Having a Tough Time on a Bad Unit

[Nurse-please, BSN]

Hey guys,

Once again I am faced with the throes off a bad unit. Why, in this profession, is it SO hard to work with a group that is PROFESSIONAL.

I have returned to my old unit that I worked as a new grad and I have a totally different outlook than I did before. Two major differences: First, I used to work nights and now I rotate days AND nights, second, now I'm trained to labor and delivery whereas before I was special care nursery. It is DRAMA MAMA 24/7.

I have never in my life seen a group of women backstab and talk behind each other's backs as much as they do. Now, not everyone is like this of course, but a lot of the long-time core staff is. And I find it SO ANNOYING. They are constantly judging the new staff members and making comments about them behind their backs, so I know they most likely are doing it to me as well. I have yet to have anyone make a comment to my face but you know when you fit in and when you don't. I refuse to sit around and gossip about others with them and I truly believe that makes me a target. Because I legit don't participate or even encourage it whatsoever if it's brought up to me. CASE IN POINT: This is a negative/hostile work environment that is not very supportive.

Yes, the newbies take the brunt of it, but these women will not hesitate even slightly to crap-talk other senior staff members and then turn around and go to breakfast with that said person. It's just INSANE to me. Here lies the problem: I've seen all three of my managers up at the L&D desk talking with some of these women about other staff members. They ALLOW this behavior. I'd say 70% of their staff is new, and of that 70%, half of them are new grads at that. I've asked around if I were to bring up to management any of the instances which I've witnessed, what they'd do-- the response I got was that they would tell those women exactly what you said (and not in a constructive let's make this better way- a derogatory way).

I'm SO discouraged and want out ASAP but let me tell you about my track record. I've job hopped, partly because I ended up in a negative/hostile work environment and I feel I deserve better, partly because I moved back across the country for family reasons.

I worked at above unit for 1 year and 2 months(loved it then-different staff on nights), then NICU for 7 months (left because of hostile environment/1 hour commute), ER for 1 year (loved this job, super great teamwork and fun) now back at my first job (we moved back for family reasons).

I've been a nurse for just over 3 years now and I feel like I've jumped ship too many times but honestly, what is up with this seriously broken system? Why is this SO common? I hear about it from other nurses as well. I'd like to think I'm not being a big baby and that it's just ridiculous that this is even tolerated.

I want to transfer departments (specifically to ER with a shift or two prior to feel their unit out and make sure I don't once again end up in another situation like this) but I've only been back at this unit for 6 months, and I JUST got off L&D training last week. I told myself I'd stick it out for 6 more months and then transfer. If I were to transfer now, one, everyone would be pissed at me for labor training and leaving right away. Two, my manager may try to hold me in the department for months before transferring because we don't have a set policy in place for that and per our contract, they can hold us until a replacement is found. Which sounds like a delightful situation right?

BUT I don't know man, it seriously drags on my mental well-being outside of work and I DREAD going to work. I PRIDE myself on being an effective member of the team and I love going to work when everyone is positive and helpful. I can't stand this.

Advice please? Anyone else experience this crap more than once?

[JKL33]

How about just letting them do their thing. Just focus on patients. Be non-reactionary, don't stand around listening to them and, the hardest part: don't give a blank what they might say about you when you're not around. The exception would be if you literally can't provide safe care because of this (e.g. being undermined, etc.) or if your employee record is being tarnished d/t lies and other shenanigans.

If you can provide safe care and you are mostly being left alone, then try not to focus so much on the annoyance and the idea of whether this is right or not. You know it isn't right, but you can't change other people; the only thing you can control is how you respond/react. That may sound like a position of compromise or giving up, but I don't see it that way. I think it's smart. People are going to do what they're going to do and the one who figures out how to rise above the fray is the smart one. So this is a smart tack for a short-term problem. If things still haven't improved after X length of time that it would take for you to transfer to ED, then go ahead with transferring. But for now, don't disadvantage yourself because of others' poor behavior.

[Nurse-please, BSN]

Thanks for this advice! I’ve been trying to keep my head down but sometimes it is hard because I have to ask questions due to being inexperienced in labor. I always put my patients first and enjoy the opportunity to take part in their care. But it does make it difficult when you have such a negative environment around you. Not only does it get to me myself, but it bothers me to see others treated poorly as well.

Thank you for pointing it out as a short term problem. It’s easy to forget that when you are in the midst of it, everything is temporary

[KJoRN81, RN]

I don’t have advice necessarily, but just wanted to acknowledge that you are most certainly not alone, & it’s totally understandable if you’re upset with the environment. I will say this: there are many MANY mis-managed floors/units etc across the country, & there’s not a lot that can (usually) be done about it.... it’s disappointing because I KNOW it’s caused great staff to leave & affected patient care.

Sorry, rant over lol

[Nurse-please, BSN]

2 hours ago, KJoRN81 said:

ugh. It’s so disheartening isn’t it? It just isn’t what I expected the profession to be. I feel so naive sometimes that I thought it’d be different. But hey, I’ve told myself I will never act that way and hold myself to it. I’ve started calling people out when I hear them gossiping about other staff on the unit. In a nice and professional way of course, that I hopes make them feel a little dumb for acting like a 10th grader. Stops the fools dead in their tracks most times.

The most we can do is try to be a catalyst for change right? It’s an uphill battle but I will never smear our profession with that type of ridiculous behavior.

[Wuzzie]

3 minutes ago, Nurse-please said:

I’ve started calling people out when I hear them gossiping about other staff on the unit.

This actually works. Nothing like making someone look like a donkey's butt with a big smile on your face.

[DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN]

There are some on my unit that can be a little like that. When they start in someone who isn’t there I say “oh xxx, huh I really like her, I find her really helpful”. Even if they aren’t helpful at all. I think if I stand by and say nothing I’m just participating by listening. I schedule myself when the worst offenders aren’t working.

It’s amazing how some units haven’t imploded. On mine we have a couple of aides who are pretty nasty to anyone nurse who is new. They speak to them like they’re idiots and are very, very scarce during the day. Yet some people think they are terrific. It’s weird.