LATERAL Violence. How Nurses treat Nurses!

Nurses Relations

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hi!

i have had a very interesting experience with the aacn's "healthy work environments" initiative. it really does seem that one just had to "name it to claim it!"

i have posted an excerpt from the aacn's on-line and journal article on lateral violence - has anyone had any experience with these behaviors (below)?

how much of your practice is impacted by issues such as these!?

i know that, in retrospect, i have had a role or two that i am not proud of! however, i resolved that i would be a part of the solution - not a part of any problem. so, what do you recognize?

have you been a victim or a villain?

how do we stop this now?

please share your feeling, comments, observations or experiences.

thanks!!!

and

practice safe!

from the june 2007 edition of : critical care nurse

manifestations of lateral hostility

lateral hostility, bullying, horizontal violence, and the like may be conveyed in a nearly endless variety of forms that denigrate a nurse's professional dignity. some of those expressions identified in the literature include the following3,14,17:

* backstabbing, gossiping

* belittling gestures (deliberate rolling of eyes, folding arms, staring straight ahead or "through" when communication is attempted)

* constant criticism, scapegoating, fault-finding

* elitist attitudes regarding work area, education, experience

* humiliation

* ignoring, isolation, segregation, silent treatment

* inequitable assignments

* inflammatory angry outbursts, impatience

* insults, ridicule; patronizing, or condescending language or gestures

* intimidation, threats

* judging a person's work unjustly or in an offending manner

* making excessive demands

* sabotage, undermining

* unfair evaluations of work

* unwarranted criticism sarcasm

* withholding information or support

full text link at

http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/cgi/content/full/27/3/10?maxtoshow=&hits=10&hits=10&resultformat=&fulltext=lateral+violence&searchid=1&firstindex=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=hwcit

thank you for any imput!

;)

Specializes in Med/surg,Tele,PACU,ER,ICU,LTAC,HH,Neuro.

Withholding information or support :

Talking about travel assignments.

I worked in a neuro ICU.

Got a patient up in a chair for about an hour.

He was getting restless and tired .

Thought I could get him back by myself, but his whole body went limp.

I called out for help.

Charge nurse came over with hands on her hips. Watched me and the patient go to the floor. Of course I let him fall on me.

Her response.

"YOU DID NOT SAY PLEASE"

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Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

WOW! There leslymill -

Guess some folks REALLY do get stuck in Kindergarden!

Please??? Hope that incident report was real DETAILED!

And facilities that use (abuse) travelers WONDER just WHY they have staffing difficulties! Hmmm.....

Thanks for the "smile"!

Practice SAFE!

;)

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

And God Forbid if you're an aide AND a student.... They're up your bum for everything... even stuff that is outside your scope of Aide. I love my patients, but some days I really can't stand the nurses.

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Specializes in Home Health, Geriatrics.

I have been stabbed in the back so many times by "co-workers" that I am seriously considering wearing a Kevlar vest to work. I lost a position as an administrator of a home health agency that I started and had just received a glowing annual eval with a $3,000 year raise because of a nurse I hired PRN to do some visits went behind my back and told the owners that she could do a far better job than I was doing and either had something on one of them or they were far more naieve than I could have imagined. This person had NO management experience and was a foul mouthed individual who would smile at you and stick a stilleto in you the next moment. It's a shame that nurses treat each other this way. I can still look in the mirror and know that I have never intentionally ruined another person's career. I've helped out where I could and have always loved having students. None of us were born with a stethoscope in our hands and we all had to start somewhere. Right now I am working at one half of my former salary and oh, did I mention? My bills are still the same as they were when I was making good money. Am I bitter? Just a tad. I know I will get over it, but it hurts alot.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

you can call it Lateral Violence

You can call it Horizontal Bullying

You can call it workplace bullying

But if you dont enable it, then it can not affect you.

If you dont enable it, it doesnt exist for you.

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you can call it Lateral Violence

You can call it Horizontal Bullying

You can call it workplace bullying

But if you dont enable it, then it can not affect you.

If you dont enable it, it doesnt exist for you.

you know tom, i agree with this.

it's a philosophy i carry with me at all times.

but sometimes, it gets to you.

and sometimes, people just suck.

leslie

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
you know tom, i agree with this.

it's a philosophy i carry with me at all times.

but sometimes, it gets to you.

and sometimes, people just suck.

leslie

I believe in One step at a time

I believe in smiling

I believe in the Power of Golf

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Specializes in Home Health, Geriatrics.

Sometimes you treat everyone really well and they still stick it to you. The person who did me in, I had actually bought her a Christmas present, which I did for every staff member. She had the gall to pick it up and never said thank you. Why should she? She already had my job! So sometimes, no matter how nice you are to someone, they still stick it to you. The kevlar vest is looking better and better.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Sometimes you treat everyone really well and they still stick it to you. The person who did me in, I had actually bought her a Christmas present, which I did for every staff member. She had the gall to pick it up and never said thank you. Why should she? She already had my job! So sometimes, no matter how nice you are to someone, they still stick it to you. The kevlar vest is looking better and better.

I completely understand your situation. You were done dirty and there was nothing really that you could have done and that sucks.

However, you say you've been stabbed in the back so many times by coworkers I would have to question why?

You have people like Tom and Leslie above, and myself who aren't bullied at all, if ever and I have to question why?

I'm not about to blame you the victim by no means, because you definately were in that one case stabbed in the back by an evil person. But if it's to the point where you're talking about about a kevler vest, I have to wonder are you wearing a sign that says "stab me?".

Why do some of us get stabbed in the back over and over and some of us not at all?

Something to think about.

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Why do some of us get stabbed in the back over and over and some of us not at all?

Something to think about.

a very provocative question, indeed.

may your answers reap positive changes.

leslie

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

I still say it is about not enabling those people

If you dont give them the power they can not come at you in any way

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I still say it is about not enabling those people

If you dont give them the power they can not come at you in any way

i don't think anyone is disputing that, tom.

sometimes people have to go on their own journeys, to arrive at a logical conclusion.

i can say something wise, til i'm blue in the face.

but for whatever reason, someone isn't receptive to what you're telling them, then hopefully they'll find out in due time.

for what we perceive as a simplistic solution, others need to define and redefine what the resolution is.

it's a process for all of us, at one time or another.

leslie

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