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."
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I think the huge statistic of so many nurses quitting their first job so fast may be, in part, due to so many being so woefully unprepared for the real world of nursing.
Like pointed out before me, I agree; instructors are not doing their jobs. They are shirking their responsibilities onto the staff nurses, dumping these poor students (who by the way pay a LOT of tuition) onto us, and running off, doing God-knows-what---- while the students literally either get that "deer in the headlights" look and freeze up in fear, or take up space at our computers or the breakroom, texting, playing on facebook, or doing other non-productive crap.
Then, they come out into the world and blame the very nurses they are assigned to precept with for us being so frustrated that we have to start at square-freaking-one with them. New nurses are coming out not able to do the simplest things or critically think the basics anymore. It's not their fault, really. The schools are failing them in that aspect.
Others come out so arrogant, it's truly frightening. They have no clue what they don't know. Another failure on the part of their schooling, IMO.
I have been a nurse nearly 20 years. My God how things have changed in so little time. It has not always been this way. Used to be, new nurses came out with at least a realistic expectation that they were there to LEARN and hit the ground running, and weren't so caught up in their little hurt feelings in the process of learning. Our instructors expected us to do the legwork and research and were there to answer questions and watch over us so the staff did not have to. Not the case these days.
This isn't the school yard, and we are not kids. Grow up. This is the real world. If you can't get past a few not-so-friendly faces , crusty old bats, or people you don't like, you are not cut out for real-world nursing. There will be LOTS of "meanies" in patients, doctors, other nurses, ancillary staff, etc you will have to learn to deal with. If you can't real world nursing is not for you.
Maybe that among that 60% who quit so soon are those realize it and are smart enough to get out. At least I hope so. The 40% who can handle it will hopefully succeed and take up the torch for those of us who are getting older.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
yeah, why don't everyone take this advice....,
WoW. Just wow.
It's no wonder you hear on the news of kids in school committing suicide because of bullying. And no, it's not all because a person has been physically abusive, it can also be simply because of emotional / verbal abuse. Unfortunately, bullying continues in adulthood.
Now on to my point with what statistics showed that was first posted, it's NO WONDER why "sixty percent of new nurses quit their job within the six months due to the behavior of their coworkers."
All nurses should just support one another.
And you're still not getting it. Nurses don't have the time or resources to support the student or the new nurse in addition to the patient, and we're paid to support the patient. That's our job. Students and new nurses would be wise to create their own support system.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
There are many different types of bullying - many in forms of physical, verbal, emotional abuse. Bullying can have an affect on all ages. I was just making a point in regards to bullying, because it is a very serious issue. Some people including you act like emotional / verbal abuse isn't at all a form of bullying. It is.
And some people act as if bullying is everywhere and they cannot take a step without encountering bullies.
Nursing is for adults. If you're not ready to be an adult, please save your time and money and don't even try to be a nurse.
There are many different types of bullying - many in forms of physical, verbal, emotional abuse. Bullying can have an affect on all ages. I was just making a point in regards to bullying, because it is a very serious issue. Some people including you act like emotional / verbal abuse isn't at all a form of bullying. It is.
Dear me, still singing the same refrain?
Once again, just because someone disagrees with you or doesn't tell you what you want to hear, that doesn't make it bullying.
Unless, of course, you're looking for a bully in every set of scrubs. Then you'll be sure to find one.
Not saying there aren't adult bullies out there. There are. But someone who gives you side eye, fires off instructions without saying "Pretty please" during a situation or makes a snarky comment isn't automatically a bully.
And if that's all it takes to make someone cry or feel like a victim, then that person is stuck in middle school and seriously needs to grow the Hell up.
When I have a dying patient on my hands who needs meds on an hourly basis, I don't want to be saddled with a Snowflake who's coming unglued because she's never seen a for-real dying person and I'm not really in the mood to worry about her delicate feelings.
When it's all over, I can sit down with the Snowflake and talk about what happened, and be comforting and compassionate, up to a point. Until then? Do what I tell you needs to be done or get the **** out of my way.
Oh my. I am referring to the general nursing population who has/have/or witness/witnessed bullying occur in the workplace. There is no compassion / no caring in the world... when a person bullies another person in the workplace. Not good for the patients as well!
Oh my. I am referring to the general nursing population who has/have/or witness/witnessed bullying occur in the workplace. There is no compassion / no caring in the world... when a person bullies another person in the workplace. Not good for the patients as well!
You're kind of a glass is half empty gal, aintcha?
SmilingBluEyes
20,964 Posts
I think the huge statistic of so many nurses quitting their first job so fast may be, in part, due to so many being so woefully unprepared for the real world of nursing.
Like pointed out before me, I agree; instructors are not doing their jobs. They are shirking their responsibilities onto the staff nurses, dumping these poor students (who by the way pay a LOT of tuition) onto us, and running off, doing God-knows-what---- while the students literally either get that "deer in the headlights" look and freeze up in fear, or take up space at our computers or the breakroom, texting, playing on facebook, or doing other non-productive crap.
Then, they come out into the world and blame the very nurses they are assigned to precept with for us being so frustrated that we have to start at square-freaking-one with them. New nurses are coming out not able to do the simplest things or critically think the basics anymore. It's not their fault, really. The schools are failing them in that aspect.
Others come out so arrogant, it's truly frightening. They have no clue what they don't know. Another failure on the part of their schooling, IMO.
I have been a nurse nearly 20 years. My God how things have changed in so little time. It has not always been this way. Used to be, new nurses came out with at least a realistic expectation that they were there to LEARN and hit the ground running, and weren't so caught up in their little hurt feelings in the process of learning. Our instructors expected us to do the legwork and research and were there to answer questions and watch over us so the staff did not have to. Not the case these days.
This isn't the school yard, and we are not kids. Grow up. This is the real world. If you can't get past a few not-so-friendly faces , crusty old bats, or people you don't like, you are not cut out for real-world nursing. There will be LOTS of "meanies" in patients, doctors, other nurses, ancillary staff, etc you will have to learn to deal with. If you can't real world nursing is not for you.
Maybe that among that 60% who quit so soon are those realize it and are smart enough to get out. At least I hope so. The 40% who can handle it will hopefully succeed and take up the torch for those of us who are getting older.