unhappy nurse

[nurse unhappy]

Has any one out there experienced the old saying "nurses eat their young"

I worked in a hospital on the floor from hell! All three shifts of nurses were horrible to one another.

Very clickish groups on each shift who harassed, made fun of, talked about on the floor in ear shot of patients and other staff members about nurses that worked on this floor.

I've never seen or heard any thing so unprofessional in my life.

It was awful. When I started the first thing I noticed was all the talk. Right in front of me a new nurse on the floor, these nurses did not have one good thing to say about any of the other nurses. I've never experienced any thing like this before and I've been a nurse for 13 years. I'm talking critising the safety of other nurses right at the front desk of a very busy floor with patients and family members walking about. This was a daily occurance on this floor.

I hate this behavior and I'm a bit of a rebel so of course I started making comments like "well, if you haven't got any thing good to say then don't say it." Or "I really don't care to hear all this, I'd rather be able to form my own opinion." One nurse in paticular was badgered and picked on constantly. While I was trying to chart one evening, this night nurse came on and at the front desk, with patients and family members and other nurses and aids all in ear shot started picking on this nurse; very loudly I might add. I couldn't take it any more and said "so and so; get off her case" the nurse picking on this nurse then said "this is none of your business", I then said "you've made it my business by simply harassing one of my co-workers in front of me, not to mention every one else that can her you"

Well you can imagine what my life on this floor ended up like.

I and other nurses were picked on to the point to where it was very difficult to work, and eventually difficut to even walk on the floor.

The next thing I know I'm being repremanded by my nurse manager because these nurses are complaining that they cannot stand to work with me.

So, at that point I started tellling this nurse manager every thing that had occured.

The next thing you know I'm on a step 2 action and two weeks ago I was terminated.

Now the reason for my termination was because I refused to come in to chart in the computer medications that I failed to chart. These medications were charted on the MAR, I had no doubt that I had given all the medications and that my patients were safe.

I didn't come in as asked because my daughter was in town from Chicago, I had just started on antibiotics and was running a temp.

It was a Saturday and Sunday that I failed to chart meds in the computer. I had 6 patients that day, ran non-stop until it was difficult to think any longer. The nurse manager was requesting me to come in at 10:00 at night that following Monday. The nurse manager kept saying "this is a big risk to you, you really should come in" I knew I'd be there in 6 hours to chart and just didn't go in.

I was especially anoid when my nurse manager said "this is a big risk to you" when during the weekend I took care of 6 acutely ill patients on an oncology unit, no break, no lunch and she's acting concerned about what "risks" I'm taking?

Hummmmm

I would love to hear all of your comments on this?

One very unhappy nurse.

Of course when this all came down:confused:

[live4today, RN]

Sounds like familiar territory to me. This sort of thing must be ever too common in a lot of working environments, especially in hospitals among the nursing staff. Much of what is complained about here...and rightly so I might add...is exactly what I dealt with at my last job.

The truth is there is NO nursing shortage because if there were, wouldn't" the powers that be" do everything in their power to retain those nurses they recruit and hire into their facility?

It's a dog eat dog world, and the battle is a tough one to fight...yet...fight we must.

[Geeg]

Management is more than happy to see the eat their young culture continue, that way, they can continue with the ever successful divide and conquer strategy.

[night owl]

Originally posted by melrey11

the staff becomes stagnant and practically regresses back to "high school mode". The cliques are already established and the nurse manager is the

most popular kid in school, second to her/his best friend who is their eyes and ears on the floor.

This happened at the facility where I now work. Come Jan 12, the entire nursing staff except Unit managers will be reassigned to different units with different staff. We all received our new assignments via a letter on Dec 12th, one month prior to the move. The reason being because people couldn't work together, too much back stabbing going on, too many cliques for preferential treatment with some of the Unit managers, some people were feeling too comfortable and actually began to run the floors. They feel that by moving everyone around will "fix" things and bring new ideas into the arena of pt care, a period of reawakening so to speak. In a way it's a good idea, but I don't think it will be the cure all. Most people are very unhappy about it, and right now the moral is at an all time low. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

[cannoli]

Originally posted by night owl

This happened at the facility where I now work. Come Jan 12, the entire nursing staff except Unit managers will be reassigned to different units with different staff. We all received our new assignments via a letter on Dec 12th, one month prior to the move. The reason being because people couldn't work together, too much back stabbing going on, too many cliques for preferential treatment with some of the Unit managers, some people were feeling too comfortable and actually began to run the floors. They feel that by moving everyone around will "fix" things and bring new ideas into the arena of pt care, a period of reawakening so to speak. In a way it's a good idea, but I don't think it will be the cure all. Most people are very unhappy about it, and right now the moral is at an all time low. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Wow, that might be a good idea in some respects, at least they are trying. I bet the ones in the cliques don't like it.

[perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by adreamcometrue

Now, the big question is, how do you tell this is going on before you accept a position?? :)

I wonder that too... is there any way to tell? I will be graduating in a year and a half and would like to know what to look for...

[night owl]

Originally posted by cannoli

Wow, that might be a good idea in some respects, at least they are trying. I bet the ones in the cliques don't like it.

Exactly, they're cryin the blues the most! I'm bendable and can work with anyone. There's no reason why things can't be kept at least on a tolerable level for 8-12 hours. You work with me and I'll work with you and together we'll get things done. If you're having a bad day I'll give you a helping hand, no problem. There's no need to criticize, or backstab. That stuff is for the immature folk. You might be tired and I might be tired, but it still has to get done so why not help each other? It makes the work environment so much more tolerable and even enjoyable at times.

[mattsmom81]

Originally posted by Rayrae

I wonder that too... is there any way to tell? I will be graduating in a year and a half and would like to know what to look for...

How to tell ahead of time...well, with experience there can be subtle signs to watch for but even this is not 100%. A few tricks I've learned through the years:

If you know somebody in that facility get the poop from them first ...before you apply, ask them straight up about the people there. I generally have not moved to new places where I have no inside view from, to be honest, as the people I work with make or break the job for me..

When you interview with the unit manager, ask about turnover. If its high it might be a clue...expecially if she also says she has a 'core staff' who are longtermers.

Ask the manager if her staff is receptive to new nurses. Watch her nonverbal communication closely.

Ask to tour the unit and (most important) meet some nurses from the shift you will work with. Be alert to the morale, the camaraderie of the unit, how people are working together, etc.

I bet the nurses here can come up with lots more hints. Finding the best environment for YOU comes with experience.

Best of luck to ya! And remember MOST nurses are basically good people working in less than optimal conditions.

[angelbear]

Can I come work with you. I think team work is so important and makes the work environment so much more pleasant. It is such a shame that grown mature people who have worked so hard to get where they are cant just grow up and do the friggin job as a team.

[dragonfly954]

I was almost phsically assaulted by a nurse last fri.She threw a set of narc keys at me and missed my face by an inch.No one did anything because she is the charge nurse.The day shift (her pets)witnessed this and would not come forward until she was gone for the day.So i understand the sticking together and gang up on one kind of mentality.Not fun to have to deal with.I made it very clear that she was lucky she missed me or i would have had her arrested.The clique stuff gets old.i am still in shock.

[nursemaa]

Originally posted by angelbear

It is such a shame that grown mature people who have worked so hard to get where they are cant just grow up and do the friggin job as a team.

Amen!! I am so tired of the nonsense that goes on, people who won't mentor and encourage each other, negativity, etc, etc.....

[ikelly]

Hi,

Have you heard of horizontal violence? Sometimes referred to as nurses eating their young. It's a form of negative behavior that decreases morale and prevents us from uniting and achieving professional power.It happens alot in nursing. Maybe not to the degree that you experienced it.

In the 1970's Friere,a South American educator, described horizontal violence as behavior of oppressed people in third world countries who coped with powerlessness by displacing negative emotions on each other rather than on the dominant social group. His work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, is a classic.

Our self image and public image is many times defined by stereotype. There is elitism within nursing. Many times nurses in power identify with the dominant social group/medicine and not with nursing. Nurses are at times subjected to HV by negative portrayals in the media.

It's upsetting when people ask, "Why didn't you go to med school", or "what's a masters degree in nursing???" I've been asked if I needed to go to college to become a nurse? Or remarks like,

"All you have to do is follow doctor's orders". I use these opportunities to try and educate.

Every time we belittle another nurse or not offer assistance to a new nurse we are perpetuating HV.

Nursing and issues of power are hot topics.

Good luck on your next job search. When you take a tour of a unit watch the body language of the staff. Are they welcoming?

Do they look uptight, unfriendly? Ask about continuing ed., inservice education, preceptors.

A google search of : horizontal violence is informative. Nursing Spectrum online also has a few good articles.

Ida

[ikelly]

Originally posted by ikelly

Hi,

Have you heard of horizontal violence? Sometimes referred to as nurses eating their young. It's a form of negative behavior that decreases morale and prevents us from uniting and achieving professional power.It happens alot in nursing. Maybe not to the degree that you experienced it.

In the 1970's Friere,a South American educator, described horizontal violence as behavior of oppressed people in third world countries who coped with powerlessness by displacing negative emotions on each other rather than on the dominant social group. His work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, is a classic.

Our self image and public image is many times defined by stereotype. There is elitism within nursing. Many times nurses in power identify with the dominant social group/medicine and not with nursing. Nurses are at times subjected to HV by negative portrayals in the media.

It's upsetting when people ask, "Why didn't you go to med school", or "what's a masters degree in nursing???" I've been asked if I needed to go to college to become a nurse? Or remarks like,

"All you have to do is follow doctor's orders". I use these opportunities to try and educate.

Every time we belittle another nurse or not offer assistance to a new nurse we are perpetuating HV.

Nursing and issues of power are hot topics.

Good luck on your next job search. When you take a tour of a unit watch the body language of the staff. Are they welcoming?

Do they look uptight, unfriendly? Ask about continuing ed., inservice education, preceptors.

A google search of : horizontal violence is informative. Nursing Spectrum online also has a few good articles.

Ida

The above post addressed especially to "unhappy nurse". I hope things work out for you.