Other nurses being abusive against other nurses.

Nurses General Nursing

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Let's talk about other nurses being abusive against other nurses. Degrading them and telling them they have psychiatric disorders. Attempting to diagnose them with "bipolar" disorder. Knowing that this nurse does suffer with depression, taking advantage of that and calling them crazy and degrading them with every chance. Using them. Treating them like a yo-yo. Degrading their appearance, their actions, and their character. Yeah these nurses exist, and they are among us. Some of them even HERE on all Allnurses. I can name a few, but won't.

Let's end nurse on nurse abuse.

OK I have to just comment on this thred

Maybe I am out of touch, maybe it is because I am also a healthcare administrator and BSN, maybe it was the way I was raised as an only child by my father but it makes no sense to me how nurses can be so critical of their co-workers. Here is my opinion and this is my view, not to offend anyone for you are entitled to your own thoughts as well as me....

There are good and bad nurses just like in any other profession. Just look at what is going on in the current news pictures of "stupidness" of playing around with babies and patients who have expired. There is no room in our profession for this behavior for we have a trust profession and really why would you place your licensure at risk for something so stupid. I think it reflects our current culture. Is it a generational gap?, I do not think so because in the information age (also known as misinformation age) there really is no age gap, people of all ages are trying to get their 15 mins of fame or one up to you.

The workforce has changed, nurses who went to school back in the early 1980 and back had a different kind of nursing education. Our education consisted of scenario based cases, of time spent on a unit on a regular basis, and our testing in school reflected this with Case 1 patient presents with...our possible answers were ether write the steps of what you would do as a nurse in order or there would be an essay question and perhaps some A, B, C possible answers. Today students coming out of school think A, B, C, D. It is scary what new nurses do not know and for older nurses the expectation is higher than what the new nurse is showing. This new nurse may have only administered 5 injections, may have only completed 1 IV...in most cases they have only seen the OR from the observation room. As older nurses we need to assess our new nurse and meet them where they are at. If they do not improve then I would let management know, hope they do improve and I would refuse to work with them. New nurses (not all) are to be treated with respect but need the extra guidance to really succeed in nursing and older nurses/experienced nurses need to adapt their ways of think to allow for the basic growth we except those nurse to come with, when they clearly do not have that basic knowledge. Lastly we need a new nursing pathway in that the new graduated nurses should not be able to take the NCLEX for at least a year, that they must work as a graduate nurse for at least 1920 hours of graduate nursing before they can take the test., then when they can put RN after their name they are not so green behind the ears. I also think the baseline for nursing should be BSN-no diploma and no associates degree. We have lives at stake and there is no room for error, and no room for bitterness in the workplace, leave your mental health issues at the door and you can pick it up on your way out. (I am not saying only diploma and ADN nurses have issues we all do)

Come across me with bad attitudes bad behavior I will call you on it the first time, if it happens again I will just report it. If it continues and you yell/throw things I will have a witness call management and then I will call the police for your bad behavior can be considered assault (verbally threatening a person of committing a physical harm i.e. waving your stack of papers/throwing a chart towards me) or battery when you pull my stethoscope out of my hands, throw the chart and it hits me in my arm) or grab my arm when I am walking away so you can yell at me more. I will also get a level of protection against you so I can be safe at work. Just my beliefs.

Would that I could.

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

I wanted to add, for any readers out there that are affected by mental health issues that are disrupting their ability to work - you may be eligible for FMLA or even protected under the ADA in some circumstances. Your career as a nurse doesn't have to be over. There are ways to protect your job while you get the help that you need.

I must have worked in the most boring hospitals and clinics in my 34 years of nursing. I have no bully stories to share! I don't have any NETY stories to share!

There was an Internet site I joined and I did feel disrespected so simply left the group. Maybe it is how we define bullying?

Maybe this happens more in poorly staffed, poorly managed, skilled nursing facilities? That is such a poorly paid, high stress, difficult area of nursing. I can kind of imagine it happening there, but my opinion is not based on any actual experience.

Specializes in Critical Care.

This isn't about workplace violence. This is not about a user bullying me per se. This about a nurse that knows and is educated in mental health using someone's history of depression as the basis for their abuse against them. It's a shame, that's all. As far as productivity, this is allnurses not a conference at my job, so all of you complaining can calm down.

Although it's a bit funny seeing how random things got on this post.

OP has signed out and off on this post.

Peace !!!

Specializes in ED, psych.
I wanted to add, for any readers out there that are affected by mental health issues that are disrupting their ability to work - you may be eligible for FMLA or even protected under the ADA in some circumstances. Your career as a nurse doesn't have to be over. There are ways to protect your job while you get the help that you need.

Thank you for posting this.

FMLA was a lifesaver for me when I was a teacher. I've known of one nurse who has used FMLA for when she had to do a med adjustment during a severe depression.

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
This isn't about workplace violence. This is not about a user bullying me per se. This about a nurse that knows and is educated in mental health using someone's history of depression as the basis for their abuse against them. It's a shame, that's all. As far as productivity, this is allnurses not a conference at my job, so all of you complaining can calm down.

Although it's a bit funny seeing how random things got on this post.

OP has signed out and off on this post.

Peace !!!

That's terrible that someone would use a persons depression as a weapon against them. :(

I thought the thread had gotten off topic, but maybe not so much after all...

Specializes in ER.
This isn't about workplace violence. This is not about a user bullying me per se. This about a nurse that knows and is educated in mental health using someone's history of depression as the basis for their abuse against them. It's a shame, that's all. As far as productivity, this is allnurses not a conference at my job, so all of you complaining can calm down.

Although it's a bit funny seeing how random things got on this post.

OP has signed out and off on this post.

Peace !!!

Now I'm calling you out. This is BS. You just start a big random thread alluding to something that may have happened somewhere, maybe here, maybe at work.

Bullying has been discussed ad nauseum here. Vaguely bringing up the subject is just pot stirring. Then when people question your motives or ask for specifics you pick up your toys and leave. And the "Peace" exit line is silly.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
This is not workplace abuse but I'm glad a lively and productive discussion could come from this.

I don't understand -- if it's not workplace abuse, it must be a personal issue you're having with someone who happens to be a nurse. Are you looking for ways to communicate with a personal friend or family member who has a difficult personality but happens to be a nurse?

This isn't about workplace violence. This is not about a user bullying me per se. This about a nurse that knows and is educated in mental health using someone's history of depression as the basis for their abuse against them. It's a shame, that's all. As far as productivity, this is allnurses not a conference at my job, so all of you complaining can calm down.

Although it's a bit funny seeing how random things got on this post.

OP has signed out and off on this post.

Peace !!!

I'm terribly sorry that this has happened to you, but this really isn't the right way to address it. This whole thread makes me really uncomfortable. This should be addressed with either the person in question or admin, not us users - some of which have already been caught in the crossfire.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
"Older nurses" typically had diploma's, not BSN's correct? Now a days, more places are looking to hire only those newly graduated RN's who have a BSN. So I feel like this contradicts some of your points.

Also is your concept of new nurses really so bad? Saying they don't have basic knowledge? I agree, some new grads lack certain skills/education and some programs are better. I was lucky to go to a university where there was a significant clinical component starting in our first year which was well known when compared to other schools. BUT, some older nurses are also stuck in their ways and don't keep up with current literature, etc.

Lastly, your working as a new grad for a year idea is good but will never happen. New grad positions are few and far between. I think a lot of it comes down to preceptor's during orientation which are typically the senior nurses. Just my opinion.

Plenty of "older nurses" have BSNs -- a high percentage of them went the BSN route for their basic nursing education. This may not have been true a decade or more ago, but diplomas have been phased out.

Nursing education has changed from a model that attempted to give nursing students the basic education they needed to be able to practice safely as new graduates at the bedside -- following an appropriate orientation, of course. Now nursing education seems designed to leave the final "putting together" portions and many of the "skills" to the work place to teach. So to say that new nurses come to the unit without knowing the basics is far more accurate than some seem to appreciate. It isn't the fault of the new grads in question, but it is a thing.

Yes, some people are "stuck in their ways," but it isn't as common in nursing as it is in some other disciplines due to the constant continuing education nurses take part in.

Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.
Now I'm calling you out. This is BS. You just start a big random thread alluding to something that may have happened somewhere, maybe here, maybe at work.

Bullying has been discussed ad nauseum here. Vaguely bringing up the subject is just pot stirring. Then when people question your motives or ask for specifics you pick up your toys and leave. And the "Peace" exit line is silly.

Yep. 'Twould seem the OP indeed likes to stir the pot. To me, it alludes a questionable motive and sincerity.

Specializes in Critical Care.
Now I'm calling you out. This is BS. You just start a big random thread alluding to something that may have happened somewhere, maybe here, maybe at work.

Bullying has been discussed ad nauseum here. Vaguely bringing up the subject is just pot stirring. Then when people question your motives or ask for specifics you pick up your toys and leave. And the "Peace" exit line is silly.

Sounds good. Anything else?

Peace!!!

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