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."
Look, I don't have a problem with older nurses. I am friends and get along with many older nurses, and I am not trying to talk badly about them as it may have seemed. I just gave you 3 examples of what I have experienced with when it comes to nurse bullying and they just so happen to be older nurses who eat their young. I did not go into detail on how they have bullied me but I do not take this lightly. It is obviously a huge issue in the nursing profession. You can google it and type it in the search bar and you will get thousands of examples of nurses eating their young. I most def. will back up new nurses no matter how old I get. I will always remember starting that brand new job fresh out of nursing school and it was terrifying. I believe nurses (NOT ALL) who have been in the workplace for quite some time get a joy out of seeing brand new nurses scared to death. I have been there and I have witnessed it with other new nurses starting out. It is such a shame to see how other nurses act towards the new nurses. And i am sorry to say but some of it CAN be jealously. It can! I am not saying it is the ONLY factor (sorry i did not mention that in my previous post). Jealously is just another motive for nurses to bully other nurses. A nurse who goes "above & beyond" can be a threat to other nurses. Nurses in the workplace can be fearful of their positions when a new nurse is able to muli-task or is better at technology just to give a couple examples. This is just what I have experienced and what I have also witnessed in the nursing profession. It is very very sad to see this in the nursing profession. Where is the compassion in nursing and treating others how you would want to be treated. If any young nurses out there have been bullied or treated poorly, please please please stand up for yourself!
I have experienced nurse bullying on numerous occasions. The ones that I remember are: 1. An old nurse educator when I was in nursing school. 2. Old nurse at an assisted living facility. 3. Old nurse in a clinic setting. And probably more that I cannot recall at the moment. All three are old nurses who liked to "eat their young" as you may already know that term. I think to myself how immature they are compared to me (even though they are 30+ years older than I am). Bottom line.... the reason they are like that is because of pure jealously. Old nurses do not like when a younger nurse comes in the workplace for numerous reasons. Many of them def need to retire. Just my two cents :)
I always thought that the younger nurses were jealous of me because I'm so much closer to retirement.
And just to break some of the stereotypes, I'm very techno savvy and can still multitask.
Where you are now, I once was. Where I am now, you will one day be.
Where you are now, I once was. Where I am now, you will one day be.
Like I said previously, I stand up for new nurses 100 percent and always will no matter how old I get. And also like I said previously, treat others how you would want to be treated. It CAN BE a cruel world in the nursing profession. If anyone has been targeted or has been one of those new nurses who were bullied, then you would understand. You have no idea what people have been through. Again, BULLYING is not something to take lightly... no matter what circumstance.
Like I said previously, I stand up for new nurses 100 percent and always will no matter how old I get. And also like I said previously, treat others how you would want to be treated. It CAN BE a cruel world in the nursing profession. If anyone has been targeted or has been one of those new nurses who were bullied, then you would understand. You have no idea what people have been through. Again, BULLYING is not something to take lightly... no matter what circumstance.
I have experienced nurse bullying on numerous occasions. The ones that I remember are: 1. An old nurse educator when I was in nursing school. 2. Old nurse at an assisted living facility. 3. Old nurse in a clinic setting. And probably more that I cannot recall at the moment. All three are old nurses who liked to "eat their young" as you may already know that term. I think to myself how immature they are compared to me (even though they are 30+ years older than I am). Bottom line.... the reason they are like that is because of pure jealously. Old nurses do not like when a younger nurse comes in the workplace for numerous reasons. Many of them def need to retire. Just my two cents :)
I have experienced nurse bullying on numerous occasions. The ones that I remember are: 1. An old nurse educator when I was in nursing school. 2. Old nurse at an assisted living facility. 3. Old nurse in a clinic setting. And probably more that I cannot recall at the moment. All three are old nurses who liked to "eat their young" as you may already know that term. I think to myself how immature they are compared to me (even though they are 30+ years older than I am). Bottom line.... the reason they are like that is because of pure jealously. Old nurses do not like when a younger nurse comes in the workplace for numerous reasons. Many of them def need to retire. Just my two cents :)
I have to speak my mind on this, because it is so......*sigh*......SMH.
(Adjusts flame retardant cap and climbs onto flame-retardant soapbox)
Pure Jealousy ?
Please explain how someone who: Can walk into a room an know instantly how to gauge a patient's status, know whether or not a patient is stable, and know exactly what to do at the very first hint of trouble,......How could a nurse with that kind of skill and know-how could Possibly be jealous of someone who is a "newcomer"?
Nursing is not a beauty contest. A pretty face and skinny hips holds NO candle to what an "old Nurse" has in their brain.
Trust me, I haven't run into an "old Nurse" yet who has even begun to express jealousy towards a newer nurse. More likely, it's pity, because the new nurse has yet to figure out that nursing is not a contest of what's on the outside, and the patient is always the one who gets the winning prize.
(Steps down from flame retardant soapbox and walks slowly off).
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Look, I don't have a problem with older nurses. I am friends and get along with many older nurses, and I am not trying to talk badly about them as it may have seemed. I just gave you 3 examples of what I have experienced with when it comes to nurse bullying and they just so happen to be older nurses who eat their young. I did not go into detail on how they have bullied me but I do not take this lightly. It is obviously a huge issue in the nursing profession. You can google it and type it in the search bar and you will get thousands of examples of nurses eating their young. I most def. will back up new nurses no matter how old I get. I will always remember starting that brand new job fresh out of nursing school and it was terrifying. I believe nurses (NOT ALL) who have been in the workplace for quite some time get a joy out of seeing brand new nurses scared to death. I have been there and I have witnessed it with other new nurses starting out. It is such a shame to see how other nurses act towards the new nurses. And i am sorry to say but some of it CAN be jealously. It can! I am not saying it is the ONLY factor (sorry i did not mention that in my previous post). Jealously is just another motive for nurses to bully other nurses. A nurse who goes "above & beyond" can be a threat to other nurses. Nurses in the workplace can be fearful of their positions when a new nurse is able to muli-task or is better at technology just to give a couple examples. This is just what I have experienced and what I have also witnessed in the nursing profession. It is very very sad to see this in the nursing profession. Where is the compassion in nursing and treating others how you would want to be treated. If any young nurses out there have been bullied or treated poorly, please please please stand up for yourself!
You aren't getting it. And you don't even get that.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
It's all about YOUUUUUUUUU "believesallispossible", isn't it? Hopefully when you are "old" like the ones you disdain, you will actually have the wisdom to look back and see how ageist and ridiculous your post was. I, as an "older" (Not quite old yet) nurse am in NO way jealous of you. I have kept up on technology and I am no fool.
I am nearly done raising my kids, and I daresay, my son is probably around your age. I did not "helicopter" my kids and to my joy, they are grown ---or ---- nearly-grown with NO sense of entitlement, but the sense that to achieve they will have to WORK for it . There is no trophy for showing up and just doing the job and you don't have to like your coworkers but you do have to get along. You don't have to be in a "clique" to be a successful nurse either. That is where a life outside work comes in. You have friends and people OUTSIDE the job to be your champion.
Me? I am just there to keep you from killing someone on my watch, if I am your preceptor or charge nurse. A huge responsibility that leaves little time to worry about your personal feelings about me.
And most of us are not retiring any time soon, so get used to us being around. If you are smart as you think you are, you will open your mind , close your mouth a bit, and learn from the "old" ones, cause one day, they will be gone and it will all be on YOU.
Like Judge Judy said: "Beauty fades, but dumb can be forever". Choose to be smart, cause you won't have a choice about getting old.
I have experienced nurse bullying on numerous occasions. The ones that I remember are: 1. An old nurse educator when I was in nursing school. 2. Old nurse at an assisted living facility. 3. Old nurse in a clinic setting. And probably more that I cannot recall at the moment. All three are old nurses who liked to "eat their young" as you may already know that term. I think to myself how immature they are compared to me (even though they are 30+ years older than I am). Bottom line.... the reason they are like that is because of pure jealously. Old nurses do not like when a younger nurse comes in the workplace for numerous reasons. Many of them def need to retire. Just my two cents :)
If you are offering to pay my bills I will gladly retire and leave my job to the newbies.
believeallispossible
171 Posts
Look, I don't have a problem with older nurses. I am friends and get along with many older nurses, and I am not trying to talk badly about them as it may have seemed. I just gave you 3 examples of what I have experienced with when it comes to nurse bullying and they just so happen to be older nurses who eat their young. I did not go into detail on how they have bullied me but I do not take this lightly. It is obviously a huge issue in the nursing profession. You can google it and type it in the search bar and you will get thousands of examples of nurses eating their young. I most def. will back up new nurses no matter how old I get. I will always remember starting that brand new job fresh out of nursing school and it was terrifying. I believe nurses (NOT ALL) who have been in the workplace for quite some time get a joy out of seeing brand new nurses scared to death. I have been there and I have witnessed it with other new nurses starting out. It is such a shame to see how other nurses act towards the new nurses. And i am sorry to say but some of it CAN be jealously. It can! I am not saying it is the ONLY factor (sorry i did not mention that in my previous post). Jealously is just another motive for nurses to bully other nurses. A nurse who goes "above & beyond" can be a threat to other nurses. Nurses in the workplace can be fearful of their positions when a new nurse is able to muli-task or is better at technology just to give a couple examples. This is just what I have experienced and what I have also witnessed in the nursing profession. It is very very sad to see this in the nursing profession. Where is the compassion in nursing and treating others how you would want to be treated. If any young nurses out there have been bullied or treated poorly, please please please stand up for yourself!