Why are OR nurses so mean????

[brainnurse]

I've been in the OR for 25 years. Started as a scrub tech, worked my way through nursing school, and up to management. Recently, because of a relocation, I took a staff job in the OR, and was struck right between the eyes by the horrible way people treat each other. The backstabbing, and tattling, the abuse from MD's.....I don't remember it this way. I remember a family that supported each other, we went to happy hours together and celebrated each other's marriages and births.

I quit after two months of what I consider harrassment. I was given 3 days orientation and then had to jump in and figure out where everything was in this haphazard old OR. I guess travelers do it all the time.....I don't know how. I was hauled into the managers office every other afternoon, to address the list of "complaints" she had received. One was "she doesn't want to do cysto." Huh? Nobody ever asked me if I wanted to do cysto. (I don't. lol) Nobody ever corrected me to my face. If they had, I would have thanked them and learned from the correction. This way, I felt attacked all the time and had to defend myself. More often than not, I went home crying. Nearly every day, there was someone sitting in the locker room crying. What kind of a job is this!

The thing is.....I'm an excellent OR nurse! I can scrub, circulate and anything in between. I'm an RNFA too, and specialize in neuro. They never gave me a chance. Why??

Because they felt threatened? About what? If it's competetive, what are we competing FOR? What's the prize??

Screw it, I'm out. No more OR for me. I'm going to do hospice :>)

Thanks for listening....no-one else could ever understand.

Ro

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I understand

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Let me get this right. After being in the OR for 25 years you're allowing one hospital to jade you and you're out of OR nursing for good and now generalizing all OR nurses as being the "b" word?

That's wrong.

But yes, definately get out of there, I don't blame you a bit. Sounds dreadful. I understand toxic environments and they are out there for sure. Good luck to you.

[sharann, BSN, RN]

Unfortunately it is not limited to OR nurses and staff. There is a toxic undertone found in many of our workplaces. I think everyone is just too stressed and full of themselves.

[Tievoli]

Unfortunately it is not limited to OR nurses and staff. There is a toxic undertone found in many of our workplaces. I think everyone is just too stressed and full of themselves.

My thoughts exactly. I have never worked in OR but I have worked with my fair share of b***hes. There seem to be a great many people who would rather go to the bosses with their gripes than take you aside and say it to your face. Dont let it sour you too much but I agree to you leaving that particular OR

[jschut, BSN, RN]

Unfortunately it is not limited to OR nurses and staff. There is a toxic undertone found in many of our workplaces. I think everyone is just too stressed and full of themselves.

:yeahthat:

[brainnurse]

Thanks for listening to me rant and vent. My husband and friends are sympathetic, but don't really "get" it, having never been in that world. I should add that even though it sounded like I lumped all OR nurses together as meanies....of course they're not. Some are the most wonderful people I've ever had the privilege to know. If I did label them all that way, I would have to include myself, and I'm sure I have earned the title on more than one occasion. But I can say that I've never stepped on anyone elses face to get where I wanted to go.

I'm not leaving OR work because of this one experience. I have to confess that this time around, I'm finding the work harder....the physical labor (those spinal fusion trays are darn heavy!), the pressure and the call. Somehow, it was all easier when I was (stop!....don't say it!....) younger.

I'm interested in trying hospice. It sounds more gentle, and perhaps a little slower pace, and I can use my interpersonal skills, and my mind instead of my back for a change.

Thanks for responding,

Ro

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Good luck to you. I've heard good things about Hospice and I wish you well there.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

I understand RO. And guess what? I just started in the OR 6 months ago. I work with a bunch of jackals. I ask myself what I got myself into almost everyday. I really dont know what the problem is. What are they threatened of? They know 10 times more than me. I am taking nobody's job, except the travelers, and, ironically, they have been the nicest, and I have learned the most from them!!! And its not just me, its all of us new people, just because. I dont know. I just want to learn. And I never was characterized as a sensitive person!!! Never!!! The surgeons are pussycats compared to my fellow nurses, and the scrub techs, on my g-d, do thy have a chip on their shoulder, or something,.....I work in a tough place,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[redraccoon, BSN, RN]

They are not all like that... fortunately! I'm not - and I make a concentrated effort not to tolerate that type of behavior around me.

It sucks that you landed in that type of hostile work place. If you wanted to spend the time and effort you could make a big deal of it - "hostile work place" discirimation suits are not all that uncommon.....

However, my best recommendation is to go somewhere else with a good manager who wont tolerate the childish behavior from the staff or the docs.

Good luck. There are decent OR's out there!

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Unfortunately it is not limited to OR nurses and staff. There is a toxic undertone found in many of our workplaces. I think everyone is just too stressed and full of themselves.

:yeahthat:

[DarlinNurseRed]

Is this an example of the reality show mentality? Did you get voted off the island? I know this sounds silly, but I do believe that some nurses think nursing is a competition. I grew up watching Gilligan's Island,,,where they worked together while enjoying life, and trying to get off the island TOGETHER. Nowadays, everyone brings the drama and mean disposition to work, where they forget to nurture, learn to compete. Just an observation, of course.