workplace disorganization, mental torture and bullying

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in med surg,stroke.

this does not involve any particular person. I am a new grad and have been lucky that I found job for which I keep thanking God every moment. I never thought nursing also involves workplace chaos and bullying. During 1st 6 months I once had a nasty preceptor orienting me who screwed me up completely because she was not comfortable me asking her many questions. I was asked to prove myself and I did with flying colors. So it was all retaliation business. Next, I found that my timesheet has been messed with and the supervisor made an excuse there was some confusion. I just wanted to ask her " how you would feel if your pay is missing ". Now I had to get that sorted out too. After all that, my performance evaluation time is coming near and I am sure the authorities concerned will not give me good eval for something which I did not do but it is due to their disorganization and workplace violence towards me.

I am a new grad and they know it is difficult to find job these days. All this is making me frustrated and I cannot stop thinking about job even on my off days and even when I am studying for my BSN classes. Its frustrating as to how I will survive in such place for long :crying2::mad:

Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

Prettyod:

Bummer. This kind of thing happens. Have you read Doc Lori, R.N.'s article about Nurses eating their young? It happens.

All I can say is, "You have to kiss a lot of Warhols before you find your Rembrandt". In other words, you may have to put up with this all bullsh*t until you find your niche. Many of us have been there and done just that.

At times like this, I like to think of one of the tenets of Emotions Anonymous: "My happiness does not depend on what others do or say or what happens around me. My happiness is a result of being at peace with myself."

Do a good job to your own standards. Peace be with you.

Dave

Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.

Ya know this shouldn't be allowed to happen anymore as we all know all too well it does. I once watched a group of nurses attempt and almost be successful at ousting a nurse they didn't like. They use to destroy her time sheet (I would watch her fill it out as a witness for her), these nurses would hide the time sheets in different places and claim she was becoming mentally unstable, the lies, the false reports on her, it was a constant and since I was advocating for her they started to include me. I had know them for a few years and they use to leave me alone but......anyway.

That didn't stand very long because I wrote up an incident report on them and all you know what hit the fan. The ADON knew as they were her long time co-workers and friends. Lots of nasty stuff happened but no one lost their job except the so called "Leader" of this gang of nurses resigned shortly there after.

Hmmm she had no intention of resigning and I know management didn't want to risk a law suit which I had called my work place union and made it very clear I wanted to have access to an attorney. If you are in a union call and discuss this with your union rep, they can help protect you.

What can I say to you; this is the reality. Karma will prevail but for now document everything and watch your back. You must protect your license. One day you may find that nice place where everyone gets along fairly well and all is good (they do exist) but until then good luck.

Specializes in Ltc, Hospice, Spinal Cord.

I began nursing 1 ½ years ago. The unit I'm on is so terrible that it consumed my life in the early months. I would worry about things that happened at work 24/7. I would even have nightmares and wake up in the middle of the night panicked! No one wanted to train me so I was left to teach myself but everyone was running to the CNM every time I made a mistake. I was seriously worried for my license.

Things have gotten better and I've earned the respect of most of the staff, but there are still a few that seem to be on a mission to drag me down. I think these "bully" nurses are threatened by us or something. All I know is they can't possibly be happy in their own lives.

My advice to you is document document document! If you don't feel you are getting sufficiently trained or supported send an e-mail to your manager. If you feel that your pay is being messed with or anything else make sure you put it in writing. Think of it as building a case. And I always copied my boss's boss on important issues to make sure they knew I was serious.

Put your time in and practice clean nursing and then move on. I just landing a new job and will be finally leaving my unit. Having had this experience I will appreciate a good unit so much more than if I hadn't.

Best of luck! :redbeathe

Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
Prettyod:

Bummer. This kind of thing happens. Have you read Doc Lori, R.N.'s article about Nurses eating their young? It happens.

All I can say is, "You have to kiss a lot of Warhols before you find your Rembrandt". In other words, you may have to put up with this all bullsh*t until you find your niche. Many of us have been there and done just that.

At times like this, I like to think of one of the tenets of Emotions Anonymous: "My happiness does not depend on what others do or say or what happens around me. My happiness is a result of being at peace with myself."

Do a good job to your own standards. Peace be with you.

Dave

Can you come work at my hospital?!?:heartbeat

Specializes in Medical Surgical, Neurology.

I am an experienced nurse (15 years) and changed jobs 5 years ago at hospital. I have suffered from workplace lateral violence. One is my clinical leader and her 2 "friends." I have prevailed, though, because I have experience and saw it coming. It bothers me sometimes, but I work for my patients not them. I also work with some awesome nurses and I don't want to leave my co-workers. I am sorry you are going through this as a new nurse. Get your experience and move on, when the opportunity arises.

Specializes in Critical Care/Coronary Care Unit,.

Don't let those people at work affect you. You just do your job to best of your abilities. Be polite...you don't even have to really be friendly if you don't want to. Put in a year to get experience and then go somewhere else if this nonsense continues. In the meantime, when you go to work...just thank God that you have a job...think about that and more than likely it'll lift your mood. God is bigger than your problems...so focus on Him. Good luck.

It is so sad this you are experiencing this. I too had a similar experience with my first preceptor right out of college. I ended up leaving the unit & going elsewhere, though, very similar personalities prevailed in the second position. I am currently working for an insurance company, first as a Case Manager now as a Clinical Trainer. Even in my new position, those old, demonizing attitudes are around. I guess it's everywhere- unfortunate, yet everywhere....

Hang in there, call out the injustices, stand up to it.. Eventually, they will realize you will not tolerate their petty, juvenile behavior. Keep your head high and know in your heart :heartbeat you are providing the best care to your patients possible.

Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.

I must respond again as I re-read this thread and think what it says about nurses. How can this be? I know, I know it happens all the time and it only happens in certain place etc... But what I'm getting from this thread and many others with a similar theme is it's increasing.

When this type of workplace violence happened to me when I first graduated I thought must be normal. Then after 3 months I got ****** off and thought this is not normal and have fought it whenever it rears my way. OMG; if I was in nursing school and followed some of these threads I would be scared out of my mind. It's bad enough to go in and prove yourself as a nurse but to go in and have to war with other nurses is just ridiculous.

I think they should start teaching nursing students about this type of behaviour. I never heard a word about in my nursing classes; yet they know it exist. It's like this great white elephant that no one wants to talk about.

Anyway........seems so sad.

Specializes in med surg,stroke.

Thanks for such a good feedback, it is making me feel better now. if you all with so many experiences went through all this then I am nobody.

No, I don't want to change facility atleast for next 6 months because my job is no problem for me and it is only supervisor and management who are disorganized and even unsure of what they are doing. Many people told me that nursing world is like this, changing hospitals will not change anything.

I have gone through and worse is going on and what more worse can happen. I am surviving this now and will survive this for sometime too. Yes, I will gain experience and will move on after eventually.

People say work culture in magnet hospitals is good, I have no idea. is it true ?:uhoh3:

Specializes in med/surg, PACU, Hospice, Pulmonary, ED a.

You can get some comfort from Doc Lori, R.N., also the thread here at all nurses under 'verbal written warnings and termination'. Most of us have many years of this under our belts. You can get lots of good support here. The problem is systemic. Keeping up with your own mental health is essential.

Just wanted to offer you some support. It seems like horizontal violence is becoming so widespread in nursing. It's sickening. Remember to take care of yourself and know how much you'll put up with. Your health should come first. If possible see if you can stick it out for the full year. After that, maybe you can find a better place to work at. To tyvin, I have also seen a case where other nurses tried to make it look like another nurse had become mentally unstable. What they did was much worse and scared the heck out of alot of people on our floor.

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