What is the worst case of bullying you've seen in your nursing career?

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · May 10, 2015

In assisted living I saw a caregiver berate another caregiver (who had normal intelligence, but sounded like she was mentally handicapped because of a stroke) until she was in tears.

When I was in school, I had 2 clinical assignments in places that were flat-out hostile. The first was a TCU. Mine was one of 3 groups, and the weekend group started a week after everyone else. The first day after the Sunday group started, my group had just walked out of the conference room when the charge nurse said, very loudly, "Oh, thank God you're here! We had the Weekend Program here Sunday, and they didn't know anyhting! They asked all of these etupid questions! I don't have time for that!" SShe said it to our faces, in front of our instructor, at thenurse's station. That day, the instructor told us to go to her, not the nurses on the floor, if we had any questions. I don't think the unit had dealt with students before, and we were the last group to be placed there.

The second was my peds rotation, at a home for children with brain injuries. The CNAs loved having us around. The nurses did not. Any time a student asked a question, they got very, very angry. All of the nurses at the children's home were white (except 1 African nurse), and all of the CNAs were Cape Verdean. I'm black, and a Haitian clasmate and I were constantly mistaken for CNAs, despite wearing the same student nurse uniforms as our white classmates.

I understand that it's really not the staff's job to train students, but what is open hostility toward students supposed to accomplish?

ScrappytheCoco · May 10, 2015

. wrong thread.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · May 10, 2015

Had an educator at a former hospital berate me in front of my patient and his wife for something that ended up not being my fault. I spoke to her later in her office and told her that I didn't appreciate being spoken to like that, especially in front of my patient and family. She realized she was in the wrong and profusely apologized for the confrontation, stating that she also didn't realize what she actually did. I also made her apologize to the patient for that as well. This was actually a common occurrence on that unit, there was no discretion about who was around when nurses were getting lambasted.

Needless to say, I no longer work there and have fortunately had good experiences since on my subsequent positions.

Editorial Team / Admin · May 10, 2015

I'm going to start working as soon as I pass the NCLEX. I have heard a lot about bullying in the nursing field. I was wondering what is the most severe form of bullying you've seen in your career? I want to prepare myself psychologically for the worst.

The thing about bullying is that if you expect to find it, you probably will. Keep in mind that rudeness and bluntness are not bullying, and that not every coworker is going to be your favorite person. Keep things in perspective, realize that true bullying isn't as rampant as people make it out to be (yes, it does exist, but the word bullying is overused), and remember that attitude has a lot to do with how your coworkers will perceive you.

Personally, I have never experienced bullying in my 10 years as a nurse. I've had coworkers that I didn't mesh with and preferred not to be stuck in an OR for a shift together, but bullying was never an issue.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · May 10, 2015

When I worked in assisted living, my supervisor berated me in the hall for questioning a morphine order that turned out to be very, very wrong.

wanderlust99 · May 10, 2015

I've worked at 15 plus hospitals and haven't been bullied. Yes there are some units that are more gossipy and the occasional nurse will talk crap about you behind your back, but you find that in any workplace environment. For the most part everyone is relatively professional. Bullying will get you fired at most hospitals.

calivianya, BSN, RN · May 10, 2015

At my first job, we had a very angry nephrologist who was known to throw charts at the nurses every now and then. Fortunately, we were on computer charting for the most part - it was only consent forms and the like that had to be on paper, so these were very small charts.

My current hospital has excellent physicians; can't complain there.

I don't care about people being nasty; being excluded is worse. I don't care as much about people being witches as long as they help me when I need help. When I get an admit that's vented, sedated, running pressors, and on a different IV pump system than our hospital runs and no one shows up, despite the fact that I've been helping them all night - that's the kind of stuff that really makes a workplace toxic. People who are isolationist and refuse to help others are worse than bullies IMO. To be fair, it's only one specific group of people at my job who does this, most nurses are helpful, but god forbid you get scheduled to work on the same night when these particular four or five nurses are working together... you can kiss any possible help goodbye.

OCNRN63, RN · May 10, 2015

Possibly this egregious example.
There simply is no way to prepare for the hell you are about to encounter. After a year in the hospital, senior nurses undergo rigorous training in bullying and harassment. What new nurses don't know is that once hired, a customized plan is made on how to most effectively bully them. It is modeled after a care plan, and in fact is the only real use for the nursing care plan you learned in school.
Some new nurses have found this effective.
Instead of preparing yourself to be a victim, maybe you should focus on how to be a good nurse. Lots of great stuff you could be reading right now that will help you better care for patients.
Come in to work ready to do your best every day. Look for opportunities to learn from and help other more experienced nurses. Accept that in the real grown up world, you will be dealing with a variety of personalities, and that you choose how you will be perceived by others.
Good luck.

If only I could like this more than once!

Farawyn · May 10, 2015

I had a Big Shot Doctor try to bully me once. He loved yelling at nurses in front of other nurses. He yelled at me for following up with a patient and wasting 20 minutes of his time. He wanted me to cry, and I didn't, I just held his stare. He is brilliant but a total turd of a person.

Usingthejon · May 11, 2015

It would have to be my current manager: he has single handedly driven the morale down in the entire unit. How?

1. berating nurses in front of family, patient, doctors etc...for leaving a single alcohol wipe in the room.

2. refuses to allow RNs to explain what happened when something goes "wrong" (not how he wants it done)

3. flat out refuses to take patient assignments, even when the unit was 3 nurse short, without a charge RN or CNA, and had 2 nurses stay 8 hours overtime. 3 Nurse had to take 4 patients (unit ratio in DOU for CA is 1 RN:3 patients). On top of that, he didn't even attempt to provide break times, instead nurses had to cover for each other "because I have meetings"

It's gotten SO bad here, that whenever he comes around, people disappear. I"ve heard him question why people leave when he comes around, one RN told him "cause they dont like you, in the same way you don't like them".

MegGusta · May 11, 2015

Instead of telling you that you need to suck it up, I am going to give you advice. LOL

First, what you consider "bullying" is different from everyone else's definition. However, that does not mean it is not very real and hurtful to you. As someone that was bullied extensively throughout her life, I have no tolerance for people saying that there is no bullying in nursing, because there absolutely is. No need to be defensive, because the claim does not reach all nurses, only the cloacas (google it!) that do the bullying. There is an undeniable presence of superiority and rejection exhibited by some higher-ups in any profession.

With that being said, I will tell you to just know that there will be days that you will be an IV drip away from needing to run, hot tears burning your eyes. There will also be days where you must bite your tongue. The best way to handle these jerks pushing you around is to find your inner peace. Promise yourself that if you ever take on a student nurse that you will never be so ghastly and inhumane. Just raise your finely-shapen eyebrow at the offender and say something harmless and simple, like, "I understand." Better to diffuse the situation and get back to your patients that need you.

You will be a great nurse and you can only rely on yourself when it comes down to it. Best of luck!

gmondina · May 11, 2015

Great advice Gooselady!