Why are nurses so backbiting?

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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?

It happens most often when your supervisor cultivates some staff to be informers on other staff...being some staffs best friend,going out with them,giving them days off they want etc. Just a game they play and when you won't play....your the oursider.

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The management attitude is track down the gossip and slay the dragon wether said dragon is guilty or not. Its an attempt to shut up all the ones who feel like they deserve a trophy to.

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Specializes in ICU.
It happens most often when your supervisor cultivates some staff to be informers on other staff...being some staffs best friend,going out with them,giving them days off they want etc. Just a game they play and when youwon't play....your the oursider.

Very true. An incompetent creepster manager will favor people who resemble himself -

the incompetent nurses who are adept at

lying,covering up problems, faking data and pretending that everything's rosy.

The worst of the worst are then made charge and given control of scheduling. This blind leading

the blind is found in level nothing community hospitals.

Experienced staff witness the negligence and say whiskey-tango-foxtrot. Their credentials

and experience are belittled from the start.

Upper management will back their weak little protege because this unethical behavior serves

their purposes.

Competent staff who identify serious practice

problems are labeled a problem.

If you encounter this in your professional life, I have one word for you. Run.

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Specializes in Palliative.

I am a woman who has had mostly male best friends; primarily it's just because I had more in common with them. Women in general are okay with me.

That said, some of the worst people I've known for cattiness and backbiting have been male nurses and aids. Some women too, but the men who engage in it really seem to excel. Maybe it's the competitive male nature.

Anyway anecdotal that may be, but it goes to show that it's an issue of enculturation. And what has been said about management applies. They create a culture of backbiting, which is layered over extant societal expectations for nurses (which are the same expectations made of women, just amped up to 11). Add to that modern healthcare seems to be run by people living in a fairytale where straw really is expected to be spun into gold by their underlings and it's not hard to see where things are going wrong. When the environment is toxic, even the best people mutate into an uglier version of themselves; those who already have that sort of bent thrive in such environments. And then it all goes pear shaped and everyone of value leaves while they still care enough to.

It can be surprising how quickly this process can happen with the right (or wrong) conditions in place. I would never underestimate the ability of leadership to alter the course of a workplace. Instead of blaming the peons at the med carts for endemic problems (as admin is typically wont to do), a bigger picture approach would address the entire top down culture. But that would require self examination and accountability at the levels where you're supposed to have moved past that.

BTW, catty men are usually called "snarky". This is the only reason people think men aren't "catty"--because the word just isn't used in reference to men. Snarky is used instead to describe the same behaviour. I'm pretty sure that rule was established with the founding of usenet or something.

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Specializes in Palliative.
The management attitude is track down the gossip and slay the dragon wether said dragon is guilty or not. Its an attempt to shut up all the ones who feel like they deserve a trophy to.

What is interesting about this is that it's the intentional formation of a shame culture. And shame cultures make personal accountability an impossibility. I'm sure there's a lesson in there for someone.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
it seems that way because Nursing is primarily occupied by women.

Your misogyny is showing.

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It happens most often when your supervisor cultivates some staff to be informers on other staff...being some staffs best friend,going out with them,giving them days off they want etc. Just a game they play and when you won't play....your the oursider.

Exactly what happened to me. The friend that got me hired was the BF to the boss. They promoted her to supervisor. Her and another RN. The other RN left. My "friend " somehow turned on me, and now my illiterate LPN manager threw me to the bottom of the heap. I have been told that I out perform my friend in all aspects of nursing. But, I'm at the bottom of the list for hours even with the most seniority. I even got my medical cut, and went over my boss's head. She then turned a around and wrote me up. Nobody in my company gets a write up. It was for using a clients computer, which was wrong but I was working with HR off island to get medical reinstated for the next day. Also, for calling the case manager ( I didn't know we were not allowed to do that) to find out if my boss put my notice in on a VERY nasty client. It was 6 months prior to the write up. Moral of the story is don't fight your boss, you won't win. I've always had union jobs, but no Union here. So, that's why I agree with you. When you are the boss's BFF, your the queen. Imagine that. So, let's all play nice. :)

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LOL! There are some really misogynistic posts on this thread. No wonder there's a perception that nurses don't like each other and can't get along. If this thread was a representative sample, we're all jerks.

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I guess I'm lucky to work at the hospital that I work for bc I've been there for three yrs and never seen this or heard of this happening on other units. We all try to support each other.

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I have worked in many different areas only a couple were bad. I think if there are more employees it doesn't occur. When I worked with less than 5 it was horrible. If personalities clash stay away, don't allow them to intimidate you. Some feed off of the power trip they get.

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Specializes in TELE, CVU, ICU.

Been there. I didnt get a chance to run.

Very true. An incompetent creepster manager will favor people who resemble himself -

the incompetent nurses who are adept at

lying,covering up problems, faking data and pretending that everything's rosy.

The worst of the worst are then made charge and given control of scheduling. This blind leading

the blind is found in level nothing community hospitals.

Experienced staff witness the negligence and say whiskey-tango-foxtrot. Their credentials

and experience are belittled from the start.

Upper management will back their weak little protege because this unethical behavior serves

their purposes.

Competent staff who identify serious practice

problems are labeled a problem.

If you encounter this in your professional life, I have one word for you. Run.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
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