Nurse Bullying. Have you experienced it?

[Alexx_xox]

So, recently I have noticed on Facebook sites a lot of nurses actually bullying fellow nurses on social media.

Things I have seen nurses bully about:

-nurses who were really put together for a shift

-nurses who had polished nails

-nurses with tattoos

In fact, on my Instagram handle, I was actually bullied once because a girl thought I wore too much makeup for a shift in the ER. With all this bullying I see on social media, it makes me wonder whether this also occurs in the work setting?

Do any of you guys have any input on nurse bullying? Have you ever experienced it? If so, what was it regarding?

On one my favorites scrub brands Facebook, a nurse literally bashed another nurse and stated "I would NEVER want you as my nurse" and this was all said because the nurse in the photo had her nails painted.

Why do people go out of their way to be rude to others? And if its ok with their hospital policy to have painted nails and tattoos showing, then why do so many others care??

Let me know what you guys think.

xox

[TriciaJ, RN]

I am glad I saw this topic, as something has been on my mind lately. I have been working in a medium sized hospital with a diverse work force. I have been ( and I don't want to use word "victimized") annoyed by the conduct of a male employee, who is half my age and was born here in the US (unlike this OP). The conduct is a melding of misogyny with chauvinism, and fits definition of a microagression at a workplace very nicely. I basically have 2 choices: ignore or confront it. I came up with an idea of creating mock survey.

Example:

Circle: Yes or No

I bullied clumsy Sergey who did not speak English back in the middle school, and it made me feel like a bigger person, and I wish to recreate this feeling.

YES NO

Do you suffer from misogyny or any other conditions not listed above?

YES NO

I hope you get the idea...

How do you feel about confronting the issue in the format of the "mock survey" to help me get my point across (with the point being "buzz off", grow up, get used to globalization) ?

Are you planning to give the survey to the guy you don't like? If so, that is a very indirect approach. Give us some specific examples of his behaviour and we may be able to help you address it effectively.

[AnonymousNurse45]

Um, the guy I don't like...........

I was feeling completely neutral toward this person until I realized I became a target.

Yes, I was planning to give this to the other person.

That's the problem with microagression. It is not very tangible, very subtle, and difficult to prove.

I don't want to reveal my identity completely, so I will not provide any more details.

I am a very straightforward person, but I am at loss on how to address the issue at hand.

Thank you for reading my comment.

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

I don't know but it seems to me that a definition of bullying and acceptable conduct should be made more clear. I think that nurses should have a civil relationship with one another that optimizes patient care. On the other hand not everybody is going to like each other and honestly nurses expectation of what a workplace relationship should be a little more realistic. There are folks at work I like on a personal level and will occasionally talk to them as such. On the other hand there are people I couldn't possibly care less about on a personal level and don't. I treat everybody civilly and would never not help another nurse with a patient even if I loathed that nurse & there are no such nurses. I don't really notice things like hair length, earrings and nail polish as I think those are trivial matters best left to management to worry about. I hope bullying is not defined as having to treat every other nurse as your bestie because I would and will fail that test.

[Wuzzie]

^ this, in spades. Wish I could give it more than one like.

Well, that didn't work as intended since this post isn't underneath the post I liked. FTR, I'm referrring to SIP's post #38:eek:

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

Well thank you Wuzzie

[Have Nurse, ADN, RN]

There's a difference between "bullying" and encouraging others to follow an established dress code that is facility policy. I wasn't there, so I don't know with what attitude the issue was brought up. But some people are waaay too sensitive.

[flowerpowerntx]

I'm sorry. But yes, if you come into work looking like you are going to prom do expect snickers (and not the chocolate kind). You have to know there is a time and place for each and every look. Glamour magazine calls it the day and night look. :)

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

But being rude is not the same thing as bullying!

Far too many people categorize anything that they don't like as bullying. Bullying generally involves coercion and/or threats. Ragging on somebody's makeup or nail polish doesn't qualify.

[Simonesays, BSN, RN]

You might have experienced "bullying" if you made a post on AN with a title such as, "Fired for a mistake that wasn't my fault" or "I'm brand new and I know more than my preceptor" or "The ICU is so boring for a new grad."

Just joking, just joking! We do like to give these kinds of posters a hard time, though.

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

I totally agree Orca!!! When we label comments about attire and garbage posted of facebook about mindless tripe as bullying it detracts from the people that are actually subject to a hostile work environment. Every person at work is not going to be pleasant or like everybody. In fact some are downright disagreeable but unless this shows signs of impacting patient care or being actually coercion. Yipee comments about attire and not being included in a group for social conversation is not bullying. Either suffer in silence like most nurses or tell the rude jackass to mind their own business and confront them like an actual adult

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Personally, I have! While working as a CNA at the young age of 15, I had a charge nurse who was jealous that I was so on track and ahead of the game with school. I don't think she wanted me to succeed, everyone tries to tackle the person with the ball. So I would always get the heaviest patient load, she would single me out in the workplace. She actually caused me so much stress and unhappiness that I got stress ulcers on my stomach and that's something I have to live with for the rest of my life. I also know that one of the nurses in my workplace bullies another nurse over her earrings. YES EARRINGS. She tells the nurse that wears them that they are "too big" while working as a nurse . They're nothing over the top and I definitely don't think they are too big.

Good lord, where do they allow 15 year olds to be CNAs?

[hjosephs]

I don't think saying you wouldn't want someone to be your nurse is bullying.

I disagree with this.

discriminating against someone based on the way they look/appear is 100% a form of bullying.