Negative Nurses

lmccrn62, MSN, RN · Mar 1, 2014

If no management intervention into these behaviors it will never get better. I would look for a better place to work. It's not worth your sanity!

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · Mar 1, 2014

How's your staffing? I've found that people get vicious towards each other when they're stretched to their breaking points.

asdfg12345 · Mar 2, 2014

Staffing is pretty bad. Nights is a NIGHTmare, our unit is the only unit in the hospital that does 8 hour shifts and no 12s so a lot of people don't like to do that at night so every couple years there is a mass exit of the younger kids. I'd say the majority of workers on nights are full time so there is never any coverage. Evenings is well staffed. Days is also another nightmare they don't have enough full time, they hire all per diem who never work. People are very unsatisfied with our manager and they complain all the time about her, but as a nurse who is new to the unit I can also see how these things can be fixed without complaining. I give her a lot of credit it takes a tough soul to be in charge of ALL women, especially who she used to be on equal playing field with. I don't know what the solution is, but it is a difficult work environment and there needs to be some positive change....

kungpoopanda · Mar 4, 2014

You sound quite negative towards women. Anyone working in a unit that is chronically understaffed is going to be at less than their best, be they male, female or yet to decide.

The best thing you can do is work on your response to the challenges of your workplace, rahter than trying to fix everybody else.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2014

You are in a career where women are in abundance. Women are verbal....we HAVE to talk. It is what it is.

When my kids were little my son fell and split his head open. They came to my ED as they walked in it was a XX XY chromosome poster. My daughter was chatting away, excited with details and emphasis how horrible it all was (they were 4 and almost 5 at the time) full of descriptive words and crying. My son...AND my husband....amused and silent. I greeted my hubby with a chain of questions and descriptions and reprimands about how could he let this happen.

My two men just looked at my daughter and I with amused patience.... with my beautiful blonde haired blue eyed boy COVERED in blood...while we talked the situation to death. When I took a breath my son chimes in...."I cut my head when I fell off my dresser" (he was a climber) "I'll be more careful next time" and smiled.

NEXT TIME??? I fumed..... there WILL BE NO NEXT TIME as I glared at my hubby!

He slept through 17 stitches to the top of his head while my daughter talked non stop. They were so cute.

Women are verbal. Do what men do naturally...weed out 80%...smile and pretend you are listening.

It makes us happy.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 4, 2014

I doubt very much the negativity of your colleagues has anything to do with their gender.

What have you done to try to change the negativity? Have you changed the topic to something more positive? Tried to channel the negativity into a brainstorming session about how to bring about positive change? Let us know what you've already tried.

Emergent, RN · Mar 4, 2014

My technique for when I tire of the chatter of the nurses station, is to find a cubby where I can retreat. I'm just one of those folks who suffers sensory overload and needs recouping time. Sometimes I join in the ribald camaraderie, enjoy some gossip and complaining. Then I need my space and will create that for myself.

You may be a highly sensitive person. 15 % of the population is naturally this way. Read the book 'The Highly Sensitive Person". It has tips how to manage a world filled with noise and stimulation. It's a very practical book.

asdfg12345 · Mar 5, 2014

fantastic thank you