War on the Floor

U.S.A. New York

Published

Last night when I went into work, (a small community hospital) the charge nurse and two LPNs were actually screaming at each other, using profane language all the while patients and their families were walking right in front of where this was all taking place. In the end, the charge nurse yelled "I don't have time for this ****" and kicked a stool across the nursing station, slamming into the wall. The other nurses in the nursing station continued about their work like nothing was happening.

I spoke with the unit manager this am and she tried to blame all the tension and commotion on a foreign MD who had been ranting and raving most of the afternoon. According to the unit manager, he yelled at several nurses telling them they were incompetent and even went as far as to poke a pen into a nurses chest as he yelled at her.

I have only been there 7 months, but want to run for the hills! In speaking to another nurse that night who has been there 5 years....this is not new behavior for any of them. The unit manager is at a loss to know what to do about the backbiting, unprofessionalism, and continual harassment and hostile work environment.

I have been put in charge 2 nights a week. It is nearly impossible to get any cooperation and when I assert myself, the other nurses complain that I am too rigid. (when I see an LPN sitting at the table for over an hour looking at a magazine, I do tend to ask of she has something else she could be doing for her pts or ask her to go help some other nurses that may be behind)

The unit manager requested that I write up what transpired, which I did. Nothing is confidential there, so I know that I will be on the crap list for being a "snitch" and can look forward to the rest of them trying to "catch" any perceived error I might make. I need this job for the time being.....any suggestions? :o

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Specializes in med-surg,tele,vents.

I feel sorry for you. That kind of behavior is sooooo bad. It knocks the crap out of everyone, and creates the enviornment of tension :angryfirethat is so hard to work in. :cry:It also severely lowers your credibility as a facility,and as professionals. :down: Try to invent a sign, a gesture, or something that will stop that stuff before it happens or at least,in the bud. no one should be treated like that. Take control of the situation. and if necessary, call your supervisor...security,and don't get in the middle of anything physical. document to the administrators and let them do the real disapline. Working in a high stress unit sometimes gets to you, but don't let it be the norm of your practice...you could become Nurse Ratchet. :devil: Try to keep your cool. Delagate to the LPN,something within her job discription,that she can do to benifit the unit,or catch up on her continuing education,during down-time. The front lines of this war should not be the members of your own unit. the enemy is illness...use love as an armour, and send that message to all that will despise you. soon they will wonder "why can't I be like that?" Spred good will, I promice, the climate will change. Be the nurse that started it all,and you will be loved back. It can work.:yeah:

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Specializes in Medsurg, Homecare, Infusion, Psych/Detox.

I think you should begin your search for another job. Or at least ask for a transfer to another floor. These kinds of situation cannot resolve themselves without meaningful assistance from management. And from what it seems, management is inadequate in handling this situation. Recent quidelines were just issued by JACHO that addresses these kinds of situations in hospitals. Because they impact negatively on patient care. A hospital is obligated to take corrective action when such ongoing behaviour is known to them. Also individual employees (doctor or nurse) can be sanctioned.

In the mean time, watch your back!

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

That's pretty darned unprofessional. Charge nurse throwing stools around? Good grief! The nurse manager sounds totally useless. It really sounds unbearable.

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Are you in an organisation for nurses i.e American Nurses Association - its important that you also let your organisation know what is happening. In England there is an organisation called the RCN - Royal College of Nursing - do you have an equivalent where you are. Basically being part of a trade union for nursing - it protects its members and gives advice in situations like this. Its very important that you seek help immediately.

Here are some tips to help you -

1. Keep a diary of everything that happens on your shift.

2. Also speak to the head nurse about maybe separating these two LPNs if they cannot work together.

3. Also look at the skill mix - are there more LPNs on shift as opposed to RNs?. Sometimes that can make things more stressful too.

4. Look at reporting the MD - doctors regardless of where they are from are under a code of professional conduct as well. Keep a diary about the this particular doctors conduct. If possible write a letter to his immediate boss. Yes you need a job, but you shouldnt have to tolerate that nonsense. Hope that helps.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

This is a very poor work environment and the problem starts at the top with the manager. I tell you what, I would be having some major "come to Jesus" meetings with the staff. The people who can't get along would be met with together and it would be known that we are not leaving this room until we work out a plan to fix this. The charge nurse who cannot control herself would be sent to a basic management course along with an anger management class. She would be placed on a corrective action plan. If she failed to meet those goals, she would be removed from that position. The charge nurse has to be fair, in control, professional, problem solver and be able to keep people working together. If he/she cannot, they cannot do the job.

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My sentiment exactly. I am suprised I thought American nurses were more assertive than their international counterparts.

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Specializes in med-surg,tele,vents.

keep working on the attitude girls. Be a CHRIST_LIKE example,and others will want to be like you too. Peace

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I really do try. I am told that this has been going on for years. Everyone seems to accept it and say "well that is just the way she is". Yesterday at a staff meeting we were told that there would now be a 20 question part to our evaluation on our attitudes. If we got even one check mark we would be counseled. I am not without percieved problems myself. A few aides think I talk down to them. I don't feel I do but then, I am not in the habit of having an aide tell me which blood draws(from cvp or ports) I have to do in the am. Or that it is ok to use a sanipan (hat) to get a clean catch urine...the lab sais it is ok, I'm told. Or to be directly told in front of others that they know their job and they are not in the habit of taking orders from an RN. I have discussed this with the unit manager and she feels each of the aides on the floor are very adept at their job and could be nurses....."they just don't have the credentials"

Very frustrating. I am new and seen as a boat rocker.

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Specializes in ICU and OR.

nysvetnurse--you need to find another job. Unless they fire the nurse manager and restructure the entire unit--it will never improve. I hate to be a pessimist-BUT you have to practice in a safe, professional environment. In NC, we can report physicians for being "disruptive" and it is investigated by the NC medical board. No nurse should have a doctor pushing a pen into their chest while yelling at them. If the managers and administrators do not act on this behavior then you need to find another job asap. The only other thing that you could do is notify the JCAHO and report practice and behavior issues. It is not a guarantee that anything will be fixed. Save yourself and leave.

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Boy, is this preaching to the choir!?! I can REALLY relate to some of these problems at your hospital, nysvetnurse. First of all, I just spent the last month researching horizontal hostility as I had to do a presentation for staff on our unit, since horizontal hostility is a BIG problem here, too. All of my research suggests that horizontal hostility is caused by a feeling of lack of power or oppression from something/somebody. As far as nurse to nurse hostility is concerned, the system fosters it because of the medical heirarchy w/ the doctors having all the power so we nurses, feeling powerless and oppressed, take it out on each other. It's fascinating but so sad. So, when you say an MD spent some time denigrating nurses earlier that day, I can see why this incident happened.

I'm not condoning or excusing their behavior, but I think we need to look at why it happens and then do something to change it. An excellent resource is the book, "Ending Nurse-to-Nurse Hostility, Why Nurses Eat Their Young and Each Other" by Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN. It gives excellent insight into what causes this hostility and how to handle it. In this situation, as others have said, administration needs to become active and proactive and intervene to change the situation. Hope it helps! :heartbeat

Vroom!

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get out now. there are too many places for nurses that do not tolerate this kind of behavior. i worked a contract job where nurses behaved this way.....and they had the nerve to tell me that i had the attitude problem......the only attitude i had was that i refused to tolerate their behavior. i firmly believe that when any nurse behaves in this manner, there should be no warning, no tolerance....they should be fired immediately. and any manger who allows this behavior should be fired also. :angryfire

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