Discussion, please share your opinions on this.

[Katie5]

Dellasega has 2 theories to explain the bullying culture that prevails in nursing. The first is the educational system. Nurses, being primarily women, are educated differently from medical students. Medical students are taught to never break down, to always have the answer, and to project confidence, even if they don't feel it. Dellasega believes that nurses are trained to be subservient and uncertain, rather than independent and confident.

Thoughts.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Huh?????????? (Speak for yourself, sister ...)

Isn't even that statement a little harsh and intolerant? I am just commenting about those "mean girls". I am sure we all remember the "popular girls" in their "cliques" in high school or soroities in college. There are always those who are insecure themselves and have to put others down to make themselves feel better. I don't think they change as adults. As a manager I have to tell you........I have had some pretty "mean girls" and some pretty petty fights amongst staff and I'm sorry..........they WHINE!

I actually had someone complain and couldn't stand someone because the other nurse chewed gum and she thought it was unprofessional, the nurse didn't chew with her mouth open, and that was why she couldn't stand her.......just saying.

[elkpark]

Isn't even that statement a little harsh and intolerant? I am just commenting about those "mean girls". I am sure we all remember the "popular girls" in their "cliques" in high school or soroities in college. There are always those who are insecure themselves and have to put others down to make themselves feel better. I don't think they change as adults. As a manager I have to tell you........I have had some pretty "mean girls" and some pretty petty fights amongst staff and I'm sorry..........they WHINE!

I actually had someone complain and couldn't stand someone because the other nurse chewed gum and she thought it was unprofessional, the nurse didn't chew with her mouth open, and that was why she couldn't stand her.......just saying.

I understand what you're saying, and we've all encountered individuals like the ones you describe, but, IMO, there's a biiiiiiigggggg difference between some "mean girls" here and there and "women by nature are catty and competetive."

[Simba&NalasMom, LPN]

I felt particularly bullied by one instructor in my LPN program. Early on in clinicals, I had one bad day (it was the anniversary of my late husband's death) and she "talked" to me about it: at the nursing station, where anybody could have walked by and heard it. I tried to confront her about it later and explain that I thought there were some things she brought up that were not her place to bring up (one example was she mentioned that she had heard I was dating and thought maybe it was interfering with school). The next day, she wrote me up and put me on clinical probation. She had an entire list of piddly little things, including finding a used Kleenex on a bedside table. I found out later that every term there was a student this instructor would make an example of. I've been an LPN for six years now, and to me, this woman is the EPITOME of the young-eating variety of nurse (I have encountered several more just like her through the course of my career; I have also encountered several sweet and supportive ones).

Sometimes I think that perhaps that instructor is one major reason that I now have almost a morbid fear of "getting in trouble" on the job. And it cheeses me off to no end that there are countless programs, where the STUDENTS pay good money, that the instructors continue to be allowed to get away with harrassing the students.