why can't we all get along!!!

P_RN, ADN, RN · Oct 18, 2001

Good question. On the question's previous incarnation you did get 8 replies. Folks tend not to answer the same query in the different forums, and general here is the busiest one.

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10883

I don't know why but my "theory is" we work in a literal life and death situation 24/7 and it's hard to separate self from job.

Now my sister is married to a cop. He grumbles all the time about other officers, bosses, managers etc.

BUT when the going gets tough....THEY stick together. It's an automatic "I got your back!" with cops. Wonder why we can't?

CATHYW · Oct 18, 2001

When I was new to nursing, I heard the saying, "Nurses eat their young." Boy, it is the truth! Plus, they snipe and swipe at each other a lot.

It could be that we are problem-oriented people. We are constantly assessing a situation, trying to find the fly in the ointment, that we can do something about. In that vein (no pun), it may be that we over scrutinize the people around us, and the way they do things.

The other possibility that I see is that nurses are so stifled in just about everything that they take their frustrations out on one another. Administration doesn't want to hear about problems, or help find solutions, staffing is skeletal, pay needs to be improved, families complain, patients complain, doctors complain, ancillary departments complain, and nurses are supposed to take it all, smile sweetly, and NOT tell anybody to take a flying leap! Factor in kid or spouse or financial or other problems, and you have a powder keg with a short fuse fixing to blow!

If we can just give ourselves a bit of distance to pull back and look and listen to what we say, and how we say it, we might moderate the things we say. After all, the Golden Rule says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.":) It does NOT say "do it to them before they can do it to you." :rolleyes:

We need to value each other as human beings that are sharing the same place in the Universe. That doesn't mean that you have to like everyone; just be respectful of them.

Q. · Oct 18, 2001

I think that kind of grumbling about each other exists in EVERY profession. My husband is in IS, and they complain about programmers, etc.

I think also, that nursing is such a LARGE profession, by raw number alone, and also, nursing is such a varied profession as far as background and education, that it leads to disagreements and a wide variety of people.

I don't think it will ever change.

Freaks are everywhere - you can't escape.

I also agree that when the sh** hits the fan, despite the grumbling, nurses do run to each other's aid.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Oct 19, 2001

I agree with Cathy, nurses are responsible in some way for everything, and for what everyone else does. AND we have to cover for everyone and every dept when they are off, but no one covers for us. The psychology of that has us backed into a corner, so we lash out at each other.

Mijourney · Oct 19, 2001

Hi. Good points by everyone. I would like to look a little deeper into this topic and ask whether anyone thinks that perhaps the level of competitiveness in a society influences our working relationships? I wonder whether nurses who work in what we frequently like to call developing nations have a vastly different working relationship from peer to peer than in "developed" countries? Just a thought.

micro, RN · Oct 19, 2001

:d :confused: :d

it is great to see your replies and know that i am not the only one asking.

thanks also for pointing out to me that there were eight replies to my original question. i am still learning and growing with this "computer thing".

this board is great!!!!! talk more later.