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

[Guest878640]

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.

For me, I have heard a clinical director speak of one clinical practicum taking place at a hospital where they were ignored by all the staff. They were not even allowed to take a seat because every time someone sat down, a staff would come and take their seat away from them.

[CBlover, BSN, RN]

Excellent reply Gooselady!! This could not be more well said. I agree that being a nurse, you have to grow some pretty thick skin. I also agree that most of us mean well but when stress gets high we can tend to get a bit snappy. We have to learn that and if we do, as we have on my unit, you can gain great friends.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

Bullying happens, but I wouldn't get in that mind set, if I were you. That is the best advice I can give on this topic. Take each day as it comes. The nurses and docs and PT's, etc., who were actually taking full responsibility for the patients had the say over who sat where on their unit. That issue is the least of your problems in a busy hospital setting in the future.

[No Stars In My Eyes]

The only kind of 'bullying' I guess I ever experienced was as an agency rent-a-nurse doing staff relief. It was pretty much a given that the agency nurse would be dumped with the worst assignment, the worst hall, the 'worst' patients, and little to no help during the shift. Due to passive-aggressive responses toward someone there to help ease the load of the regular staff....well, it doesn't take long for agency employees to respond to THAT with their feet, and no longer accepting an assignment at that facility.

Their loss.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Not bullying. Nope

No, this is not a troll post.The clinical director said that every time they sat down, someone took their chair away. Yes, the staff had priority in seating. However, I'm sure there were times when chairs were available. In addition, I've been with the clinical director, she is very helpful and try to make her students helpful to the staff. The unit was so unwelcoming to the students, that it was eventually sealed off by the University. Students were no longer placed there.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

The only kind of 'bullying' I guess I ever experienced was as an agency rent-a-nurse doing staff relief. It was pretty much a given that the agency nurse would be dumped with the worst assignment, the worst hall, the 'worst' patients, and little to no help during the shift. Due to passive-aggressive responses toward someone there to help ease the load of the regular staff....well, it doesn't take long for agency employees to respond to THAT with their feet, and no longer accepting an assignment at that facility.

Their loss.

I saw a lot of that training in an ER once. That particular ER was a hell hole. LOL But the agency nurses weren't paid enough for the dumping that was put on them. It was bad...and they were graceful in handling it.

[Graduatenurse14]

"cloacas"

LOL!!

I love learning new words!!!!

[amzyRN]

The worst case of bullying came from a rude disrespectful MD. She would call people stupid and berate them in front of colleagues and patients. She was constantly written up but no one would listen and she continues to harass nurses. Fortunately I don't work there anymore and it was one of the reasons I left.

[thevez]

First off, DO NOT CONCLUDE THAT YOU ARE BEING BULLIED FROM ONLY ONE INCIDENCE.

We all have our bad moments and we can be rude and tensed sometimes if we are preoccupied and very busy. This doesn't mean that we will always be like that.

ALWAYS DOCUMENT or write somewhere if you have suspicions of being bullied and if it gets worst to the point that they are sabotaging your job, then it is time to move. Talk to the person first and if the person will not stop, it's time to take it to another level.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I find it strange that you want to dwell on the chance that you might be bullied as a new nurse. How will this prepare you to handle such a situation if it were to occur? Bullying exists in all parts of life from a child on were you bullied as a child or in school that you feel predisposed to becoming a victim? I saw bullying as a child and in high school, never participated in it, felt sorry for the victims, would be friendly to them, but didn't stand up to the bullies themselves, probably because I didn't want to become their next target.

I've worked many jobs outside of nursing and while some coworkers weren't nice none actually had the power to bully me! I was harassed by a coworker as a new nurse and looking back feel it was my insecurity and trying to please others that made me a target. Believe me I was very pissed about it and wanted to take that woman down and if it wasn't a work situation I would have done just that! But when things happen at work your hands are tied and if you try to fight back you are the one that gets in trouble especially if you are the newcomer.

The best thing to protect yourself is to be self confident and independent and not care what other people think! No one will ever bully me again because I won't give them a chance if they push I'll push back right away just as much. I don't waste my time trying to please people anymore or even trying to be friends. I do my job and go home. Cliques and bullies come and go. I think 12 hour shifts mixes up the coworkers enough to keep cliques from getting out of hand. I would be wary of working monday thru friday with the same group of coworkers day after day.

[nursel56]

The worst case of bullying I ever saw was the way a supervisor with many personality problems, whose job was safe due to her being hired by the Medical Director abused and humiliated a sweet good-hearted nurse who had been working at that facility for 30 years.

She was beloved by the attendings and fellows, never a complaint. When none of the "bigwigs" were around to watch, the supervisor would grill her with questions about her clinical practice in a sing-songy voice and laugh if she couldn't come up with an answer right away.

She attacked the woman's religion in many a conversation at the nurse's station, as well as her racial and cultural background. I left that job myself, and I am sure this very dignified and respected woman who was genuinely bullied retired soon after, and not because her practice was unsafe. My guess is the supervisor was jealous of this person's relationship with people she thought held high status in the organizaton. The saddest thing to me was none of the docs who would breeze through and always have a warm greeting "Hi A----! How are you?" ever knew why she left early, because she was not the type to tell them.

Witnessing that is one thing that makes me reluctant to call somebody frowning at you or not saying hello one day bullying and lateral violence.

[Gooselady, BSN, RN]

I find it strange that you want to dwell on the chance that you might be bullied as a new nurse. How will this prepare you to handle such a situation if it were to occur?

I find it strange that ANYONE finds it strange to be concerned about bullying in nursing. Nurses are mean to each other in TV shows and movies. People who keep up with news and trends in general will have heard about nursing's 'lateral violence'. Bullying as a topic is huge with schools, as a social media phenomenon. "Public shaming" via Twitter and Facebook is a well known thing, there are books written on it. A person would have to be practically clueless, as an up and coming nurse, to NOT be at least somewhat concerned.

And then they come to post here and asked if they are trolls?

And 'shamed' for even asking about it. As if simple concern and curiosity about such an OBVIOUS nursing issue is a sign of the questioner's bad intentions. I get it that nurses in general are embarrassed or frustrated that this is a well known nursing issue, and that bullying itself is UGLY and no one wants such a thing associated with nursing.

But let's face it and 'be the change' we want to see. Healthcare people bullying each other isn't going to go away by insisting it doesn't exist and 'shaming' people who ask directly about it.

[FlyingScot, RN]

I find it strange that ANYONE finds it strange to be concerned about bullying in nursing. Nurses are mean to each other in TV shows and movies. People who keep up with news and trends in general will have heard about nursing's 'lateral violence'. Bullying as a topic is huge with schools, as a social media phenomenon. "Public shaming" via Twitter and Facebook is a well known thing, there are books written on it. A person would have to be practically clueless, as an up and coming nurse, to NOT be at least somewhat concerned.

And then they come to post here and asked if they are trolls?

And 'shamed' for even asking about it. As if simple concern and curiosity about such an OBVIOUS nursing issue is a sign of the questioner's bad intentions. I get it that nurses in general are embarrassed or frustrated that this is a well known nursing issue, and that bullying itself is UGLY and no one wants such a thing associated with nursing.

But let's face it and 'be the change' we want to see. Healthcare people bullying each other isn't going to go away by insisting it doesn't exist and 'shaming' people who ask directly about it.

Yes but even the OP's instructor's example really wasn't bullying. That's the problem. People are calling even the most mildly negative interaction bullying and that is really insulting to those people who have truly suffered under the hands of a real bully.