Sixty percent of new nurses quit their first job within the first six months due to the behavior of their co-workers, and nearly 50 percent of nurses believe that they will experience bullying at some time in their careers, according to research presented in a new e-book from Aurora, Colo.-based American Sentinel University.
The new e-book, "Dr. Renee Thompson's Series on Nurse Bullying," examines the roots of bullying and conflict resolution as Renee Thompson, DNP, RN, a nursing professional development/anti-bullying thought leader, shares her professional insight on how to best address and eliminate workplace bullying.
Here are five other thoughts and statistics from the e-book.
1. Nearly half — 48 percent — of new graduating nurses are afraid of becoming the target of workplace bullying.
2. In Dr. Thompson's research and observations, she identified two primary reasons why bullying is prevalent in nursing:
Nursing is a female dominated profession. "Theories suggest that age-old female 'competition' has shifted from competing over a man to competing over status, respect and position in the nursing environment. The same behaviors once witnessed between two women fighting over a man are the ones witnessed today in the behavior of bullies," Dr. Thompson wrote.
Nurses are an oppressed profession. Dr. Thompson noted that nurses are seen as a silent majority, which can bring about frustration. "Feelings of frustration, coupled with an increasingly complex and stressful job, can create environments where nurses 'take it out' on each other. Since nurses can't 'take it out' on administrators or physicians, the theory is that they take it out on the already oppressed, subservient group," she wrote.
3. Dr. Thompson identified the following as common overt bullying weapons:
Verbal criticism or name-calling
Intimidation
Blaming
Ethnic jokes or slurs
Finding fault
Threatening
Physical violence
4. Dr. Thompson identified the following as common covert bullying weapons:
Sabotage
Withholding information
Excluding others
Unfair assignments
Undermining
Downplaying accomplishments
5. Dr. Thompson's recommended action steps to address bullying are:
Name the behavior. "Bullies who feel a sense of power during their tirades gain momentum as they scream, yell or spread rumors and sabotage their co-workers. Naming the behavior as it occurs can stop things immediately and prevent an escalation of that behavior," Dr. Thompson wrote.
Document, document and document. "If you are being bullied, start a documentation trail. Keep a small notebook with you and write down dates, times, witnesses, verbatim comments, and any behaviors you believe undermine a culture of safety and a professional work environment," Dr. Thompson wrote. "Keep growing this documentation trail until you are at the point where you can file a formal complaint."
I've told this story many times, so if you've heard it, shut up and let me finish:
One of the first times Belinda stayed over at my place (which is now our place), there was an ice storm and two wild cherry trees fell up against the house. The next day, I cut them down and sawed the trunks into five foot lengths just so I could move them out of the way.
I turned off the chainsaw and went to move the logs and they were gone! "What happened to the logs?" I asked Belinda.
"Oh", she said in her soft sweet voice, "I carried them over there", pointing about 25 yards across the driveway.
Those logs probably weighed a good 150lbs!
And man, can that woman physically assault!
I love a good romance story. [emoji173]ï¸[emoji173]ï¸
I owe a large part of it to the fact that I've been a registered member of AN for 3 years now. A full year before I even started my prerequisites! If I didn't know any better by now I'd be embarrassed.
Problems with co-workers will always be a leading cause of leaving your job, whatever job that may be. In my experience, there is so much drama in female-dominated workplaces. In jobs I worked that were male-dominated, if they had a problem they'd have it out and then it would be over... No passive aggressive tactics, gossiping, backbiting, and grudge holding that we females often tend to do. Men and women just handle coworker problems very differently. I don't have patience for idiocy among co-workers. The job is hard enough as it is. I come to work to work, I try to be nice to everyone, and I stay away from the gossips and drama queens/kings. It really can be that simple.
Problems with co-workers will always be a leading cause of leaving your job, whatever job that may be. In my experience, there is so much drama in female-dominated workplaces. In jobs I worked that were male-dominated, if they had a problem they'd have it out and then it would be over... No passive aggressive tactics, gossiping, backbiting, and grudge holding that we females often tend to do. Men and women just handle coworker problems very differently. I don't have patience for idiocy among co-workers. The job is hard enough as it is. I come to work to work, I try to be nice to everyone, and I stay away from the gossips and drama queens/kings. It really can be that simple.
I am so sick of these posts.
Go work with LEO, or the fire department- both male dominated, both full of drama.
Men are NO different than women when it comes to workplace drama and backstabbing.
Perhaps I should have elaborated. It's not just lack of eye contact. It was purely ignoring her. When questions were asked, all she got was silence. Just wanted to clarify. We are humans. You can't expect a new young student to be perfect with her emotions when dealing these situations. You seriously cannot expect them to go in there, know everything, and be this almighty tough person with a thick skin already. She asked some simple questions from more experienced nurses, ended up being ignored completely the whole time, and feeling completely useless and worthless from an unsupportive environment. How would you feel? Does anyone even have feelings on this forum? Or have we all suppressed our emotions?? Lol!
If I were feeling useless and worthless from the start, I would be feeling the need to reflect on my expectations.
I'm a student. I think I'm young at 34 but maybe you'd call me older? (I have no idea where I would fit in to these stereotyped groups) When I walk into clinical for the first time I feel nervous. I also feel a bit unsure of myself. I have never felt worthless though. I know how to read, I can find the reference books, I can toilet people and get snacks. I know how to make coffee.
I also know how to ask where to find information, not just ask for information to be handed over to me.
I understand that while learning is my priority, I am in the staffs workplace and the patients place of care. I am not the priority for them.
I tend to think of interactions like fishing. If I drop out a bait and don't get a bite, I try a different bait. I don't demand the fish change to suit my bait, I change my bait to suit the fish.
I tend to think of interactions like fishing. If I drop out a bait and don't get a bite, I try a different bait. I don't demand the fish change to suit my bait, I change my bait to suit the fish.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Problems with co-workers will always be a leading cause of leaving your job, whatever job that may be. In my experience, there is so much drama in female-dominated workplaces. In jobs I worked that were male-dominated, if they had a problem they'd have it out and then it would be over... No passive aggressive tactics, gossiping, backbiting, and grudge holding that we females often tend to do. Men and women just handle coworker problems very differently. I don't have patience for idiocy among co-workers. The job is hard enough as it is. I come to work to work, I try to be nice to everyone, and I stay away from the gossips and drama queens/kings. It really can be that simple.
I too was bullied as a nurse. I think any new grad who gets 14 patients and has to share an aide with 2 nurses that have 11 patients each (my aide had 16 patients & their other aide had 10) is bullied. Both of the other nurses had a seasoned nurse with them that had been in orientation longer than I had, so they split those 11 patients. I was told I had 14 because 8 were going home and the charge promised to do their discharge paperwork for me. We only had 2 med carts & glucometers, so I was stuck running around to find those too. I only had 10 diabetic patients....
Well, the charge nurse didnt help & everyone else was "too busy" (gossiping with doctors about their weekend together)! I also got calls for 8 admits before 5 pm. The aide quit that night (brand new, 3rd day there) & I called the house supervisor. 3 nurses came in to help me & the nurses I was working with got mad no one was helping them! I got a quick lesson in standing my ground for what was right by my patients that night. By the 3 nurses who came to help me AND by the other night nurses who came in later.
That same charge nurse relieved me one morning & berated me because I didn't give her report, my LPN did. I had repeatedlyrics coded the same patient on the med-surg floor because we had no unit beds and we're waiting on transport for 2 hours to another hospital. My scrubs were drenched in sweat & the room was a disaster. I told her if she had been in my situation, her room would have been trashed too. She even tried to give the transport team report; the flight nurse said, "I'll take my report from someone who LOOKS like they've been with this patient since before our call!"
I left her the mess too! Manager came down hall as I was going out of the room & said to me it was past time to clock out. That place required a nurse to pick up trash from rooms....and the management was stickler about overtime. I never had any more trouble from her....
I too was bullied as a nurse. I think any new grad who gets 14 patients and has to share an aide with 2 nurses that have 11 patients each (my aide had 16 patients & their other aide had 10) is bullied. Both of the other nurses had a seasoned nurse with them that had been in orientation longer than I had, so they split those 11 patients. I was told I had 14 because 8 were going home and the charge promised to do their discharge paperwork for me. We only had 2 med carts & glucometers, so I was stuck running around to find those too. I only had 10 diabetic patients....
Well, the charge nurse didnt help & everyone else was "too busy" (gossiping with doctors about their weekend together)! I also got calls for 8 admits before 5 pm. The aide quit that night (brand new, 3rd day there) & I called the house supervisor. 3 nurses came in to help me & the nurses I was working with got mad no one was helping them! I got a quick lesson in standing my ground for what was right by my patients that night. By the 3 nurses who came to help me AND by the other night nurses who came in later.
That same charge nurse relieved me one morning & berated me because I didn't give her report, my LPN did. I had repeatedlyrics coded the same patient on the med-surg floor because we had no unit beds and we're waiting on transport for 2 hours to another hospital. My scrubs were drenched in sweat & the room was a disaster. I told her if she had been in my situation, her room would have been trashed too. She even tried to give the transport team report; the flight nurse said, "I'll take my report from someone who LOOKS like they've been with this patient since before our call!"
I left her the mess too! Manager came down hall as I was going out of the room & said to me it was past time to clock out. That place required a nurse to pick up trash from rooms....and the management was stickler about overtime. I never had any more trouble from her....
This was unfortunate, but not bullying. Some people just can't help being anal orifices. Big time.
You're going to find this throughout your career. And, trust me, this is NOT unique to nursing.
Jensmom7, BSN, RN
1,907 Posts
I love a good romance story. [emoji173]ï¸[emoji173]ï¸