why the cliques in nursing ?

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I work in a hospital where the MICU/SICU is known as a tough crowd....i wanted to go down to the cafe tonight for some food and I asked the charge and he said " yea well we go down and bring it right back up " now, if i want to get off the floor for a half hour, considering my patients are stable...aren't I entitled too......anyway, it seems like everytime one of my alarms is going off a few nurses seem so mad that it's happening...no one of nights has been flat out mean, but to say the least not friendly :devil: they all know each other for 5 years plus, i will never be in their clique...ahhh...ok needed to vent....Thanks !

Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I've seen the cliques both on the floors and in nursing school and I despise them. I think there are seveal reasons I never was really accepted in to a clique with the other young single girls, mainly being that unlike most of them I'm under 21 so I can't go out drinking, haven't had a slew of boyfriends, etc. Sometimes I wish that I could fit it, but it's all good, I just befriend the other students that don't fit with the cliques either. :)

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Specializes in MICU, ER.

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.

That's funny. My husband calls me the token black friend/employee - I'm acceptable to corporate america he says. I'd like to say that not being accepted won't bother me, but not always stings a little. I've been able get past this issue in school by being friendly with everyone and not really hanging with anyone. I'm nervous about the workplace though, since I'm at some point guaranteed to need to rely on someone to have my back when a patient goes bad, etc.

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Specializes in Combined ICU (CCU/Neuro/SICU/MICU.

Unfortunately, in nursing, we seem to be our own worst enemy. In my hospital there are also cliques, it does remind me of high school, but I have learned to not expect anything from anyone. I try to do my job the best I can and not worry about belonging to a clique or not. It's been my experience that older nurses, whether experienced or not, are better received by the old school nurses than the younger crew. I don't work in the healthiest work environment by any means, but I try to stay focused on the patients and just do my job. :twocents:

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That's funny. My husband calls me the token black friend/employee - I'm acceptable to corporate america he says. I'd like to say that not being accepted won't bother me, but not always stings a little. I've been able get past this issue in school by being friendly with everyone and not really hanging with anyone. I'm nervous about the workplace though, since I'm at some point guaranteed to need to rely on someone to have my back when a patient goes bad, etc.

That's funny. Now in a corporate environment I didn't have a problem fitting in... because yes the token thing and 2 it was a male dominated environment... made things easier-- no jealousy or competitive issues:banghead:. But in Nursing it seems because of the majority female presence we feel the need to find our place and "fit in".

I remembered taking A P where mostly 95% of the class were there for nursing... I started off pretty cool with everyone but weirdly enough it seemed the only way I could truly fit in {as if I really felt the need to} was to downplay my achievements. We'd get our exams back and everyone would ask each other "how'd you do?" "oh I got a 78 or oh I got an 85" and they'd be sort of happy.

I'd sit back and applaud their efforts like wow thats great and I truly meant it, then- finally they'd ask me "what'd you get?" and I'd humly say "94" or "98" or whatever and there would be this weird silence and a phony "oh thats great". Each week I felt more and more austracized and it didn't help that my instructor would also single out my achievements , so I started downplaying myself until I just got sick of it and separated.:madface: The weaker students in the class gravitated toward me though and I was more than willing to help I mean-- you don't really know something until you can teach it to others.:D

Well that gave me a peek into the world that I was entering and I've been preparing myself to be strong enough to stand alone even if others try to austracize you. Turn the negative into a positive but remain courteous all the same. I already have friends don't need frienemies:no:. But seriously I do hope to obtain a good friend {if only one} who shares the same career interests as myself a good supportive figure... a nice addition to my collection.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg.
That's funny. Now in a corporate environment I didn't have a problem fitting in... because yes the token thing and 2 it was a male dominated environment... made things easier-- no jealousy or competitive issues:banghead:. But in Nursing it seems because of the majority female presence we feel the need to find our place and "fit in".

I remembered taking A P where mostly 95% of the class were there for nursing... I started off pretty cool with everyone but weirdly enough it seemed the only way I could truly fit in {as if I really felt the need to} was to downplay my achievements. We'd get our exams back and everyone would ask each other "how'd you do?" "oh I got a 78 or oh I got an 85" and they'd be sort of happy.

I'd sit back and applaud their efforts like wow thats great and I truly meant it, then- finally they'd ask me "what'd you get?" and I'd humly say "94" or "98" or whatever and there would be this weird silence and a phony "oh thats great". Each week I felt more and more austracized and it didn't help that my instructor would also single out my achievements , so I started downplaying myself until I just got sick of it and separated.:madface: The weaker students in the class gravitated toward me though and I was more than willing to help I mean-- you don't really know something until you can teach it to others.:D

Well that gave me a peek into the world that I was entering and I've been preparing myself to be strong enough to stand alone even if others try to austracize you. Turn the negative into a positive but remain courteous all the same. I already have friends don't need frienemies:no:. But seriously I do hope to obtain a good friend {if only one} who shares the same career interests as myself a good supportive figure... a nice addition to my collection.

Wow, that's unfortunate that you were ostracized for doing well. I'm just entering the nursing career and I so hope I don't encounter that. I think I'm too old to go back to high school. Anyway, best of luck to you in finding a good, supportive friend. I'm sure you will find many.

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Specializes in Not too many areas I haven't dipped into.
I'm just entering the nursing career and I so hope I don't encounter that. I think I'm too old to go back to high school. Anyway, best of luck to you in finding a good, supportive friend. I'm sure you will find many.

I think there are cliques everywhere in life...it is somehow inevitable. Some people even feel there are cliques when there aren't becuase they don't feel a part of it all.

I think that being new to any unit takes time to fit in. People have to get a feel for you and learn that you can be trusted and are willing to help. It is kind of like proving yourself. Once that happens, it has always been my experience that you will start to mesh with the group.

Now, with that being said, there are always going to be people that you don't like or don't like you. You don't have to go to breakfast with them, but you have to be able to have a professional working relationship.

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On our unit, there are days where I feel I don't fit in with the crowd, and then depending on who is working that day, I do. We have a great mix of people, young and old, male, female, black, white, asian, etc. -- it doesn't seem to matter -- I can get along with most of them. The ones I can't get along with are the crusty ones and some of our travelers. They seem to gravitate towards each other and boy do they shut you out. Not too fun when your'e a new grad. We have one traveler that I don't think has cracked a smile or uttered a word to me in 2 months. I mean -- if THAT is what being a traveler means, I could take it or leave it. Another one seems to have some sort of ADD issue and drives me nuts with all her incessant chattering.

However, now that I've taken on a bigger pt. load, I'm too busy to even notice sometimes.

One nurse just looks at me with that look of "who the hell do you think you are" just about everytime I'm near her. I just try to stay clear of her and make it through the day. :uhoh21:

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