Examples of times you have been bullied in nursing profession

Nurses Relations

Published

I am doing a presentation on hostile work environment and bullying in the nursing profession. I was wondering if anyone was willing to give examples/stories of a time they were bullied in nursing school and or the nursing profession.

Thank you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

:) thank you

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics, Cardiology, Geriatrics.

When I was in nursing school, i worked as a CNA in a hospital. There was a nurse on my unit who was a control freak. She was charge nurse one day, and she assigned a 30-something year old woman being admitted with chest pain to one of the nurses. I was working with that nurse, and so I setup the room for her. She wanted the patient to have a lift sheet. We were running low on linens that day, and the charge nurse did not want to call and ask for more. She decided that since this woman was so young, she shouldn't have a lift sheet. She told me to put it back. So, I did. The nurse getting the patient scolded me, and reminded me that this was to be her patient, not the charge nurse's patient, and she told me to put the lift sheet back on.

The charge nurse came in and noticed I put it back, and she went ballistic, screaming at the top of her lungs at me (as she liked to do to everyone). She screamed "when I tell you to do something, you do it! It doesn't matter what the nurse getting the patient wants!" Then she took the lift sheet and whipped it at me, slapping me across the face with it! Real good way to save linens...now it had to be put in the laundry! Turns out, the patient was very large and in so much pain, she HAD to have a lift sheet.

Do you think that charge nurse apologized to me or the other nurse? Hell, no! She went out of her way to humiliate and terrorize everyone in her quest to be in control of the unit. She always got her way, but only because everyone was afraid of her!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I can give you a couple...mine also have to do with a control freak charge nurse.

I work in the ER. I was in triage and brought back a peds patient with a fever. I told the nurse getting the patient about the fever so the patient could get meds asap. I was on my way back to triage when the charge RN asked me if I had medicated the patient in triage. I said no, and he said to me, "what are you good for then?"

Another time I was again in triage with the same charge RN. It was crazy busy that night and he doesn't handle stress well. Just to put things in context, I am very laid back and rarely get outwardly upset, and I NEVER take it out on anyone else when I do. But this guy is always bullying someone about something when things get too stressful for him. So, I had just brought a patient back to a room and he was griping about the way I was handling things and I'd had enough of him, so I said something back to him, barely raising my voice. He yelled at me in front of the whole ED and told me that he would send me home if I raised my voice to him again. Nice guy!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics, Cardiology, Geriatrics.
I can give you a couple...mine also have to do with a control freak charge nurse.

I work in the ER. I was in triage and brought back a peds patient with a fever. I told the nurse getting the patient about the fever so the patient could get meds asap. I was on my way back to triage when the charge RN asked me if I had medicated the patient in triage. I said no, and he said to me, "what are you good for then?"

Another time I was again in triage with the same charge RN. It was crazy busy that night and he doesn't handle stress well. Just to put things in context, I am very laid back and rarely get outwardly upset, and I NEVER take it out on anyone else when I do. But this guy is always bullying someone about something when things get too stressful for him. So, I had just brought a patient back to a room and he was griping about the way I was handling things and I'd had enough of him, so I said something back to him, barely raising my voice. He yelled at me in front of the whole ED and told me that he would send me home if I raised my voice to him again. Nice guy!

What a jerk! I'm glad you stood up to him. Why do people have to be like that?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in -.

I am still in Nursing school and have not done my medication module yet, so therefore on clinical placements I cannot give out any medications.

On my last clinical placement (on the first day) I had a nurse shove a bunch of pills in my hand and tell me to go give them to a resident.

ME: Im sorry Im not allowed to give any medications.

NURSE: Oh thats ok I wont tell on you or anything

ME: I don't even know this resident...and even if I did, I cannot give out any medications.

NURSE: Just give them and I'll sign that I gave them.

ME: I can't do that.

NURSE: Just do it ! Come on. Im too busy.

Well I just walked away and told my teacher. I would say this is a type of bullying as the nurse was trying to pressure me to give these meds and was getting quite angry when I refused. Thankfully she was just an agency nurse and wasn't at the facility on any other days I was there.

Apparently, talking to my classmates, this sort of thing is quite common.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Spine, Neuro, Thoracic's, LTC.

"The charge nurse came in and noticed I put it back, and she went ballistic, screaming at the top of her lungs at me (as she liked to do to everyone). She screamed "when I tell you to do something, you do it! It doesn't matter what the nurse getting the patient wants!" Then she took the lift sheet and whipped it at me, slapping me across the face with it! "

This is terrible!!! Anybody who behaves like this to a fellow co-worker should be fired on the spot! This type of behavior should not be tolerated. I am sick of hearing about nurses like this. I simply don't understand why any employer would keep someone like this around. These type of people bring down workplace morale, breed negativity, etc all of this increases employee sick days, stress, etc. Nobody needs these people. I don't care who they are.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

I have worked on my current unit, 32 bed med surg ortho unit, for 5 years. For the entire time I have worked there I have not been able to get wall suction devices for patients because the hospital could not afford them. We had a few, but not enough for every patient who was on aspiration precautions. I have been fighting this battle for 3 years since the hospital has finally made some money. I was again told the suction devices were coming but they never arrived. Finally, I wrote a very nice, respectful email to my manager and to the CEO of the hospital asking what the status was of this project while respectfully reminding them of the risk of not having these devices. I was very quickly hauled into the office of the new nursing director, who I had never met, for a major ass chewing for going around the chain of command. I am 55 years old and this woman, who is much younger than me, made me feel like a child. I have as much education and more experience (management and otherwise) than she does and she treats me this way. I have just felt very defeated since this incident. It has certainly done nothing to increase my motivation at work and in fact I am considering moving to another hospital.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Bullied? No, I don't think so.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in onc, M/S, hospice, nursing informatics.

The most bullying I have received came from a former manager. She would write what we called "nasty-grams" at least every week about something or another. Once she wrote a memo about our infusion room (just a room with a desk and about 6 recliners where patients would come during the daytime for chemo or blood transfusions). She wrote, "There were blankets and a pillow in the infusion room again this morning. Someone is sleeping at night and they will be dealt with!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She used this tone quite frequently with her nasty-grams. Needless to say, I was thrilled when she transferred to another unit!

It didn't help any that she had a charge nurse who was her "pet." This charge nurse would write little tattle tale notes to the manager, thus increasing the nasty-grams. Thankfully, this charge nurse is also gone.

:madface:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

Well I guess it is all a matter of perception. It certainly felt that way to me when the event was occuring and continues to feel that way as I have ongoing experiences with her. She is very negative toward me and I don't really understand this because until that day I had never met this woman and did not know anything about her.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

http://www.minurses.org/news/MN2008/0506mn/0506mn_lateralviolence.pdf

A very good introductory article on lateral violence (aka bullying) in nursing. Might be helpful as you prepare your assignment. I've used this article for staff education before.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment