Workplace cliques

DanaMSN, MSN · Jan 26, 2013

I work in LTC and the cliques are terrible at my facility. We actually have groups of nurses and aids that look for every tiny mistake a coworker makes and then report to the DON.

LTCnurse11 · Jan 26, 2013

I work in LTC and the cliques are terrible at my facility. We actually have groups of nurses and aids that look for every tiny mistake a coworker makes and then report to the DON.

Oh my lord, LTC is very notorious for having that issue. So much wasted energy when all certain people want to do is catch you in a mistake.

RNikkiF · Jan 27, 2013

It is bad at my facility. The clique consists of a NOCs Charge, Days Charge, two floor nurses and all of our EMT/Paramedics. Our former DON was in on it too, but he since quit. You can't really fight it in this case, all I can do is hope that the new DON gives a crap and does something about it. It is a very small facility (43 beds) so it doesn't take a huge group of people to become very powerful. The problem is that not too many of the other nurses who are not in the clique want to put their neck out there and stand up to these people.

LTCnurse11 · Jan 27, 2013

It is bad at my facility. The clique consists of a NOCs Charge, Days Charge, two floor nurses and all of our EMT/Paramedics. Our former DON was in on it too, but he since quit. You can't really fight it in this case, all I can do is hope that the new DON gives a crap and does something about it. It is a very small facility (43 beds) so it doesn't take a huge group of people to become very powerful. The problem is that not too many of the other nurses who are not in the clique want to put their neck out there and stand up to these people.

That is so interesting to hear that from another person. I had been working at a very small hospital as a new grad and it was astounding to see how few people it takes to create a "dictatorship". It's amazing how inexperienced nurses get big jobs and big heads. Tunnel vision is what nurses get once they obtain power. Patient focus gets lost and workplace cliques start. The supervisor I was under had been talking crap behind my back before I was even let out of orientation. And I already can say I have more experience than her. The hospital I worked has 25 licensed critical access beds. So small and so ridiculous. I've recently moved on and gladly can say those issues are reduced in a larger hospital setting.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jan 27, 2013

Cliques have a risk of growing "anywhere". I work at a pediatric facility. I remember seeing people gravitate toward people that they felt in common with, but the general consensus was we generally work with each other. Then there was a evolution that "clicked"...we discuss issues that arise, management knows about it. When it affects pt safety, they do act on it. The RN of the group was fired. The LPN and two assistants. that were (since they have been "neutralized") a part of the clique are all pregnant...when the issue raised about staffing and even taking on care, management did hold on everyone being equal in care assignments. Either way, management has no qualms about writing up, suspending, pushing out, and firing people when it comes to violating policy...but it has kicked it up a notch once the RN of the clique was fired. It just happened that a NEW supervisor that was hired, cleaned house. She has since resigned, but so far, people are taking a more active stance if clique like behaviors and issues that are not going to benefit staff as a whole, as well as management being actively aware, so I'll see what happens...I think management can set the tone with these behaviors only when it affects pt care, as well as staff morale. I just happen to at a place where it is a small non profit, and we work with kids, so it has an acute way of affecting the pts, because they are children.

RNikkiF · Jan 27, 2013

I seriously hope mgmt does something about this. Especially considering there are charge nurses involved and playing favorites. i.e. their favorites get to choose the unit they work on while others like me get moved from one unit to the other with almost every shift. It makes it hard to get to know the patients not to mention greatly compromises continuity of care and makes it hard to learn new skills since the pts on one unit are MUCH less acute than on the other. It also brings staff morale down very very low.

LTCnurse11 · Jan 28, 2013

Cliques have a risk of growing "anywhere". I work at a pediatric facility. I remember seeing people gravitate toward people that they felt in common with, but the general consensus was we generally work with each other. Then there was a evolution that "clicked"...we discuss issues that arise, management knows about it. When it affects pt safety, they do act on it. The RN of the group was fired. The LPN and two assistants. that were (since they have been "neutralized") a part of the clique are all pregnant...when the issue raised about staffing and even taking on care, management did hold on everyone being equal in care assignments. Either way, management has no qualms about writing up, suspending, pushing out, and firing people when it comes to violating policy...but it has kicked it up a notch once the RN of the clique was fired. It just happened that a NEW supervisor that was hired, cleaned house. She has since resigned, but so far, people are taking a more active stance if clique like behaviors and issues that are not going to benefit staff as a whole, as well as management being actively aware, so I'll see what happens...I think management can set the tone with these behaviors only when it affects pt care, as well as staff morale. I just happen to at a place where it is a small non profit, and we work with kids, so it has an acute way of affecting the pts, because they are children.

Yep, it is everywhere. I think that in the smaller areas its easier to see because you are one of the few. Larger hospitals are widespread and have more departments and therefore more cultures. I think staff morale is the best indicator of overall business and patient satisfaction.