Published Jan 26, 2012
pinksunflower
192 Posts
Working as a nurse anywhere is like students in a classroom. There are mixture various people,race,culture and mostly behaviors. I thought having a job in a working environment is different from a classroom setting. But I was wrong. Its still the same concept. A lot of intrigues, alliances, and politics. Just wanna know who are you at work? And how do you handle such conflict of personalities?
TheCommuter, BSN, RN
102 Articles; 27,612 Posts
I'm the staff nurse who tries to keep a low profile, fly under the radar, and stay out of management's way. I don't do a lot of complaining or demand a lot of accommodations. I'm somewhat quiet and reserved. Some of my coworkers would describe me as 'quiet,' 'weird' and 'helpful' in the same sentence.
I have noticed that the most vocal nurses who bring their issues and complaints to the forefront are the same ones who get targeted by management. It pays to lay low, especially in a local economy where nursing jobs are tight. After all, management can conjure up any reason to get rid of the squeaky wheel.
As in my case, I am just a 3 week old nurse working in LTC. So far, I am learning little by little. You could just imagine how overwhelm I feel up until now. I dont know when it will stop. But I noticed that, attitude is everything.Esp if you are new to the place and profession. For me, I could say Im a lost kid at this moment! They describe me as 'girly'. But sometimes I would prefer to be called vixen. LOL But really we all know we have this preferred image/persona that we like to be. And I chose to be mysterious and sometimes loud. I dont know! Im a mixture maybe.
paddler
162 Posts
In school I was top student, class representative, the one who always did the homework and tutored along the slackers. At work I am reserved, keep to myself and just last night was told, "At first I thought you were stand-off-ish", by a co-worker who never once looked me in the eye before and I assumed he was a total jerk. I try and do my own job, assist others when possible, and thank and praise my aides frequently. But, I am not into gossip or learning about people's personal lives. I am absolutely not interested. I am there to work. I do not stand around on the clock and B.S. while patients are waiting for assistance. There are a lot of cliques and I'm not in any of them, go figure. I guess it depends on the environment and milieu of where you work. I have worked elsewhere where I truly liked all my co-workers and there were no cliques and there was a genuine team environment. It was strange and awesome and have never seen a place like it since or before. I think management has a lot to do with that sort of thing.
Nice! Oh well in my case i was also an achiever..before! Esp in highschool. But I became very lazy in terms of learning.Its safe to say that I have reached exhausion.Dont get me wrong. Im just in my twenty's. Although I still study hard, its just that the energy level wasnt the same as before.The motivation factor diminished. And that continued till now, I am as a nurse. I felt like I need to have a vacation maybe. Or maybe its just really surfacing that I can be very unenergetic sometimes.
NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN
2,387 Posts
I'm the friendly nurse, and always willing to help as long as I'm not drowning myself. I am nice, but I don't let people walk all over me and am thankful that ICU forced me to adapt that skill. I'm careful and gentle with patients, and will hold their hands when they're dying. I will also be the first to holler for help when I know I need it. It's a job meant to have team work, and if you can't do that, you shouldn't be a nurse.
treeye
127 Posts
I am not a fan of my nursing school. Some teachers and classmates are mean, unprofessional and are masters of dramas and gossips. I managed to mind my own business and stay clear from those drama queens. My work place is very nice though. Most coworkers offer encouragement, help and guidance all the time. Of course, there are a few who are different. I tries to be nice to everyone and offer help when I can. I am learning who to stay clear of though :) Politics is everywhere but cultures can vary from place to place.
Perpetual Student
682 Posts
Jack Bauer, clearly. Confident, assertive, dependable, and willing and able to get down to business. I'm also friendly to just about everyone I encounter. I get along great with most folks in most departments. I'm inclined to joke around with everyone.
beckster_01, BSN, RN
500 Posts
Haha Jack Bauer...love it.
I am another one of those quiet, "stand-offish" types. I have been on the same unit for a year and a half and have hung out with people from work a total of 3 times. I am just very cautious about developing personal relationships at work. While I love the people I work with, I will always feel weird hanging out with them outside of work. On a professional level many people see me as approachable, so if they have a question or need reassurance they come to me. However there are many times when I really have no clue so we go to a less-approachable but more knowledgeable resource together. There is power in numbers :)
MN-Nurse, ASN, RN
1,398 Posts
Just wanna know who are you at work? And how do you handle such conflict of personalities?
Who am I at work? I am the one way too busy taking care of people to spend any time on intrigues, alliances or politics.
Scarlette Wings
358 Posts
people are just people. if someone is immature or shy or acts like bully in school that personality tends to carry into adulthood and sadly into work. on the other hand, we each have our own emotional baggage and reasons for being who and what we are. pretty much i think we all are just doing the best we can to get through life. it can be a tough journey. that being said, it doesn't make bitter people easier to get along with or a tattle tail any less likely to gossip and run to management. i try very hard to accept everyone as they are and realize that we can all bring something positive to the table. ((it can be hard to find the good in some folks though, specially when the pain in your back is the knife and not from pulling on patients lol.))
nurseaig, ASN, BSN, MSN, NP
126 Posts
I am very bored with Med/Surg. but I do like my colleagues. I am very friendly, approachable and will help out in anyway possible. At times I think my colleagues (which mostly have more experience than I) are complacent and scared of change.
I want to make it into management. I personally think there I can make real change when it comes to patient care.