Could I be the Victim of Workplace Bullying?

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After reading "Behavior that Just Shouldn't Fly" by a fellow poster on allnurses, I decided I do not want to become the nurse that quits because of bullying in the workplace.

Would you consider having a sixth person tell you over several month's time that "You always get the 'crap' patients. Someone must not like you very much" or "You always have the hard patients" or "You always get the difficult ones" as a form of bullying? I've had a pharmacist, a CNA, three nurses and a psych doctor all tell me this. I'm beginning to see a pattern in my assignments.

While charge nurses are supposed to be assigning according to acuity, I recently had 3 patients on 02, those three patients also on tele, (my team totaled 4 patients) all 4 of those patients were fall risks, 1 of those was a bariatric patient with special needs, another patient was flip-flopping between hospice and aggressive treatment based on family's indecisiveness and were constantly cornering me for 30-40 minutes about what to do (I have compassion for them - I was just very stretched). This "hospice" patient was confused, combative as well and known for strangling. My other patient was post-op and a constant whiner and was very mentally draining... This is just one example of many. On top of this assignment, there was only one CNA for the entire floor.

For some of you, having 5 and 6 patients is a luxury, but for me, when I get these heavy loads nearly every time I'm at work, it wears on me. I'm not happy to be there and I dread what assignment I will be getting that day. My co-workers are always visiting at the nurse's station, or online shopping or playing on their cell phones. Meanwhile, I'm running back and forth and back and forth and it never ends. When I'm in rooms, I find I lack energy to hold conversations and I just wish patients would stop talking to me so I can get in and get out. I always wanted to be the nurse to sit and take time to get to the bottom of why someone may be upset or depressed or lonely or what have you... I did that with the aforementioned load and was so completely drained. :bored: I learned one was grieving loss of a body part removed over two years ago and was very visibly angry for it but softened after being allowed to explain, the other had a wife who died several years ago, has been lonely ever since and was missing his companion... I don't know how to handle all this information some times. The angry patient and the hospice patient were given to me because "I knew you would be compassionate. They need a nurse with compassion" the night charge says. What about me? Typically I just love to love on my patients, but I'm beginning to show compassion fatigue. I just know that's what this is. How do I navigate this with my manager so I don't appear to be whining? I'm not the only one noticing my loads, so this should be ok to address, right?

I've considered that my assignments may be given because the night charge nurse making day shift assignments may be trying to play on our best nursing traits, but I'm tired... I sleep later, I have less energy, I've been combating depression that is slowly lifting... I say things I normally wouldn't and become angry faster...

I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. I've been praying a FT position will open up in another department so I can transfer. I don't think my career on my floor should have to end this way...

I'm very diligent :bookworm: in my nursing, always researching and I have good rapport with the physicians. I've noticed nurses in the past that have been picked on because they are slower, or march to the beat of their own drum, or do not handle stress well, or do not play politics. I am there for my patients so I do not visit and gossip, and therefore, do not play politics.

I don't want to be sensitive. Any thoughts on this issue? How would you proceed? Thank you!

:cautious:

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Honestly, I think everyone thinks they have bad assignments. You figure that in the hospital nowadays, you're going to see the high acuity patients, even on the general floors.

Of all of the posts I've read over the past several months that deal with workplace bullying, I think this one is the mildest one I've heard yet. OP, you yourself indicated that you don't do well with 5-6 patients, but that's the norm in most non-intensive care units across the US. Perhaps the issue is not with anyone else but instead with how you handle stress.

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SoldierNurse22, I appreciate your feedback. I will say that I am a very even-keel, laid-back person who deals with stress often and quite well. I can manage 5 to 6 patients and do so, often, but when they are all high acuity it becomes wearisome. It's not the # of patients, but the acuity that makes the workload so difficult, especially when so frequent. The point is that we are supposed to be assigned patients based on acuity. I have considered this a form of bullying, indirectly. The same night nurse gives me these assignments and even the nurses on her shift have commented to me "Why would she do that to you?" Once, I got report several different nurses on several crazy patients... My whole load consisted of confused people who were constantly trying to climb out of bed and could not do anything for themselves. Why would you assign a team like that? Why not disperse those patients?

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

It is very clear by your post you care deeply. But to invest SO MUCH emotionally in every patient is exhausting. How long have you been a nurse?

There is a fine line between helping your patients and letting their needs over take you. Just reading what you said...your assignment doesn't seem THAT bad. Acuity of patients are higher than ever but to have four patients like this....isn't a bad assignment.

I doubt that you are being bullied but I would ask way are you always assigned these patients. I would also look into yourself and find a way to not allow every patient to emotionally overwhelm you. It is possible to care without becoming emotionally involved every time. You are frustrating yourself unnecessarily.

I worked with a nurse like this who always seemed to get the crazy patients....had the heaviest load. I found that the nurse assigned those patients to them, even unconsciously, because they KNEW that those patients would be given the care they deserve and there would be no moaning groaning and complaining the entire shift making for a miserable night. She would become so overwhelmed in the details and caring that she made far more work for herself. She was a young nurse and when she learned how to leave some of the emotion aside and not corner herself with details she was better able to organize her time and not feel so overwhelmed.

I don't think you are being bullied...but you might need to speak up for yourself.. ((HUGS))

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Esme12, I have been an RN for a little over 2 years. There is some truth to what you say... I probably do create more work for myself than needed. It's difficult to distance myself when some patients just outright express their misery to you when all you tried to do was fill their ice pitcher. How do I ignore that? I don't let my emotions get tangled up in theirs, but it does effect me because I can only offer myself for so long to listen. How do you keep your distance? I think the mounting frustration makes the mentioned load seem worse than it really is. I'm just drained.

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Thanks for the hugs, hehe

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Specializes in adult psych, LTC/SNF, child psych.
Esme12, I have been an RN for a little over 2 years. There is some truth to what you say... I probably do create more work for myself than needed. It's difficult to distance myself when some patients just outright express their misery to you when all you tried to do was fill their ice pitcher. How do I ignore that? I don't let my emotions get tangled up in theirs, but it does effect me because I can only offer myself for so long to listen. How do you keep your distance? I think the mounting frustration makes the mentioned load seem worse than it really is. I'm just drained.

Distance is a hard thing to place between yourself and patients who need your care (especially emotional TLC) but remember that it's not your job to meet all of their wants and needs. I'm a highly emotionally sensitive person like I believe you are too and I think it comes back to establishing boundaries. "You're the patient and I'm the nurse." "This is the work I'm going to be doing with you today." "While I appreciate you sharing this with me, I can't stay and talk much longer."

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And it seems as if your strengths ARE being played up. You are quite good at juggling difficult patients--and lets face it, every patient can be difficult. For all of us, some days you just can't catch a break. You must be highly organized and have the temperment to handle more emotionally difficult patients and families. Have you tried saying something along the lines of "you KNOW how much I love my complex patients, however, I am getting burnt. Can we mix it up a bit?"

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

1. If your coworkers are surfing the net or visiting while you race around like a fiend, ask them for help.

2. Does your hospital have a pastoral care department? I worked on a busy surg floor and didn't always have time to meet pts' emotional needs. Pastoral care were worth their weight in gold (they weren't there to preach or proselytize) and pts would thank me for calling them.

3. When you get overloaded, tell your charge nurse in a matter-of-fact tone that you will need help with your pts if they are to receive quality care for their myriad needs.

4. Smile and thank everyone for the wonderful help they provided. When you stop suffering in silence, you may start receiving more realistic work loads.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

What kind of unit is this? A bariatric pt with special needs; a hospice pt; tele pts; a post op...? That's a very strange combination of pts. Agree with the PPs.

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If you are not able to come to terms with your manager to alleviate this problem, then you should consider a change of scenery. Seems you already are taking this into consideration with the thought of a transfer. At the least, you need to take a vacation, a substantial vacation, not just two days off. If need be, a leave of absence. During that time recuperate, and decide how you are going to approach this work situation going forward. Best wishes.

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Specializes in Acute Care - Adult, Med Surg, Neuro.

I feel the same way. I often wonder how other nurses are sitting at the nurses station more than not, chatting or surfing the web or shopping. But on our floor, all the patients are heavy. I have come to realize a few things:

I have poor time management, and need to improve.

I don't handle stress well (as another poster mentioned) and need to mentally slow myself down. Not everything is an emergency.

I need to prioritize, and can't do everything.

I need to delegate (although this is hard, as PCA's will often back-talk or try to get out of doing things)

I care about my patients a lot, and want to give them all the best care, but in our current environment this is impossible. I can only give them my best at the time and under the circumstances.

Nursing is a 24/7 job and sometimes this just have to get addressed on the next shift if they're very low priority.

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