Why are nurses so backbiting?

[RNBSN1591]

I see it in the hospital. I see the "keep your head down and don't ever correct a teacher" and I've seen it in my current place of work. Why does it seem that nurses want to one up each other or socially isolate people? Do you see what I see?

[Farawyn]

EMT in addition to being a nurse. We asshats a building and office space with the firemen (and do all of our fundraisers together). They will pretty much be in a fistfight one minute, then drinking together the next.

:)

How does one "asshats" a building? I've never used that as a verb.

Autocorrect, I love you. Sometimes.

[Dogen]

One time, I was complaining to my boyfriend of the uselessness of unit staff meetings. The manager set the agenda, ran the meeting and was dismissive toward anyone who spoke up (like me). My BF asked me, in all seriousness, why I didn't start screaming and banging on the table in those meetings. I told him because I would be promptly taken to task for such a behavioural outburst and would never have any credibility again. His response: "Really?" Apparently, men respect such behaviour from other men.

What field is he in? I've never worked in a field where you can act like that. If I'd interrupted a lab meeting that way they would have thought I'd gone soft in the head.

Another thing we've all learned from this forum: there is no shortage of holier-than-thou types who are desperate to feel superior. The buzz-kills that come on every vent thread to chide us for our lack of compassion - those are the ones ratting us off for ordering pizza.

Yeah! We should be bullying them! Tattle on my pizza...

[Elladora]

How does one "asshats" a building? I've never used that as a verb.

Autocorrect, I love you. Sometimes.

Sweet Jesus.

[Elladora]

And continue to gossip and whine when the other one turns his back. Fistfights and beer don't negate the petty BS. It just accentuates it.

Lol ours don't do that. Once it's done, it's done. (Thank God!)

And it won't let me fix my typo. Yet.

[TriciaJ, RN]

What field is he in? I've never worked in a field where you can act like that. If I'd interrupted a lab meeting that way they would have thought I'd gone soft in the head.

Yeah! We should be bullying them! Tattle on my pizza...

Law enforcement. But my ex was in sales and that was his M.O. too. I'd have been written off as a kook if I'd ever pulled that anywhere.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

What field is he in? I've never worked in a field where you can act like that. If I'd interrupted a lab meeting that way they would have thought I'd gone soft in the head.

.

I did work with someone like that - basically throwing tantrums in meetings.

A tad tetched in the head in my opinion.

But that still doesn't prove that "nurses" are backbiters. She was a Social Worker. :)

[Twinmom06, ASN, APN]

We nurses and CNAs on my unit have a great time together. It's the unit clerk that creates tension and thinks she's in charge. This doesn't go over well with RNs. And yes I'll admit I'm glad when her shift ends or she's got a day off and so is everyone else. The other part that creates tension is that it seems that our manager treats her special. Things like that cause division.

we had a UDC like this - eventually after spitting in food in the unit fridge she was finally dismissed.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Thete is truth in the saying nurses eat their young! Every hospital I've worked in has been rampant with cliques, catty, backstabbers. It's as if they feel it will make them look better if they report the horrendous wrong doings of others. For example.. I was once called in because someone complained that I said I would only care for cute babies... not ugly ones... ummmm...really? Once for ordering a pizza with a Co worker.. we were scolded for not including everyone and how we ate it in the dirty utility room.... GROSSS!!!!!!! I could go on and on.

But I do agree that management has a huge part in condoning...if not encouraging this behavior. I worked on a floor with 3 separate depts...L&D, mom/baby,and nicu... their was fierce hostility and tension between the 3 areas...and ll claiming the others were favored and had to do less work. This created huge barriers and lots of tatteling.. management told me those people who come forward have courage and should be admired. ..Ratner than encouraging professionals to work out problems on their own as we are taught in nursing svchool. It was a nightmare.

Your experiences, while unfortunate, have zero to do with nursing. They have zero to do with female-female interactions.

They are the result of a management problem. Your management has hired poor-quality human beings. "Adults" ... who have nothing better to occupy their attention, their intellect, and their emotional engagement than to speak out loud the words, "she said she would only take care of cute babies, not ugly ones." And others who also suffer the same deficits, who would actually "follow up" on such comments.

[1_fit_male_nurse2b]

"Everybody wants to rule the world..." ~Tears for Fears. So apropo!? And jelly insecurities.

[1_fit_male_nurse2b]

Your experiences, while unfortunate, have zero to do with nursing. They have zero to do with female-female interactions.

They are the result of a management problem. Your management has hired poor-quality human beings. "Adults" ... who have nothing better to occupy their attention, their intellect, and their emotional engagement than to speak out loud the words, "she said she would only take care of cute babies, not ugly ones." And others who also suffer the same deficits, who would actually "follow up" on such comments.

Women. Right? LOL

That is a joke for those that need clarification.

[Farawyn]

Women. Right? LOL

That is a joke for those that need clarification.

Can you clarify your last 2 posts, por favor?

(Jelly should always be raspberry.)

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

"Some" nurses will take out their frustrations on others.. because they feel helpless in their current position.

Frustrated, overworked, and unappreciated. Some personalities will take it out on the newbie, an agency nurse, anyone viewed as lower on the totem pole.

And then again .. maybe some of them are just female dogs.