Do You Have a Toxic Boss? (eyeroll)

Most of us have experienced good and bad managers, whether that was at a fast food restaurant, retail, or in our present jobs as nurses. I know that in my own experience, the managers who were difficult to work for did not foster warm fuzzy feelings amongst the workers. In fact, there was often a lot of dissatisfaction and frustration that led to a high turn-over. What is one to do? Nurses General Nursing Article

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Gastrointestinal Columnist

Brenda F. Johnson, MSN

61 Articles; 326 Posts

Specializes in Gastrointestinal Nursing.
Thankfully I don't work in a bullying environment. However I work in a yes environment. Constantly agreeing with every additional nurse task and short staffed there is. Then expecting us to be Pollyanna positive and sell the hospital. We're dying on our floor and our bosses hop in the elevator at 3 waving and saying thanks for all you do. Now they are talking about bringing back team nursing. Bye Felicia. Most recent nursing survey asked if we'd recommend friends or family work there. Only 19% said yes. I'd love to know who these 19% are. 2 1/2 years and I'm almost completely burned out.

I see and hear of this happening all over. I understand your frustration!

kclady

16 Posts

I agree. I, too have worked with people who sold out their morals and ethics after they got promoted, to keep their jobs and keep THEIR bosses happy. But it's also been my observation that environments like the one you described ATTRACT people who were already toxic.

Nursing is one of the professions that ALREADY has a tendency to attract it's share of people who are in it for inappropriate reasons, even if they're not looking at a promotion. People with malignant personality disorders like those adrenaline rushes, the power they sometimes have over life and death, the way they can control their patients...I could go on and on.

kaylee.

330 Posts

Specializes in Stepdown . Telemetry.

The manager on my unit is someone I deem to be toxic. She spends every pre-shift huddle discussing things we are doing wrong that she has gotten in email complaints. In her tenure NOT ONCE has she said, "i appreciate how hard you all work" or something to that effect.

She is all about compliance and the bottom line which includes the things that make her look good.

She implicates our work whenever something negative arises and never looks at the system or other aspects of the unit...mostly because she is never on the unit.

Everyone works their tail off for 12 hours then listens to the 10 minute huddles of her negatives.

Its very demotivating.

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

My manager is not a bad person. I truly believe that. He simply has zero managerial skills. He is unable to solve issues, deflects if there is one person that doesn't agree, turns every situation around to the employee that questions anything, constantly provides positive feedback, and is a complete company yes man. In regards to feedback, I mean that he constantly blows smoke praising that amazing job everyone is doing. No one can grow without real time honest feed back. Should you approach him with concerns, he will then turn that around blaming the employee with insecurity or lack of confidence. He simply can not trouble shoot or problem solve. But he came to us from Cedar Sinai so we are supposed to be completely in awe and thankful. Well he wasn't in management at Cedars. He was merely a physician. It is the elephant in the room constantly. As long as you are the employee that goes along and questions nothing then you are fine. That doesn't leave room to improve the work environment. He is polite and nice to employees but everyone feels like he is useless to the point we all try to dodge him.

gracie65

11 Posts

Was this author working at our hospital? Conflicts/stress with our boss has been the primary reason we lost 18 nursing staff last year. Of course none of them said anything about it in the exit interview because the HR person was "besties" with the toxic manager. Nice. So nothing changes. Even after one of those "engagement surveys" which just blasted nursing management, they still don't get it, or don't want to deal with it. The only way I keep my head high is the praise and thanks I get from my patients. Believe me, patients recognize a bad nurse, or one who isn't doing their job. I've also sought counsel from experienced nurses, ones who've been around, who are excellent at their jobs. If they think I'm doing a great job, then that helps my self-esteem. Because of circumstances I can't change jobs just yet, but believe me, I'll be getting off the toxic bus soon enough.....hang in there!