Where are the professionals?

[mswim]

I thought when I became a nurse that I would be working with a group of adults that were professional. I am younger than most of my coworkers. I am amazed. We had nurse that had a disagreement with another nurse. Spent all of shift report making nasty comments about that other nurse, as well as others on the floor. She then did not speak to any of us for the rest of the shift. Then today 2 nurses stayed over to for our shift from doing a 12 hour shift, and then proceeded in front of me to make negative comments about how my shift is Lazy, and whiny. After I reminded them that I was still standing "there". There reply was "we know". This is only the stuff I have to write in the past 3 days. Why can't we all be professionals? Why can't we stop picking on each other, and start making constructive comments and talking to each other with respect? Our jobs our stressful enough, I have no tolerance for this behavior that makes things worse. Another interesting thing I have noticed is that it is not the new nurses, it is mostly nurses that have been there for a long time. I left high school a long time ago, I don't really relish the idea of going back. Why are we our own worst enemies? The staff cutting, the calling off, the demanding patient's at time these are things we cannot do anything about. Our behavior is something we control.

[nursel56]

Wow, abbaking. I honestly don't think I could have worked one more day under a person who would humiliate you like that. Even setting aside the breach by announcing your medical condition in any way, shape or form to a group of your co-workers.

I'm glad she was finally canned. I guess they really couldn't ignore that whole "killing someone" thing. :uhoh21: Most of the time we never see the karma-- people like that do seem to have an amazing ability to explain away things for years and years, and top management seldom questions the status quo until they are literally forced to. Sorry you had to endure that crap.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

Being a travel nurse at one point taught me how to deal with toxic work places. As a Travel RN, you tend to land in the most putrid of toxic units AND you instantly become the focus of the poison darts being thrown around.

Two things that can shield you from it all:

1. A firm, foot stomping insistence upon not joining in on it. As soon as people started with the "Oh, and watch out for this one and that one, and this nurse had a child out of wedlock and that nurse's driving is reckless and I heard Nurse A on night shift is like this at home.................." I find something to do. I don't even hear it. If someone persists, keeps trying to bait me in to talk about others, I simply keep changing the subject until the point is made.

2. Pt. focus. When I traveled, it had to be my focus. Most nurses who indulge in heavy gossip lack this. Bringing the focus back to the pt. usually scares the gossips away cause they don't want to hear about it. I start asking questions "Did I put this x-ray order in right? Do you think room 112 will be discharged cause I might start the paperwork?". Conversation KILLER as far as gossips are concerned.

[SharonH, RN]

Another vote here for faulty management. Management truly sets the tone and if your manager is clueless or worse, toxic him/herself then that will be reflected by the staff. I now work in a large organization with a variety of different professions and trust me, the behaviors you describe are not limited to nursing.

[SharonH, RN]

Being a travel nurse at one point taught me how to deal with toxic work places. As a Travel RN, you tend to land in the most putrid of toxic units AND you instantly become the focus of the poison darts being thrown around.

Two things that can shield you from it all:

1. A firm, foot stomping insistence upon not joining in on it. As soon as people started with the "Oh, and watch out for this one and that one, and this nurse had a child out of wedlock and that nurse's driving is reckless and I heard Nurse A on night shift is like this at home.................." I find something to do. I don't even hear it. If someone persists, keeps trying to bait me in to talk about others, I simply keep changing the subject until the point is made.

2. Pt. focus. When I traveled, it had to be my focus. Most nurses who indulge in heavy gossip lack this. Bringing the focus back to the pt. usually scares the gossips away cause they don't want to hear about it. I start asking questions "Did I put this x-ray order in right? Do you think room 112 will be discharged cause I might start the paperwork?". Conversation KILLER as far as gossips are concerned.

This is very true. Great advice! I was a per diem nurse for many years and floated to many different units. Maintaining patient focus and acting as though you don't suffer fools lightly will deflect the gossips. It might get a little lonely at lunch but a good book will fill the time nicely.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

This is very true. Great advice! I was a per diem nurse for many years and floated to many different units. Maintaining patient focus and acting as though you don't suffer fools lightly will deflect the gossips. It might get a little lonely at lunch but a good book will fill the time nicely.

If they gossips are your only option for a lunch buddy, I prefer lonely.

At my first travel assignment, I did not know to be so careful with them. Fact is, I humored them and joined in on it. Agreed with everything they had to say. That lead to them running around acting as if I started the gossip "That Travel nurse said blah blah blah". I hadn't said anything except agreed with them.

I guess its kinda like the mafia laundering money. The gossip likes to launder their rumors. Let it look like you started them.