Hostile work environment

[SillyStudent, ASN, RN]

I got this new job....

Fabulous schedule, good pay, ridiculously awesome benefits, and no weekends, holidays or call.

I hate it. HATE it. It's a tiny and very dysfunctional department.

The people who work there are entrenched. We are talking 10 plus years in most cases. They hate each other. They constantly talk about each other, but I have not fallen into this trap. I mostly keep to myself, but they are a seething cauldron of negativity. To add to the problem, this is a new specialty for me, so I am forced to closely interact with them to learn what I need to do.

I would hate to quit this job, but I don't want to be dragged into this negativity. It makes me dread going to work. Also, I caught one of them talking behind my back recently, and politely asked him to stop. I am now a target.

Any of you have to deal with something like this? What did you do?

[itsmejuli]

I looked for another job

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Does your company offer an EAP program that could offer some support and guidance?

Quitting is always an option, but if it can be salvaged, it's worth a shot.

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

I quit. Miss my NICU work, but don't miss the heifers I worked for. Make more money (by far), better schedule, etc, now.

[DragonPurr]

The truth of the matter is that under the circumstances you describe, you will never change the environment. They have already set the battlefield and you are just fresh fodder for the cannons! I wouldn't quit outright but I would be actively looking for another suitable position. It's amazing how fast a negative environment can affect us adversely. I'm talking from personal experience.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Turn this around a minute, and see how this could benefit you.

You are working with less than stellar co-workers, to say the least, but each one has a number of experienced years. Be a keen observer, and use every resource to learn this specialty. Go to the internet and seek out how a nurse can be certified in this specialty. Then make it your mission to do what needs to be done to get this certification (and most require time in the specialty). With the certification, you can then seek other employment.

If this is not a specialty you are especially passionate about, you can also look on the company website and see what internal job opportunities exist, and seek a transfer as soon as you are able.

Finally, do NOT engage. I repeat--DO NOT ENGAGE. Do what you need to do for your patients, be mindful and careful as if you have become some sort of "target" you do not want to be on the front end of the bus, and see what is available to you for other resources on the unit. (ie: clinical books, med books). Jobs such as you describe do not often come along. I would hate to see you have to take a cut in pay or work nights or many of the other things nurses do to get by because of some gossipy co-workers. Become completely neutral, and walk away.

That your co-workers are tearing each other up instead of caring for patients is not your issue. And I would be clear on "I am just a bozo on the bus" and not agree, disagree, comment....just move along until you can get certified or if you can transfer. And be pleased that you don't have to bring your co-workers home. And I am NOT a remote advocate of bullying and/or harrassment. But I will say that if you can stay out of the fray while maintaining a well paying job that will help your bottom line, then I would choose to ignore the chatter. IF and only if it becomes an issue that you are being set up at the patient's expense, THEN I would be more pro-active to get out of there.

There are some avenues such as reporting anonymously to ethics or incident reporting--however, I would use that only if it is a patient safety issue.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes!

[toomuchbaloney]

If you hate the job you need to find another.

If you hate your co-workers that is quite another matter.

As said by other posters, do not try to play their evil and small game. Ignore them. Walk away from them. Tell them directly to stop. Maintain your professional decorum when on the clock.

If they are targeting you take very careful notes, save every shred of evidence and take it directly to HR. Do not take it to the department manager. The manager is part of the problem as evidenced by the fact that this is the long term PRACTICE of the staff. When management allows such behavior to continue they are, in effect, endorsing it.

Good luck.

[WV-RN]

To the OP, I was in a job and had this exact same experience. I was actually warned before I took the position to "watch my back" by a nurse that knew the toxic environment. My response was " oh I can get along with anybody". Well I'll never say that again! I am not a new nurse by any means, and I have worked with some pretty rude people in the past, but this girl takes the cake and wins the blue ribbon for nastiest nurse ever. This job was great at first until group A figured out I was not a follower and would not be talking about group B behind their backs and making fun of everyone else behind their backs. My first clue should have been how the nurse talked about every other nurse that had been there since she had started two years ago and how they were all lazy and stupid. Hmmmm......she should have been asking herself why she has gone through about five nurse coworkers in two years and nobody wanted to stay working with her. I'm sure that since I have left that now I am in the group of lazy and stupid. Lol. I tried talking to her personally and then with our manager but nothing helped. It only made her nastier and when I started getting the cold shoulder from her friends and when I would come into an area and everyone would stop talking, well I knew it was time to go. I thought I had been teleported back to eighth grade!! I had to stay a year and a half until I finally got another job and I'm much happier where I'm at now. I work in a wonderful office with great people. I no longer dread going to work or have to worry about someone trying to get me fired. (Oh yeah-she of course was chummy with the manager). Sometimes it is best to try and stay and make the best of things but other times you just need to leave the toxic environment before it makes you physically and mentally sick. Good luck in whatever you do.