stressgal, RN · Mar 21, 2008

I too work in a unit with RN's that have been there 20-30 years. Boy are a couple of them tough on the new folks. Ride them like show ponies. I somehow got past them, I think I pretty much just admitted I knew nothing, asked smart questions, and weathered through it. I will NEVER be an experienced nurse to this group. Matter of fact a coleague received a promotion to management (her background is 5 years as an LPN, 5 as an RN, 3 in the unit) and I have already heard the comment "I can't believe they gave her the job, she's a NEW nurse." LOL! I asked a more reasonable coworker when exactly are you no longer considered a "new nurse", in his opinion it's when you can take any assignment and the charge doesn't have to worry that your patients are taken care of. I like that.

NPtoCRNA · Mar 28, 2008

I have been reading forums on this board for months now and this is actually the first time I have ever felt the NEED to respond. I am an NP who is considering applying to CRNA school so I took a job in an ICU in order to get the experience required to apply to the program. Now mind u....I didn't tell any of the nurses I was an NP but the management knew and told my preceptor. I also did not tell ANYONE of my plans to apply to CRNA school. What I DID tell EVERYONE is that I hadn't been on a floor in years, which is true since I have been working on an outpatient unit....most recently presurgical testing for the past 5 years. As a result I asked everyone to treat me as if I were a new grad because when it comes to ICU nursing I really am. Having said that, I am 45 years old, and was completely unprepared for the treatment I received there. Talk about clique-iness! I was treated like dirt. At the midway point of my orientation, the nurse educator, also a newcomer came by to see how I was doing (the first time anyone even bothered to ask me), and of course I started to bawl. she took me in her office and I told her everything....including how my preceptor sat around and talked to her friends all day about an upcoming party while I sat there like an idiot, etc. She told me that she knew they were awful and that they also treated her like dirt and that I needed to think about what I wanted to do. So I slept on it, woke up feeling as if a truck had run me over and yesterday I called HR to tell them I did not want to go back to that unit. I decided that at my age it's not worth the aggravation. She said that she would try and find me something else. So instead of getting ready for work now I'm on this message board.

oldiebutgoodie, RN · Mar 28, 2008

I think that the negative culture of ICU nursing is something that the AACN should address, but they don't. They cook up theories and models, and obsess over family presence at codes, but don't address some of the real problems going on.

Oldiebutgoodie

SoundofMusic · Mar 28, 2008

I found it ICU that some of the ones who had "made it" there in the unit 5 years or more were the worst. It was as if they had paid the price to survive there, and you as a newcomer just couldn't lay claim to "their" territory. I dont know. Our unit wasn't clicky, but I would sit there and watch as even the managers of the unit would gossip behind the backs of various travel nurses, and sometimes even staff on the unit. It felt as if you could trust no one.

I mean, if your MANAGER is dissing you for personal things you have no control over, like personality quirks or whatever, you have no hope. KWIM?

I am so beyond cliques and matters of this nature. I'm 44 years old and I just don't care about it anymore. If someone thinks I'm not "cool" enough, well, it's their MAJOR loss. I have a wonderful family, husband, and home life, and that is all that matters. I do feel sorry, however, for younger nurses who may not have as much backing them. Hopefully all nurses have a strong home and social network outside of their job to strengthen them for the "wolves" at work. I think that's very important, and also to be true to yourself in any situation you find uncomfortable. :)

I've seen a few blow ups on our unit. All of the nurses seem to make up after the blow ups. As long as they do that and don't hold grudges, that's ok by me. Everyone deserves the right to express anger once in a while.

CandyGyrl · Apr 27, 2008

" I would say that racism is in the mix too as people from all over the world and the USA work at my facility. (I am white)."

Very interesting. The cliques-- I'm used to it-- just in life period. If I decide to work in ICU {which I will} I likely won't be invited in and personally I don't care. It's all foolishness. I'm a friendly person with a lot to offer but I can also be a loner who will spend a lot of time honing and perfecting my skills while everyone else is checking their facebooks.

BTW I'm the "hot black chick at the party" BUT the fact that I'm black keeps me on the outside because I don't share the same "characteristics" as the clique chics.

RN1982 · Apr 27, 2008

Just started working in ICU in January and I haven't experienced any cliqueiness in my pod. Everyone gets along great and helps each other out, no matter what. At the facility I worked at prior to moving to ICU, the ICU nurses were known to be very snotty because "they're ICU nurses so they must be better than us"...that's what the perception was. And to be honest, it was true. So I decided to leave that facility but for different reasons, started working at another hospital in SICU. I love it. I haven't experienced teamwork like that in a couple years.

CandyGyrl · Apr 28, 2008

Damn, I did not mean to make that text sooo big. SORRY. I was having computer issues and all the text that I could see was sooooo very tiny and to me at the time this very ridiculously huge text looked normal and now it is soooo very embarassing.

CandyGyrl · Apr 28, 2008

I heard that on Dayshift the cliques are Rampant but on nightshift everyone is much more mature and down to earth. Is this true? Of course if cliques are present in your unit.

RN1982 · Apr 28, 2008

I heard that on Dayshift the cliques are Rampant but on nightshift everyone is much more mature and down to earth. Is this true? Of course if cliques are present in your unit.

No its not true.