What are my rights against those who eat their young?

[goingback]

While I may not be young, what can I do about 2 nurses that I work with that consistently talk behind peoples backs and try to stir up trouble for people. Literally they will try to talk about nurses to other nurses to gossip and then talk to the nurse manager and say a person is having difficulties on the job or say something about their demeanor of complain about how they did something. When there are not errors being made--what gives them the right to basically make complaints based on personality, attitude and perception vs facts. The nurse manager says "yes I know and I've talked to them", but is it to the point that I have actually stopped picking up shifts (I'm perdiem) because it is so stressful to work with these 2 nurses. Literally I was called into the nurse manager to discuss my "capabilities" because of an unsubstantiated complaint that they had stirred up. When there have been MANY complaints about how these 2 nurses' negative attitudes and talking have jeopardized the working environment, when do these nurses ever get penalized? I was so insulted, hurt, overwhelmed by there "accusation" I literally could not sleep for 3 days (there was no official write up of accusation or the meeting). I talked a second time privately to my nurse manager and pointed out how these two actually added to a difficult pt case and then also then discussed the pt case factually. There was no way that those two nurses who were involved for the first 15 minutes of the case before I came on shift could make a complaint legitimately about any pt care/lack of care they were not involved in since they then went off shift. What can I do? I am actually afraid to work any shift with them because I am afraid of them making accusations or starting rumors. I already know that they talked about my situation because other nurses came up to me. That is not appropriate. What are my rights? I don't think my nurse manage really understands what to do with them and is not protecting me or her other nursing staff.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

Throw a "hostile work environment" in there

[FlyingScot, RN]

Throw a "hostile work environment" in there

Problem with that is her situation doesn't meet the legal definition.

Hostile Work Environment | Hostile Workplace

In order to have a legal leg to stand on one must be part of a protected class and the bad behavior must be as a result of being part of a protected class. For example, I can tell a co-worker that I think Jane's new hairstyle makes her look really fat but I can't say something like "Aren't Jane's scrub dresses ridiculous looking? I can't believe that's what she wears. She looks like she's on freaking "Little House on the Prairie" if Jane is Pentecostal and that's what her religion requires of her. The first example is mean, inappropriate and probably against facility policy but legal. The second is mean, inappropriate, probably against faciltity policy and could get me in a whole lot of legal hot water.

[MatrixRn]

The first example is mean, inappropriate and probably against facility policy but legal. The second is mean, inappropriate, probably against faciltity policy and could get me in a whole lot of legal hot water.

Many, if not all, companies have a set of conduct rules they expect their staff to abide by, so even if the behavior did not reach the level of illegal, it could still be a fir-able offense.

[northmississippi]

you may just need to slapped the $%#$%#$% out of one of them right in front of everyone.

[FlyingScot, RN]

Many, if not all, companies have a set of conduct rules they expect their staff to abide by, so even if the behavior did not reach the level of illegal, it could still be a fir-able offense.

That would be why I mentioned "against company policy". My point was that we often throw around threats of "hostile work environment" charges without understanding that the legal definition of such is actually very narrow and really has no teeth with HR.

[Gooselady, BSN, RN]

If management won't or can't do something effective, then there isn't anything you can do except change yourself.

I'd quit and tell the manager exactly why, and make sure HR gets a nice email about your experience.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

I would probably quit and NOT say anything to my manager/HR except what a wonderful time you had at their unit and how thankful you are for the experience you got there.

You don't have any rights. Often, the aggressors are the people who management knows and likes the best and have given years of dependable service. I'm not necessarily saying older nurses. The cliques/"mean girls" at my job are in their late 20s and have been there for five plus years, some of them almost ten years. If they are anything like the hard to get along with gossips I deal with, they are also very good at what they do, have specialty certification in their fields, and many of them also work rapid response. Coming up against someone with those type of creds isn't going to get you anywhere.

Keep your head down, find a new job, and write a nice, sweet letter to your manager when you leave. You don't want to burn a bridge here. You never know when you might need that manager for a reference.

[2011RN]

Do not take it personally and find another job where you will be happier. People act like this due to their insecurities and will not change.

[Libby1987]

Are you a relatively new nurse and/or have a lack of confidence?

I'd probably do it anyway but especially if I were willing to not take shifts, or even quit, I'd have to at least tell them to SFTU a few times first. I'd probably be pretty direct with the manager as well if it came to that. They could let me go but I couldn't tolerate that level of crap unless it was the only thing feeding my kids.

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

A friend and coworker, who is a very direct and competent nurse just left her job because of a similar situation as the OP.

She said to me: "if dayshift hates you, you're screwed."

There are people in this business who are threatened by more skilled employees and do everything that they can to discredit them and chase them away.

In order to protect my professional reputation, I would meet with someone in upper nursing administration on my last day, and explain why the situation is unbearable and why they that can't keep the unit staffed. I have done this and it is entirely appropriate to expose that level of bad behavior. Be sure to name names dates and specific behavior and incidents that made you uncomfortable and why these individuals are not to be trusted. If I was asked for suggestions, I would suggest that they be split up to put a stop to it for good.

When dealing with these people, know that they are charming, friendly and sociopathic, not too bright, lying is their forte and a desire to be the queen bee is the motive and the administration is totally clueless. As a travel nurse, I meet the same people over and over again; the facilities change, the players and their petty behavior is the same, especially in rural or community hospitals . Learn how to spot them and avoid becoming their next target.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I would recommend you just find a different per diem job.