Nurses that Create a Hostile Work Environment

[wendmill]

I am considering a project which investigates/spotlights those behaviors of some Nurses, that create an antagonistic environment. I am hoping to hear what others have experienced and if/how it was resolved. Is anyone interested in sharing their history with me? I have found this to be the worst part of my (otherwise wonderful) 20 year nursing career. That being said, I feel compelled to write a dissertation, of sorts by gathering information, sharing experiences and hopefully discover an understanding or constructive means in which our fellow nurses can find resolution. Thank you.

[whereslilly]

wendmill: as you stated you have been practicing nursing for 20 years. Have you really been seeing this type of behavior that long? Personally, I have not. 20-25 years ago when I was a new nurse I saw much more camaraderie among the staff. I believe the root of this malignancy that nursing is suffering from is due to the economy. Nurses are fighting for jobs; afraid to lose the jobs they have. Nurses used to love to "bring the new ones along". Teaching both patients and unseasoned coworkers is an essential part of a nurses day. Myself, I love to teach. Its not so much "Hostility" as Insecurity we are seeing in the workforce today. Actually, it shocks me. I truly believe the motivation for the behavior you are describing is essentially if I show you what I know, will you take my job?

[wendmill]

Wheresilly: Thank you so much for your input. Unfortunately, I can say that without a doubt, I have observed hostile and bullying behavior between nurses for as long as I can remember. I think you have a strong point when you mentioned that some may not be willing to share their knowledge, as they feel threatened with regard to the job situation. I have also perceived this particular scenario multiple times.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I do not think the behavior is restricted to nursing. I believe our expectations are just higher. Go to Walmart or anywhere else - people are just plain rude anymore. Not as much attention to respect of other may be a cause. If you do a dissertation you really ought to learn if other industries have these issues, and, if so, how are they resolved? This is one concept I agree with Studer about. Get rid of low performers then all you have left is high/middle performers.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Good read...

[PeepnBiscuitsRN]

Is this going to turn into another one of "those" posts? Oy yoi yoi... yes there are mean people out there, but you know what? If you're reeeeaaallly nice to them it works out great because it makes them really mad! So the meaner they are the nicer you are to them! I love seeing things from my 3 year old's point of view.

[Eden101]

I am really glad that you are studying this in a serious way. I became a CNA as a middle-aged widow. I was shocked at how I was treated as a newbie at the nursing home where I worked. My supervisor enjoyed bullying me, usually in front of other workers. She would criticize and humiliate me, and then laugh because it was "funny." Needless to say, other workers figured out that it was not cool to befriend me. I felt completely alone and unsupported. I left that job after 3 months. The politics were incredible and I was constantly amazed at the hostility, cliquishness, and sheer pettiness of some of the staff. My contribution to this problem was that I was a recent widow and quite vulnerable. I was unsure of myself and consequently, was very slow. I was terrified of doing something wrong and hurting residents. I found that it was not acceptable to ask questions. This was interpreted as being lazy and not wanting to do my own work. The nursing home was constantly experiencing staffing shortages - was this surprising? A friend and mentor, an LPN, explained to me that hospital and nursing home nurses are a different breed from home health aide nurses. I have now been working in home health for 6 years and have found that it is a different world. I am considered to be one of the best home health aides by my clients and my agency. I considered going into nursing but have decided to go into health information technology instead. I would welcome discussing this issue some more or being part of a study, because I want to succeed in the work world and get along with my co-workers. I don't want to believe that they were as awful as they seemed. Constructive responses would be very welcome. Thank you!

[noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP]

When I was on orientation, two admissions were coming to the floor. A nurse ran over to the charge nurse (her BFF) and said, "give noyesno the harder admission, I hope she can handle it," and then cackled really loudly about it (like the wicked witch of the west). One of my friends, a tech, was standing by and heard the whole thing and told me about it.

This same nurse was awful to me on a few occasions. She ended up being my preceptor for a few shifts following the above incident and I swear she was trying to make me screw up/get me canned. At the end of the shifts, instead of giving me feedback, she would run to the manager and tell her all the things I did wrong. In result of this, my manager followed me for a shift to see, first hand, how I was doing. After the shift, I asked my manager for feedback, "what can I improve upon dearest boss lady?" She told me I did everything really well and even complimented me on my care.

Omg, this chick even spread lies that I slapped one of my preceptors. ***. I've never slapped anyone (except maybe my boyfriend's butt, obviously).

Eventually, my manager put me back with my original preceptor because she recognized I was getting treated pretty poorly.

Now that I've been off orientation for a while, I get along with this nurse just fine and I actually like her (I don't trust her though).

I should add, this nurse is a new grad herself. Only has a few more months of experience than me and she's younger than me too.

[rn/writer, RN]

Just recently, I wrote a three-part series on "How to Spot a Workplace Bully." Top find it, click on the Blogs tab toward the top of the page, click on the drop-down arrow where it says "All Categories." Scroll down to "Taking Care" by RN/Writer. And hit the "List" button.

That should take you to the page that lists the series along with "Bullying: the Other B Word," which another members was kind enough to link to above.

The condensed information is that true bullying targets an individual or small group with the intention of doing harm to, or getting rid of, someone considered a threat to the bully's security. Unfortunately, the B word is overused and misapplied to the point where folks are perceiving garden variety interpersonal friction as hostility. The nuts and bolts of being a part of any group will contain a certain amount of discord. People don't always like each other or have the same communication styles. Differences abound and may rub others the wrong way. Some are less considerate than others. Some have good hearts along with raw edges.

This is normal.

I fear there is a current wave of trying to pathologize inconsiderate behavior and mandate "niceness," and, as worthy as this sounds, I just can't support it.

There are many measures a workplace can take to foster (not force) kindness and courtesy. The most effective one would be providing adequate staffing. It's amazing how folks brighten up when they aren't run off their feet kept from food and bathroom breaks.

Creating a culture of decency and consideration for others needs to start with the top dogs. If management is constantly putting the screws to the rank and file while rewarding themselves or if employer communication is cold in tone and harsh in expectations, it's unrealistic to think the lower echelons will behave differently.

Immediate managers can look at their own behavior when speaking to their staff. And they can encourage a spirit of teamwork and put out the little interpersonal fires that are so often ignored until the carpet is on fire.

We all have a responsibility to conduct ourselves in a way that conveys, if not affection, at least a kind regard for those we share our job environment with.

True bullies--those who are willing to undermine a subordinate or a co-worker until their job, reputation and health suffers--are not nearly as common as many believe.

If you're going to spotlight antagonistic behaviors, I hope you will see and will make a distinction between those who are really bullies and those who are prone to be unpleasant and crabby with many in the group. The second group does require action. I'm not saying that what they are doing is right. But the solutions are different.

And sometimes a group needs help to get past individual barriers and form a feeling of camaraderie. They don't need OSHA mandates so much as they need good leadership, a reasonable workload, and an atmosphere that encourages kindness toward each other.

I could go on and on, but I see that I already have. I feel strongly about this because I see young/newer nurses getting all freaked out when they start seeing themselves as victims of bullying rather than the new kids on the block who don't yet know how to fit in. Instead of learning how to be more assertive, they shut down and pull away. And then they feel victimized all over again.

If your project can make a distinction between difficult people (the rough-edged and the snappish) and real bullies (the schemers and the malevolent) and you offer ideas to manage each group, you could end up with something quite worthwhile.

[rn/writer, RN]

Just wanted to add that the examples given by Eden101 and noyesno do sound like bullying because they were so individually focused and because the goal appeared to be getting rid of them.

[Creamsoda, ASN, RN]

whereslilly said:

wendmill: as you stated you have been practicing nursing for 20 years. Have you really been seeing this type of behavior that long? Personally, I have not. 20-25 years ago when I was a new nurse I saw much more camaraderie among the staff. I believe the root of this malignancy that nursing is suffering from is due to the economy. Nurses are fighting for jobs; afraid to lose the jobs they have. Nurses used to love to "bring the new ones along". Teaching both patients and unseasoned coworkers is an essential part of a nurses day. Myself, I love to teach. Its not so much "Hostility" as Insecurity we are seeing in the workforce today. Actually, it shocks me. I truly believe the motivation for the behavior you are describing is essentially if I show you what I know, will you take my job?

I would have to disagree. Although I've only been a nurse for 7 years, from day one, on the many units I've worked (float pools, traveling ect), theres is always someone. Whether its a know it all, type A control freak with no interpersonal skills, or just plain mean. I think it a power struggle thing. I really do believe that if you have strong management and a unit where teamwork is EXPECTED, you don't see the behaviours as much. You will still see it, but not as bad. Ive seen places where you could cut through the tension on the unit, as thats how the atmosphere was starting from management. It created a "watch your back" attitude, and it was a terrible place to be. Poor attitudes, poor retention, high turnover. Who wants to work in an environment like that. Its a tough thing to fix, but I think the focus needs to be about changing the culture of the unit and having certain expectations. I guess I just don't understand the nurses that are like that. I love to teach, even if it slows my day down, and I will always help my co workers. If I'm not doing anything at the moment and I can see my coworker is having a bad day, I will go into her room and ask, "what can I do for you", to make her day easier. On the other end of it, I don't see that happen all the the time. I wish we would help each other to make all our lives easier.

I will also say that I do think raging amounts of estrogen don't make anything easier. When I'm working next to guys, our days run very well. We help each other, get s%*t done and get on with our day. And are also able to laugh and joke a bit to make things a bit easier. So if you could somehow fix the estrogen problem, things may change

[wendmill]

I want to thank all of you for your input and suggestions. I do want to make it clear that I am not referring to a worker that simply isn't very nice. I am referring to disrespect and unprofessional behaviors that create an environment that feels emotionally threatening, and difficult to focus on patient care. I have no doubt that hostile environments are created in other workplaces. Becoming rattled or having your focus pulled at Walmart is not(in my opinion) as intense or potentially dangerous as working with patients that need your attention.