We have several new nurses on our hall. All are young, fresh, eager, and valuable. Valuable meaning they can be floated to ICU, and ER, if needed.
One of them is a mean girl. Mouthy. Opinionated. Condescending to the CNAs especially, but also to us "old" nurses. While I find her behavior grating, I am busy enough it doesn't interfere with how I do my job. On the other hand the CNA morale is in the basement. Sometimes the CNA reprimands are not out of line, it's just the humiliating way it's delivered. Nursing management is aware, but in my opinion are hesitant to reprimand her because she is a NURSING asset.
So here is where we're at. Nursing management had a meeting and informed the whole unit that it was our responsibility, nurse and CNA to monitor objectionable behavior. We should not stand by and allow our co-workers to be brow beaten. We should stand up and object when incivility was occuring. It was our job to police our unit. Of course the perp doesn't even realize she's the problem.
In theory good people should not stand by and allow bad people to create havoc. But when you're on the job isn't that the job of management?
Print out this thread & give it to management, your peers, & anonymously (or not) in perhaps an envelope with this person's name on it slash Mean Girl.
Or, put on your most serious I'm going to **** up your **** face and tone and say: I'm going to **** up your **** face. Then **** up her **** face. What is that second **** anyway? Nah, that wouldn't work for one or two reasons.
Management probably won't intervene, right? Look at [it] as a chance for you and your colleagues to assume the leadership of your unit. It could actually be a good opportunity for all of you to really create the workplace environment you want. This is as sound as it gets I think, as far as getting your 2 cents worth.
Isn't it pathetic that some people never leave 8th grade? Wonder what they grew up thinking that makes them think that what they do is ok... sad, growing state of affairs.
What's also pathetic is that someone is getting paid management dollars and not doing the management job. Which also makes me think that if you guys do as requested and try to "self police" Mistress Snippy is going to be the first one running to HR, at which point the manager will do a "Mission:impossible" and disavow all knowledge of your activities and prior instructions.
When I've worked with bullies (and that's what this is), and they start eating someone up, I usually do something like the following:
"What're you yelling at her for?" (bogus answer) "Gee, if that's all you've got to worry about, how about you get the next admission, the rest of us are too swamped to care about (bogus answer)?" Or, "Hey, look, I just got my patient to sleep, stop carrying on in the hallway, nothing they did is worth waking Mr. Z up for..."
And bury her in work. Keep her so slammed she can't have time to be queen of the nurse's station. What I noticed as a manager was that if you gave the whinners and the tale carriers work every time they tried to be teacher's pet, they soon learned to stop doing it.
What's also pathetic is that someone is getting paid management dollars and not doing the management job. Which also makes me think that if you guys do as requested and try to "self police" Mistress Snippy is going to be the first one running to HR, at which point the manager will do a "Mission:impossible" and disavow all knowledge of your activities and prior instructions.
When I've worked with bullies (and that's what this is), and they start eating someone up, I usually do something like the following:
"What're you yelling at her for?" (bogus answer) "Gee, if that's all you've got to worry about, how about you get the next admission, the rest of us are too swamped to care about (bogus answer)?" Or, "Hey, look, I just got my patient to sleep, stop carrying on in the hallway, nothing they did is worth waking Mr. Z up for..."
And bury her in work. Keep her so slammed she can't have time to be queen of the nurse's station. What I noticed as a manager was that if you gave the whinners and the tale carriers work every time they tried to be teacher's pet, they soon learned to stop doing it.
Excellent, Nerdtonurse! Operant conditioning is an effective way to train without her figuring out what is going on. Just make sure enough nurses are on the same page with the plan to be able to be fairly consistent.
The answer to the question in your last sentence, is "yes". In this case management has solved the problem in their eyes by passing the buck to everyone else. Problem solved. Management has another great accomplishment. Passing the buck is one management technique among many, such as "ignore the problems, they will go away".
Once again a great example of management not doing their job.
I agree that your unit has an opportunity to come together and set the tone, and educate this mean nurse about what is acceptable behavior and what isn't. Become the leaders that you don't have right now.
I would try to incorporate a little bit of everything that has been mentioned above.
Yes, it is management's job. What else are they there for but to manage? I hate the passing of the buck to the other employees. To me it just says management can't be trusted in any sense, because they can't be trusted to do this one very important task.
In theory, the employees confonting the mean girl is a nice idea, but how does it work in reality? I only see the situation deteriorating. If she's so mean now, is one of her fellow employees confronting her going to make much difference? Obviously she doesn't respect her coworkers, so why would she respect the confronters? Management needs to quit being lazy and do the hard part of their job. I'm sorry you're stuck dealing with their failings.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Since you mention that it's just one of the new nurses who is engaging in that behavior at this point, maybe you can work with the others to forge a stronger sense of teamwork, as it's been my experience that type of personality will usually begin to intimidate other people into being in their posse. That is almost impossible to undo.
Whether it is the manager's responsibility or not -- he/she has stated they don't intend to play that role. But giving you the green light to stand up for an employee who is being bullied and driving morale into the toilet may turn out to be a blessing.
I say that because of all the ways people have chosen to bring about a change in unit culture, it is a tacit assumption that you just don't accept that there., or a modeling of the right behavior and new people always look for cues that let them know where the unwritten boundaries are.
So a manager who comes in occasionally to deliver a set of do's and don'ts and heads back to their office until things boil over again will have an effectiveness level of zero.
Honestly, I know in my case if she was either browbeating the CNAs or me, I would have a huge problem letting it roll off. I'd have opened my mouth and told her off too soon most likely.
And bury her in work. Keep her so slammed she can't have time to be queen of the nurse's station. What I noticed as a manager was that if you gave the whinners and the tale carriers work every time they tried to be teacher's pet, they soon learned to stop doing it.
Attitude adjustment by steady nursing intervention tasks throughout the shift. (Bury her in work concept)
Nerdtonurse, you are so right on! Too much idle time, mischief can run free.
Sounds like the nurse in question has a low self esteem, so has to puff up to
hide the fact some of the CNAs may know more than her.
I have always balked at having to do supervisory jobs. Thanks everybody for making me see things more clearly. I'll not ignore the behavior when I go to work tonight, which has been my MO so far. Ignoring things does NOT make it go away. Wish me luck. The volcano may erupt all over me.:) Or it may just stop smoking.
I agree with the other posters, though, that these managers are displaying their weakness and inability and are trying to pass off their responsibilities to the staff.
I would just be assertive with the witchy woman and bust her each time, in front of as many people as possible. She'll learn quickly that way.
i don't agree or disagree that mgmt is passing the buck.
many (mgrs) believe that we adults, should be able to work it out amongst ourselves, first.
if other nurses agree that this new nurse is condescending and disrespectful to the aides, then it'd be appropriate for all of you to stand together and share your concerns.
but - i would never do so in front of as many people as possible.
that is just as humiliating and belittling to what you're accusing the new nurse of.
but i do believe it'd be effective to stand united, as you teach this newcomer the proper way of talking to a person.
morecoffeepls, BSN, RN
122 Posts
Print out this thread & give it to management, your peers, & anonymously (or not) in perhaps an envelope with this person's name on it slash Mean Girl.
Or, put on your most serious I'm going to **** up your **** face and tone and say: I'm going to **** up your **** face. Then **** up her **** face. What is that second **** anyway? Nah, that wouldn't work for one or two reasons.
Management probably won't intervene, right? Look at [it] as a chance for you and your colleagues to assume the leadership of your unit. It could actually be a good opportunity for all of you to really create the workplace environment you want. This is as sound as it gets I think, as far as getting your 2 cents worth.