I've been a a nurse for 6 months and I have never seen a group of people who want to hurt each other so much. Where is the teamwork???? It is really sad. I have seen people be so nice to a nurse and when she turns her back they are calling the administrator at his house to let them know she went on a smokebreak. Instead of nurses helping each other out, they find a mistake and copy it and go right to the DON with it.
there are 4 of us new nurses at this facility. I think we should all try to stick together. One of the new nurses missed an entire order given by MD on 3-11 shift. I know cause she told me she called the md and he was upset because the B/P was not high enough (it was like 157/78) to warrant a phone call on a saturday night. I happened to be in the next morning on that unit and noticed she didn't do a TO order. I called her at home and told her about it and thought she would want to come in and fix it. She did although she hesitated because she said she didn't remember the doctor's name.. I was like, just call the service and ask who was on call that night. Well, two weeks later she is copying nursing notes on another new nurse and taking them to the supervisor.. The funny thing was... she was wrong and the other new nurse had the tx. nurse to confirm. But, really???
I had an EKG on a patient that I sent to the MD and also called to see if they recieved, and afterwards put it in the labs/special report tabs with the notation it was noted and md informed as well as put it in nursing notes. I float so I was on a different hall when the nursing supervisor asked where the EKG was from the day before the nurse couldnt find it and was upset it wasn't sent to the md. I said it is where it was supposed to be in labs/ sp. reports tab. Sure enough there it was.. But really???? you couldn't have asked me where it was???? you had to go to the nursing supervisor??? Is it like this everywhere???? Why don't nurses stick together?? There is such great responsibility in our jobs, it is impossible to never have made a mistake. And anyone who says they never made a mistake is a liar. I believe that we should stick together and learn from each others mistakes for a better outcome for our residents. People work more efficiently if they don't feel that at any given moment someone could say something or take a mistake they did and their job would be over. There is pressure and anxiety already with what we do as nurses to add the licensure/ job loss worry just makes it almost untolerable.
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
I worked with a nurse years ago who would go looking for mistakes others had made and then march herself down to the DNS office and smile. I think she was a bit psychotic. She did it to me one day. Apparently she was mad because I was given the nurse manager position and she wanted it. She saw our medical director, ran (yes , ran) to get a chart...opened the chart in front of him, and started jabbing the telephone order with her (fat) finger yelling, "This was transcribed incorrectly!"...'SHE'(pointing at me) made a huge mistake! What are you going to do doctor??" The doctor, whom I greatly admired, looked at the order, looked at her, looked at me, and replied "SHE and I discussed this order. SHE transcribed it correctly which, if you weren't so obtuse, might have realized." He shut the chart, shook his head and dismissed her.
One nasty woman that one. She didn't last long...ended up going to work with another nurse at another facility who also took great joy in finding mistakes others had made.
Seems to me as long as we are all human, we will continue to make mistakes. Don't y'all be throwing stones at me till you are perfect.
Not all mistakes warrant a write up. Most can be used as teachable moments.
Personally I don't think it has to do with being female. I've worked with men who act this way as well. A personality flaw by which they can only feel good about themselves by making someone else feel bad. I don't tolerate it in my building.
That's so true. It's sad, but this a nuissance in every working environment. I worked in manufacturing for over 10 years, and this was a huge problem. What's even more sad is that you may see some colleagues as potential friends while you're working with them. However, given time, they show their true colors by doing dirty acts such as these. You'd figure that your fellow nurse colleagues would be more gentle.
I agree. The other part of this is that these "bullies" become such a problem and so in-your-face that others are afraid of them. So even if other people do find the mistakes these bullies are making, they won't speak up because they are afraid the bullies will turn on them. I can understand this...no one wants to be in the middle of a hostile environment, especially when the hostility is all targeted towards you. But if no one speaks up, these bullies only get stronger and stronger. Eventually, everyone realizes they have to do what they have to do in order to stay afloat. So they go to the new ones on the unit and take it out on them because they know they can't take it out on the bullies. And they need some allies so they won't take it out on the other people they work with. Fresh meat is the only way to go.
These sorts of places are really toxic though and many times management will instigate things like this. I used to work at a place with a crazy, and I mean crazy, boss (not healthcare related). She would always instigate things and she would try to get people to "tell on" each other and spy on each other. She would always try to drag information out of me. I was in charge of multiple people and when I would voice the concerns that they came to me with she would always try to get names out of me. It got to the point that I would pretend I didn't know people's names. And I could actually get away with that because many of the people I was in charge of were people that I didn't really work with on a daily basis (they were in a different "category" but I oversaw things as a whole). I would tell her that I knew everyone's name on paper but I couldn't put names with a face since I didn't interact with them too much.
She would actually ask me to walk with her into the area where the others worked so I could point people out to her that were making complaints. Mind you, all the complaints from the employees were valid concerns and this boss was doing/ordering illegal things. And no matter how much you did for her, she would never acknowledge all your efforts.
Your responses are much appreciated as I guess this is a common scenerio in the nursing profession. It is sad. I look at the brotherhood of police officers and firefighters and their bond is tight as skinny jeans on a chunky person. I also don't think it is just the women as I have seen 2 males copy mars and nursing notes and take to the supervisor. It's a sad situation. But, I can say that yes I believe management has a role to take in this problem. If management would say unacceptable (unless it is something that could cause serious harm or intentional) and use the mistakes to guide them with staff developement, I think there would be a much better outcome. Both for the employees as well as residents. It is my experience that people will go the extra mile for people they like to work for. They are missing the boat on this one.
By the way, I love where I am at.. Meaning, I love the residents. I never thought I would love coming to work every day and didn't realize how much a smile can make someone's day.. I truely believe I make a difference in these people's lives everyday..
I am a new nurse..graduated Dec 2009. I left my first job because "It was not a good fit" LOL. When I left I was honest and said those exact words, and was hired right away by one of the largest hospital systems in our area. Its been night and day in the differences. The first hospital was a for profit non teaching hospital, and I saw everything you have written about. It was horrible!!! Backstabbing, rumors, meanness, talking behind backs, and sweet to the face, just digging for stuff on co-workers, and then running to tattle for the tinest thing. I even heard a group commenting on a coworkers facebook and how ugly her children were, and then be sweet to her the next night when she was at work. Of course then they were talking about someone else, and this girl was in on it too.
The new hospital is awsome. I have been there for 3 months and it so different. There is 0 tolerance for this type of behavior. I have NEVER heard anyone talking about anyone else behind their back. We work as a team. I have seen nurses go out of their way to help each other, and I have never seen anyone running to tattle for stupid stuff. Our Manager is really awsome so she would more than likely kill the messenger if she wasted her time coming in there for stupid stuff anyway.
I dont know what causes some hospitals to be so miserable. I will more than likely retire from where I am now because I like it, and never want to take the chance of finding a hospital like I was at previously. I can transfer to other areas within the system, continue with my education, and move up if I want, but I will never leave.
Being in a bad environment really makes you appreciate it when you have it good. I love my hospital!!!!
Well I wouldn't say it's limited to the Nursing profession. I've worked in many female dominated organizations and these things happen too often. It does seem to be more of a female thing, rather than male, I'll say that.
Sad but true, and I'm part of the younger generation where everyone feels a sense of entitlement, which emphasizes this issue.
Personally, I feel you get what you give, and I give all I got. I'm a nursing student and fortunately for me, I am able to associate with peers who want to see eachother succeed, but already in the hospital where I do clinicals I can see drama between nurses and I just HOPE I don't end up in that environment.
When people fight, everyone loses. It takes very little tact to be constructive, positive and make a difference in your relationships, to include work relationships.
My advice for OP is to avoid the toxic people, and communicate neutrally when you do have contact with them. People respect someone who is assertive without being aggressive or too passive. Hope it works out for you! :)
I have been a nurse for 14 years, unfortunately not in the same place, regretably in several different places, because every facility has a different set of problems because we are dealing with different people, but the worst situation to be in is a facility where you have special people , and when i say special i mean folks who seem to be able to do what ever they want ie show up late every day, yell or talk you patients like dogs you name it, but when you report them they never get in trouble, never, but when you say do or say something, they will be the first ones down in THE OFFICES telling, its the go and tell game. such is the situation that i work now, and i am currently looking for another job. i have worked in this facility for 6 1/2 years, and for 3 years we had a really good group of people great cnas great nurses great team. The patients are the focus , or were. now is the a-- kissing game, all the DON #3 and ADON #2 and administrator #3 care about is getting dirt on employees and writing them up. DON has snitches that run to her alll day long dishing the dirt, and unfortunately this S.B. believes everything. and the snitches are the ones that dont do there work, but thats ok. well if i have learned anything in 14 years i know that not all facilities are like this. there are better places, better leadership. i am sad because in the end the patients are paying a lot of money to be there, and supposed to be getting excellent care, and they will pay the price, and it really used to be a great place to work, and awesome teamwork with nurses and cnas, but this good nurse will be a good nurse for someone else. but not all facilities are like this. sometimes its the workers or administrative DON, ADON, and sometimes its both like where i work.
Ran to the doctor " she made a huuuugggeee mistake, what are you goonnnaaa ddddooooo ddddoooocccttteeerrr.!":rotfl: if that aint a attempt to stab ya in the chest, i dont know what is. GLAMJM and J. ha ha ha ha!
Specializes in OB, Peds, Med Surg and Geriatric Nsg.
I guess this is pretty common in every workplace. There will always be people that would be out there to take you out. Lesson learned. Trust no one but yourself.
. I just hope that i can find a place like that:uhoh3:
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CapeCodMermaid, RN
6,092 Posts
I worked with a nurse years ago who would go looking for mistakes others had made and then march herself down to the DNS office and smile. I think she was a bit psychotic. She did it to me one day. Apparently she was mad because I was given the nurse manager position and she wanted it. She saw our medical director, ran (yes , ran) to get a chart...opened the chart in front of him, and started jabbing the telephone order with her (fat) finger yelling, "This was transcribed incorrectly!"...'SHE'(pointing at me) made a huge mistake! What are you going to do doctor??" The doctor, whom I greatly admired, looked at the order, looked at her, looked at me, and replied "SHE and I discussed this order. SHE transcribed it correctly which, if you weren't so obtuse, might have realized." He shut the chart, shook his head and dismissed her.
One nasty woman that one. She didn't last long...ended up going to work with another nurse at another facility who also took great joy in finding mistakes others had made.
Seems to me as long as we are all human, we will continue to make mistakes. Don't y'all be throwing stones at me till you are perfect.
Not all mistakes warrant a write up. Most can be used as teachable moments.
Personally I don't think it has to do with being female. I've worked with men who act this way as well. A personality flaw by which they can only feel good about themselves by making someone else feel bad. I don't tolerate it in my building.