Hostile Nurses

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With the nursing shortage in the future, you would think that nurses would be welcome, however I found out otherwise. Is there a reason why some nurses are so cut throat to other nurses. I took a CNA class at a nursing facility and there were 9 people in my class. After we graduated from our class, we all felt like we were snubbed by the other CNA's who thought they were better than us and most of them treated us that way. Before I left, all but 3 of the students were there and it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't stay at the facility either. I would need help lifting a resident or turning them over and would ask another CNA for help, and I would be told that I needed to take care of it on my own or it wasn't their job. I would think that with the facility being short handed, the other CNA's would welcome the chance for some help. I quit because of that reason and still think I want to go to school for nursing. Most of the residents I helped, said I would make a good nurse.

Usually in the Sunday newspaper, I see CNA's needed at the facility I worked at because I'm sure most of them quit.

Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

Bear,

Learn all you can where you are at and then take all your skills and find a nicer place to work. That will teach em!

Just think, you will only be a new grad once. Many of us have been in this position and just ignore the rotten ones and make sure that you learn as much as possible.

Most of us have had to try working in a couple of locations before we found the right fit. I assure you, there is an ER out there just waiting for you to show up. I have worked in several now and some are a good fit and some are not.

One great technique is to befriend and make very welcome every new person who starts in your ER because they are probably going through the same feelings you are.

Before too long you will have a whole new list of friends and before you know it a lot of the current idiots will have matriculated out.

Staff changes constantly in hospital units and 3 years can make a huge change.

There is almost no one left that was there when I started

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It sucks that some people never mature beyond a third grade level.

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I have seen these types of things at several facilities. I actually quit my first job and almost NURSING because of it. There is definate competition and I have noticed that many feel threatened by other nurses. I have heard nurses say, " well if they can't take the criticism they need to leave" or " I tell it like it is" Well, why does the criticism have to be so nasty? Can't they do it in a less demeaning, spiteful manner? I know as nurses, you do have to be somewhat forward, but if we don't look out for one another who will?

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Specializes in M/S,TELE,ORTHO,ER.
I am looking for a position out side of nursing directly related to hostile nurses. Unfortunately, I found that management (in last 3 LTC ) tends to support the attacks. They consider it good that the staff is "weeding" out the weak or inexperienced nurses so they don't have too. I was told it was my job to report every little thing I found wrong even if it wasn't important. I would rather let the offending Nurse know about the problem and let him/her fix it.

You learn something everyday and this was it for me. That kind of environment would make me soooo angry. I am really outraged.

Even so, I have to say nothing is ever black and white is it? I have known and worked with a (precious) few people who really did need to be weeded out.

The SHAME of it all is that it's not handled in a more direct manner. Sniping at someone until they give up and leave is certainly not going to help them develop a more effective work ethic. It's underhanded of the sniper too.

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Specializes in LTC.

To be honest, where I work I've never been treated so nasty on a daily basis. I've only ever worked fast food and retail. I'm an aide and I'm a senior aide at that. I've been called houlier than thou because I do things the RIGHT way, I make sure residents get their showers, I do my vital signs by 3 PM (I start at 2). I do my shower by 3:30 PM. I spend any free time doing 1:1 with lonely residents. I KNOW I'm not perfect. I have my faults as well. But it just sucks cause I'm a rules follower people think I think I'm better than them. And I don't! I count my days until I'm a nurse. I've actually been made fun of for doing my showers and been called a fool. But I don't care. I do my work and go on my merry way. Some of the staff don't like me because I stand up for the residents, I try to be their advocate. If they aren't being changed I say something. I try hard and I feel that I don't need there friendship, I have my family for that.

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The behavior of the CNAs already working at the facility gave you a good indication of how you would find matters were you to get a job there. Go elsewhere for a job. You could write (I would do it anonymously) a letter to the DON describing what you encountered. It is her responsibility to see that her charge nurses instill a sense of teamwork in their CNAs. When the CNAs won't help each other, the charge nurse can make them help each other. The easiest way to do this is to assign them to work in teams. It is not very funny that the supervisors at this facility allow such behavior to be displayed to potential employees. They are shooting themselves in the foot. But then again, they are also part of the problem there. Good luck in finding a good job where people help each other.

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To be honest, where I work I've never been treated so nasty on a daily basis. I've only ever worked fast food and retail. I'm an aide and I'm a senior aide at that. I've been called houlier than thou because I do things the RIGHT way, I make sure residents get their showers, I do my vital signs by 3 PM (I start at 2). I do my shower by 3:30 PM. I spend any free time doing 1:1 with lonely residents. I KNOW I'm not perfect. I have my faults as well. But it just sucks cause I'm a rules follower people think I think I'm better than them. And I don't! I count my days until I'm a nurse. I've actually been made fun of for doing my showers and been called a fool. But I don't care. I do my work and go on my merry way. Some of the staff don't like me because I stand up for the residents, I try to be their advocate. If they aren't being changed I say something. I try hard and I feel that I don't need there friendship, I have my family for that.

The same thing happened to me when I was a CNA. I didn't care. I did my job the way I thought I was supposed to. It occurred to me that those who complained, complained in order to draw attention away from the fact that they were lazy and sometimes very dishonest. I didn't want to fit in with them if it meant being seen as being like them. A good reputation as a CNA carries over to help one achieve a good reputation as a nurse and as an employee in general. It helps when it is time to get or keep a job.

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I'm wondering that myself. I've got some theories on that. One is that they have some need for control. I can't

control my own life so why bother controlling others. Another one is that some women are just petty idiots. A third

one is that no one is listening to them at home so the patients have no choice but to listen to their garbage. Take

your pick.

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because medical culture produces a lot of b.i.a.t.c.h.e.s

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Specializes in LTC.

What bothers me soooooo much, is we are all in this together and I hope for the same reason...to better residents/patients lives. Yet some people are hateful and treat others horribly. I'm treated horribly by coworkers....worse than by the residents and worse than by my meanest customer when I worked fast food/retail. I think everyone needs to band together and remember why we do what we do instead of attacking each other.

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I am encouraged and discouraged to know that so many of you are experiencing the same things I am. A hostile work environment is never easy. We are in a high stress environment without the added stress of knowing that on a daily basis you are going to be treated so horribly. As a new nurse working in an Emergency room I knew that it would not be easy but did hope that my coworkers would step up and teach me instead of ridiucule me when I did not know or understand the proper way of doing something. Since I got hired in July there have been 3 more nurses hired. All have gone thru and are going thru what I have. We try to be supportive of each other but since we are on different shifts its not easy. I am trying to tough it out but honestly I have thought of leaving for a different career. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that my toughest challenge in the health care field would be from difficult coworkers who thrive on making someones life miserable for their own pleasure.

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