Eating our young and more...

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I am attempting to put together some of the scary situations I have experienced in my nursing career. Not the patient scary things but the nurse on nurse issues. The drama, the back stabbing, the blame game. I have a list of them including a nurse manager fabricating a med error (determined unfounded by the state because I had excellent documentation) in order to be able to fire me the day after I refused to increase my patient load when I was running my butt off (1 doctor had just completely re-written all the orders on like 3 of my patients, while several nurses sat reading magazines at the nurses station.) I have been blacklisted from school nurse jobs after I brought documentation to the superintendent that having a teacher's aide suction and tube feed a student is basically practicing nursing without a license (I was informed about a week later that my contract would not be renewed) and most recently I reported an issue to the state (about injury to a patient when someone else didn't do their job) and when the state investigator came the incident had somehow been blamed on me (0nce again my documentation saved me when I had the email I had sent to my supervisor about the incident and she confirmed that the other person had dropped the ball).

So I guess what I am saying is has anyone else had issues? Back stabbing, scapegoating, or just down-right unprofessional treatment? I am to the point where I don't want to be a nurse because I am afraid I can't trust anyone to be honest and professional. What does everyone or anyone think?

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

What does Nety mean? Google search got me nowhere.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
So how about the situations where an experiences nurse starts a new job where the majority of staff is younger? Then the experiences nurse gets higher acuity assignments or is given more responsibility such as precepting or being charge. The young crowd has a problem with this and goes into cliques and gossip and complains that it's not fair. To be honest I've observed this happen a lot more than "nurses eat their young". Is it so hard to assign a personal experience as that. That preceptor that was mean and impatient. She might be burned out and was pushed into orienting...and she happened to be older. Does it mean that all older nurses are "mean"? This is the problem with this mentality. It's a blanket judgement. Maybe it happened more than once. Does that still mean that all older nurses are crusty old bats out to get the younger crowd? Do people think this is some behind the scenes conspiracy organized by all older nurses? That once you hit 20 years you get the official invite and you find out where the super, secret meetings are? I've actually seen a lot more bad behavior from "younger" nurses (20's-30's,

The young crowd gives the experienced nurse the cold shoulder, keeping to their cliques, excluding the experienced nurse from social activities, refusing to help the experienced nurse, etc.

Nooo...that never ​happens!

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Nurses Eat Their Young...

What does Nety mean? Google search got me nowhere.
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Hmmm 3 or 4 examples over a 15 year career, and you are going to float these accusations??? mandated reporter is something YOU might want to look up!

Here is what sticks in my mind, If I didn't have the documentation... For every situation you have had extensive documentation? Do you go home and document your day? Do you look around for things that don't seem right to you and document them? The reoccurring theme here is that you seem to have a problem for every place you work. I have worked with many people like this and it never turns out well for them, anywhere they work. They are the martyr and everyone is out to get them. Focus on yourself, your job, your life, and stop worrying about everyone else. I bet once you claim responsibility for yourself, a lot of these problems will magically disappear.

Also coming into a forum and asking for one-sided stories is not accurate research. I can't believe someone who is going for their masters would even think that this is ok. Even I at my lowly level of schooling that I have now, knows this is not how you do research.

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You can call it NETY, you can call it violence, queen bee syndrome......

Or you can just resign yourself to the fact that sometimes, no matter how well intended, some facilities seem to attract a number of really troubled souls that one wonders how they function in society at large. And as travellers, one often is met with supplementing these half crazy people. (slight sarcasm here....)

Additionally, in the time of local nurses having such difficulty finding employment, some local facilities are continuing to use travel staff. Which can be quite resentful brewing from the get go.

There are wonderful units staffed with excellent nurses. If a job seems too good to be true, then it usually is--even in the form of large amounts of turnover, the crew of nurses who just can't afford to quit, and in comes travellers who usually have the where with all to stay at least through the end of their contract.

Interesting dynamics all the way around. But I still maintain that it takes a strong leader not afraid to have a no tolerence stance.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
Rape victims and domestic violence victims have been subjected to real violence. There's a big difference between that and someone who hasn't figured out how to accept criticism and interact with grownup colleagues and real violence. Frankly, your post is so ignorant that it cheapens real violence and devalues rape survivors and survivors of domestic violence.

This!!!! Well said.I work with one of these "victims". It's never her fault.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

Coincidentally, I just got an email that included the following article in it:

Nurse Bullying: Who's Eating Whom? on ADVANCE for Nurses

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This is not research. I was just looking for some ideas to research. Also this is not every place I have worked. 3 bad employers, in over 15 years, out of 8 in 3 different geographical areas. At my last job I was given $12,000 a year in raises while I was there, over a 3 year period and offered another $10,000 to stay when I chose to drop to per diem so I could focus more on finishing my degree. I am not a bad nurse and I am not a martyr. One position when I saw things were so bad, I started documenting everything with my supervisor via email, so there would be a record that I had made people aware of the problems before the reportable problem came up. These emails confirmed my side of the story. When I had the problem with the med error, supposedly a post-op patient claimed that I gave a pain medication via a different route than what was ordered. Perhaps he confused the pain medication with his antibiotic. I don't know, but I had repeatedly documented his pain level and that he refused (route, medication) throughout the night. When I did give the medication, I documented (medication) administered by (route). This is normal documentation. Had I not documented appropriately, I may have had an issue, but it was very apparent to the state investigator that I knew the proper route and had given it correctly. It was thrown out. This was like 12 years ago.... Anyway, this is not what this is all about anyway. I was just looking for some unique experiences that I could research incidences of...I cannot believe it has turned into this huge b%#^ch session full of different sides complaining about the other sides opinion. I wasn't asking for anyone's opinion. I just wanted some ideas to research. This big dramatic attack is actually comical. All those who think I am out of line are the ones who seem to be making the biggest attacks! Kinda funny! And what's "many people like this"??? You don't know me and you don't know what I am like. I gave 3 examples of bad situations...that took place over 15 years...in positions that added together don't even cover a year of my nursing experience...and you can put me into a "people like this" category. Unbelievable the amount of judgement being put out in this thread today, especially when I didn't ask for anyone's advice or analysis of my situation. Also since I have posted at least 4 times that this is NOT research, just idea gathering, and I am still being told that this is "not accurate research" only leads me to believe the the people who are so upset about this, are not even reading half the posts. I was getting upset over the attacks, but now I am just chuckling about it. Thank you for your input.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Hmmm....if this post was titled Unprofessional behavior in response to advocacy, as well as well thought out tone of "here are examples of behavior directed because of advocacy" it would've had a MUCH better turn, JMHO, but then again, perception is REALITY... :whistling:

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
This is not research. I was just looking for some ideas to research. Also this is not every place I have worked. 3 bad employers, in over 15 years, out of 8 in 3 different geographical areas. At my last job I was given $12,000 a year in raises while I was there, over a 3 year period and offered another $10,000 to stay when I chose to drop to per diem so I could focus more on finishing my degree. I am not a bad nurse and I am not a martyr. One position when I saw things were so bad, I started documenting everything with my supervisor via email, so there would be a record that I had made people aware of the problems before the reportable problem came up. These emails confirmed my side of the story. When I had the problem with the med error, supposedly a post-op patient claimed that I gave a pain medication via a different route than what was ordered. Perhaps he confused the pain medication with his antibiotic. I don't know, but I had repeatedly documented his pain level and that he refused (route, medication) throughout the night. When I did give the medication, I documented (medication) administered by (route). This is normal documentation. Had I not documented appropriately, I may have had an issue, but it was very apparent to the state investigator that I knew the proper route and had given it correctly. It was thrown out. This was like 12 years ago.... Anyway, this is not what this is all about anyway. I was just looking for some unique experiences that I could research incidences of...I cannot believe it has turned into this huge b%#^ch session full of different sides complaining about the other sides opinion. I wasn't asking for anyone's opinion. I just wanted some ideas to research. This big dramatic attack is actually comical. All those who think I am out of line are the ones who seem to be making the biggest attacks! Kinda funny! And what's "many people like this"??? You don't know me and you don't know what I am like. I gave 3 examples of bad situations...that took place over 15 years...in positions that added together don't even cover a year of my nursing experience...and you can put me into a "people like this" category. Unbelievable the amount of judgement being put out in this thread today, especially when I didn't ask for anyone's advice or analysis of my situation. Also since I have posted at least 4 times that this is NOT research, just idea gathering, and I am still being told that this is "not accurate research" only leads me to believe the the people who are so upset about this, are not even reading half the posts. I was getting upset over the attacks, but now I am just chuckling about it. Thank you for your input.

So which is it? You're not seeking opinions ... or "thank you for your input"?

So over the course of a 15-year career, some bad stuff has happened. Your initial post painted a grim picture of repeatedly being the victim of the Big, Bad World ... but then you later backtrack and claim these were "unique" isolated incidents. Though you remain sufficiently fixated on these incidents to want to research whether or not the same circumstances have ever occurred to others. Again I ask -- which is it?

It seems you wanted a thread that played out like a daytime talk show ... in which victims would pour out their lurid stories for you to research Poor, Abused Nurses. Instead, you got a lot of responses from professionals who do not fit into the Victim Nurse paradigm, who questioned why you were possibly unable to take an appropriately assertive, professional approach to the situations you encountered.

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Oh my God...enough. Thank you for your input, despite not asking for your input, I have received it. Enough! I asked for stories and if you don't want to give a story, then move on...enough already!

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

My point exactly - enough. Enough of the Victim Nurse, nurses eat their young, etc. Enough of the wallowing.

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