What to do when on the hit list????

desertrn · Jun 3, 2007

i find it hard to believe that you "get along fine" with the girls you work with. obviously, one of these "fine" people brought this news to you that you are on a "hit list". the whole idea is just childish. what kind of "fine" person is that? people who go around repeating gossip, particularly to the people who are the target of gossip are troublemakers and helping to promote the gossip. if no one had told you of this, you wouldn't be worried about it and continue to go on working and minding your own affairs and those of your patients, wouldn't you? now, someone has got you all worked up--probably over nothing. think about it. just how in the world can nurses sabotage you to get you fired? if you are following the rules of your organization and doing nursing by the book, what can they possibly do to get you fired? meddle with your time card? hide charts on you so you can't finish your charting? tell the don that you called her a nasty name behind her back?
loose lips sink ships.

how can nurses sabotage you? oh they do! they tell lies about your nursing care. they say you don't carry your load. they say nobody wants to work with you. they say you are psycho. this will allow a manager to write you up for unproffesional behavior. they keep it up until you have too many write ups then your out! it is most definately bullying at it's worst.

if this happens report the nurses and the nurse manager to the cno and hr before it gets out of hand.

clemmm78, RN · Jun 3, 2007

Been there, done that, by people I least expected it from. Some I knew, but others totally shocked me so be careful of those you think you get along with. It turned out for the best in the long run but it didn't make it hurt any less at all when it happened. It sucked the life right out of me at that time. What makes it even sadder is that I wasn't the only one this happened to.

Having been through it, my only advice is similar to what has been given to you. Don't take bait, if you're challenged, smile sweetly and do your own thing. Don't fall back on thinking that everything is ok just because things are quiet - sadly that just may be the calm before the storm.

Do your job, do it well. Keep lots and lots of notes. That way you can use them if you need to.

Hopefully, if it is true, by the time it rolls around to you, things may change. You never know.

In my case, there are still some people I would love to see but I'm afraid that not only were the bridges burned, they were bombed.

I know at least one of them reads this board, funny, huh?

Edited to add: I'm not saying I was blameless - looking back there are so many things I would have done differently to prevent misperceptions, I just don't think I deserved what I got.

RNfaster · Jun 3, 2007

true of lots of WOMEN, not just nurses.

I disagree that it's a gender trait. I think such behavior is a product of an environment where there are little opportunities to advance, and where the problem population is not very sophisticated (perhaps lacking in advanced university education, experience in higher-level jobs outside nursing, etc.)

On the other hand, in many higher-level jobs outside nursing, there can be "good-old boy" networks that are troublesome (more prevalent in older industries). Even so, men and women alike can be problematic in such environs as they jockey for the best position. In universities, where folks fight tooth and nail to attain tenured professorships, gossip can be rampant.

As I see it, in nursing, the stuff seems especially petty as most of the folks doing it lack education and just sound like ignorant, whiney crybabies. Gender doesn't matter.

RNfaster · Jun 3, 2007

To OP --maintain a positive focus on the job. Personally, instead of keeping a diary of issues (if you were to decide to do that), I'd put the energy into looking for a new job in a better environment with better teammates and management (where there are opportunities to advance your professional experience, title, compensation, etc.)

crissrn27, RN · Jun 3, 2007

I also disagree that it is a "gender" issue. My DH works in a very "blue" collar job, and some of the things these guys do is FAR worse than anything I have every had to deal with in nursing.

Swearing, name-calling, and outright threats, physical altercations, etc. And the behind the back stuff, just like any other profession. I don't think its just nursing, and I really don't think its just women.

To the OP, I think your idea is great.........do the best you can, for as long as you can, and take your nursing skills elsewhere. Considering where you got the info, I don't know if I would even believe it, especially since you have not had anyone treat you badly, or seen any evidence of malice by this group of nurses.

MelodyRNurse · Jun 3, 2007

Hospice nurses? Wow. That is really sad. I would have to agree with one of the other posters. The nurse who told you got you all stirred up and maybe she was just trying to help, but you didn't have a clue before that. I think I would have rather not known because now you might look to far into things that people are saying. Brush it off, that's really immature, especially considering the profession you are in. Good luck.

Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 3, 2007

Hospice nurses? Wow. That is really sad. I would have to agree with one of the other posters. The nurse who told you got you all stirred up and maybe she was just trying to help, but you didn't have a clue before that. I think I would have rather not known because now you might look to far into things that people are saying. Brush it off, that's really immature, especially considering the profession you are in. Good luck.

I agree. I would wonder about the motive of the person who told you this. As you said, you get along fine as far as you know. If it were me, I would be suspicious of the CNA trying to stir things up, or being the minion of someone trying to stir things up.

Any time someone came to me to tell me something "for my own good" it only made things worse. As crazystudent said, sometimes it's better not to know. If you don't know, you don't have to put so much energy into wondering what you should do, fretting, worrying, watching your back, etc. Okay, now that you know you can be mindful of things going on around you, but try not to read too much into it. Document things if you need to, but don't get paranoid. Be alert for signs that something is up. But also be alert for signs that what the person told you is completely off base.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Jun 3, 2007

Hello Everyone,
I just found out through the grape vine that I may be on the hit list of the "in crowd" click at work. Something about trying to make someone quit then trying to make me quit. I do not know how I should feel about this. I like my job. I work as a hospice nurse at a hospice center. The click are day shift nurses who think blankety blank blank. I really do not care about them. What I do care about are my patients and the girls I work with. We get along fine. What do you think?????? What should I do?????? I think I will keep on working my job until I find it unbearable to work here anymore then take my EXPERIENCE and go somewhere else!!!!!! What would you do??????

Quit now. Life is to short to worry about garbage.

Mulan · Jun 3, 2007

How can nurses sabotage you? Oh they do! They tell lies about your nursing care. They say you don't carry your load. They say nobody wants to work with you. They say you are psycho. This will allow a manager to write you up for unproffesional behavior. They keep it up until you have too many write ups then your out! It is most definately bullying at it's worst.

I agree with this and sometimes they try to make things so miserable for you that you'll quit. In that case, I'd stay just out of spite.

Good luck.

brwneyegal · Jun 4, 2007

I am going to act as if no one ever told me this. I love my job and do not plan to go anywhere right now. When the storm starts I will deal with it then. I may be being naive but, I am here to do my job and that is what I am going to do. :nurse:

rn/writer, RN · Jun 4, 2007

I am going to act as if no one ever told me this. I love my job and do not plan to go anywhere right now. When the storm starts I will deal with it then. I may be being naive but, I am here to do my job and that is what I am going to do.

Good for you! You can come here any time for moral support and comfort.

If the storm starts, we'll hold your hand and offer an umbrella of caring. In the meantime, be there for your patients, and we'll all hope that the troublemakers find better things to do.

Take care,

desertrn · Jun 4, 2007

Good for you! You can come here any time for moral support and comfort.
If the storm starts, we'll hold your hand and offer an umbrella of caring. In the meantime, be there for your patients, and we'll all hope that the troublemakers find better things to do.
Take care,[/quote/)
Well said!