Do you ever people feel are trying to "pick at" things when you're in a new workplace

alphabetsoup · May 7, 2011

I consider these situations "the perfect storm" for stress. New employee is not yet on sure footing and unaware of the history. Old employees are aware of the history and have other "issues". All I can advise is to do your very best, follow all of the rules and requirements regardless of what someone else does or doesn't do. Don't directly point out someone else's faults. Do politely stand up for yourself and mention if you were not present on a shift when the error occurred. Do extend the nursing courtesies and continue to plug in the carts and remove the trash. The only person you can be accountable for is you.

My own experience has been that if the staff isn't welcoming and as they get to know you they don't "warm up" to you (assuming that you are a nice person), then something else is going on. Maybe there has been high turnover of new employees and they have stopped making the investment in the new co-workers. Maybe they have their own inadequacies so it is easier for them to point out someone else's inadequacies as opposed to working on their own issues. Maybe they feel threatened by the bright new (and maybe younger) nurse. Maybe there are some compensation issues (it is hard not to resent someone who is earning more for doing the exact same job). Don't take any of it personally, just be the best you can be.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · May 7, 2011

why do nurses do this? especially in anew place that really needs staff. i don't mean communicating correct procedures so people learn, but picking at minor things with a newbie but not caring if regular staff forgets.

yep, i noticed the same. even after orientation it continues. if you, the new person is accepted by the popular clique, then the nit-picking slows down almost to a holt. if not, it continues until you leave. the reason i have come up with is that it is bedside nursing.

bedside nursing is filled with changes (staff, patients, equipment, standards, management's policies, etc.) and many nurses are threatened by change. so the established/popular nurses act out and take it out on the newbies... at least that is my theory.... not to say that other work environments do not have this mentality, but in my experience bedside nursing is the worse!!!

the environments are structured in such a way that bedside nurses get away with using bully tactics that would not work in other environments. as you have pointed out they are able to nit-pick using valid forms. they also get away with bullying a new nurse to the environment because situations present themselves in such a way that unprofessional behaviors are the norm such as gossiping (called discussing or critiquing another nurse), backstabbing (called informing other nurses of concerns), setting another nurse up to look bad (called baptism-in-fire and sink-or-swim..). and so on!!i have seen a lot as a bedside nurse that i still have a hard time believing is real because patient lives were jeopardized so that one nurse could get back at another.

in any case, the good news is that all of nursing is not this way. there are environments away from the bedside, where a nurse can continue to provide patient care and not have to deal with this drama. such enviroments require professional behavior and/or autonomy so the nurse is able to work without constantly looking over his/her shoulder.

LouisVRN, RN · May 7, 2011

IDK I think it depends a lot on how they are informing you of the things you forgot to do. When I am precepting I want to see everything done correctly. That means if you forgot to fill out a form, didnt document something exactly right, didn't take out the trash, I'm going to bring it up. Its not because I'm mean or want to make my preceptee miserable but learning to do something with complacency is not right. I think it is a priviledge to be caring for people's lives and as such we need to take pride and do everything with a conscious awareness of our situations and how to correctly convey that situation to other people. If I am going into see someone about a mortgage and they have papers scattered all over the place and half a cheeseburger on their desk it is going to make me think twice about the situation. I see leaving trash un-emptied, trays and rooms not cleaned as the same impression for patients and their families. While it is not necessarily vital in our nursing duties it does affect the patients/family's perception of the care they receive. Its one thing to be "picking at" someone to be malicious and another to try to help them become a better nurse. You said things like forgetting to write things down that are inconsequential to patient care, but if they are that inconsequential why are you doing them? If they are worth doing, they are worth documenting.

Sun0408, ASN, RN · May 7, 2011

Being new sucks. I can say I want my co-workers to let me know if I forgot anything, I don't care if it was the trash, a document or forgetting to put my date and initials on a dressing change.. This does help. I also welcome nurses that I gave report to that morning to notify me if I forgot anything during my shift, It does help to keep me organized and aware of other things, things I might not have been aware of; it also improves me as a nurse over all...

If you are not aware, you can't change it.. I am not sure if they are bullying you or just helping you become a better nurse... Forgetting to document or fill out a form can mean big trouble. Take what they say as a guide..

TopSecret · May 7, 2011

OP,

What you're seeing is a result of people who don't have a lot on the ball and who are petty and unprofessional. In most careers, you won't encounter that kind of behavior except from the oddball character. There seems to be something about people who get into nursing in general. It tends attract a certain percentage of either soccer mom keep-up-with-the-Joneses types, crusty old types, or types who are still stuck in the high school mentality. Not sure why that is, but it's definitely there in nursing. It's very common with instructors too. Extremely unprofessional - just not much on the ball and their insecurities show. That said, as a nurse, you're stuck working with these characters, so you don't want them to derail your career, so you have to find ways around it. Therein, lies the difficulty for most people.

This it completely non-PC, but I think the real truth is you're dealing with a bunch of gossipy hens who can't control their emotions - whether male or female actually - a lot aren't exactly people with a ton on the ball in the first place so they are resentful of anyone else who has a lot going for them.

Vanillanut, DNP, RN, APRN · May 7, 2011

Yup. I know exactly what you mean. In every facility I've ever worked at, all meds are documented in RED ink. So in one instance, I was documenting in red. I have one of those pens with 4 ink colors in them. This nurse comes up to me, and says "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING??! BLACK INK!!"..... I turned to her and said, oh, ok, calm down. And click, switched it to black. I had all of 2 letters written before switching it. *Not* a big deal.

Then there's the million different discrepencies about how to do something, each person is "right", and therefore I get a similar response to above when I go about doing something a different way. This is especially challenging when you have just gone through facility orientations/workshops and I *know* the latest, correct way to perform a skill. Try telling this to some of these nurses.

I think it's just personality. Not to say that it's right or professional. But you can choose how you respond to it.

chocolateskye · May 7, 2011

I totally agree with Top Secret. Nurses are just mean for no reason. There is no such thing as a perfect person not in any career. All one can do is there very best. Everyday there is a new challenge a new set of circumstances to face and we prioritize accordingly or at least we try, we deal with Doctors that change their minds, family members that change their minds and policies and procedures that are constantly changing how and the hell could one possibly do something the same way you did or how Sally the great nurse did?

snoopy29 · May 7, 2011

Just a different perspective......

If I have a newly qualified nurse and an experienced one making the same minor mistake I will tend to (gently!) correct the new nurse. My reason is that the habits, good, bad or indifferent that we form in those early days stay with us throughout our nursing career and those early days are the time to get it right. Its never about point scoring or exerting power its about using the absolutely golden opportunity that having a new, keen and eager to learn nurse presents.

Some of the things that I give guidance on must appear really, really petty - for example if a new nurse is not following the uniform code to the absolute I will get them to correct it. I personally believe that in order to be seen and respected as the professionals we are we need to look the part. With more experienced nurses I let it go because I believe they have had their guidance and if they choose to not present themselves professionally then that is their choice - and what naturally follows is the consequences are also theirs.

Just my thoughts.

CompleteUnknown · May 7, 2011

I tend to agree with Louis, Sun and snoopy.

There's definitely an art to pointing out mistakes or omissions to others and unfortunately it's a skill that many people just don't have. I don't think nurses are given enough training and support in how to do this with the result that the new staff member feels singled out and picked on even if this wasn't the intention.

There's also no training in how to gracefully accept or respond to criticism even when, or especially when, you feel it's not deserved. Again, some people are just no good at this, reactions are everything from getting angry and blaming others to feeling hopeless and beaten down.

It's always difficult being the new person, and it can be very disheartening until you settle in and figure out how the place works. I think that most people have good intentions, is it possible that they're trying to help when they point out you didn't fill out Ridiculous Form 3.8? The thing is, if Ridiculous Form 3.8 is supposed to be completed, it's supposed to be completed no matter how inconsequential it seems.

NurseSuzann · May 10, 2011

While I agree, I want people to tell me if I've done something wrong. I have found some more serious mistakes, these things happen but I generally just choose to fix the mistake and move on with my merry way. However, I have found some important medications not restarted for a number of days because the other ones did not notice, but we're supposed to be a team right, so its great if anyone corrects it because we're supposed to be working together. I do tend to prioritize patient care and all the documentation pertinent to patient care, however I think that what is happening here is everyone is forgetting and it is easy to put me as the scapegoat.