Workplace Cowardice

Nurses Relations

Published

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people have an issue with what someone else does and before addressing it with that person, they take it directly to management or a "higher up" while the offender may have no idea they even did anything. For example, so and so will hear so and so say something that they felt should not be said at the nurse's station, and instead of taking the issue to them directly they go to the floor manager (didn't happen to me, but I saw it happen).

To me it's cowardly and unprofessional. If you have an issue with someone or something they did, take it to them first and let them know exactly why it's an issue. The majority of the time most issue could be solved interpersonally without having to involve anyone else. If they continue to do whatever they're doing and it's some kind of policy or rule violation, then is the time to take it to the next level and report it to someone above their head.

There are rare exceptions when the first and best option is to go straight to management, but those are few and far between.

Anyway, this is my long winded way of saying don't be a snitch. If you have a problem with a coworker, be a professional and an adult and try to settle it with them personally and leave anyone else out of it if at all possible. If you try and it doesn't resolve the issue, then take it to the next level. You will be a more respectable coworker and management will probably respect you more too.

Let the whiners whine. These are people you can't have a face to face discussion with because they end up crying.

Management knows which employees are always trying to stir things up. I don't think management appreciates having to deal with petty disagreements, either.

Sometimes, if you try to talk directly to the involved party, that person gets mad, tells you not to boss him or her around, or is otherwise unapproachable.

Sometimes managers want to know every little thing and encourage snitching.

Sometimes you just can't win.

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
To clarify the quote, another way I have seen it said is "snitches get stitches". In other words, if you are a "snitch" then you're going to end up getting your ass beat (i.e. getting stitches).

Ah ha! I didn't get that at first either!

Re: the topic in general:

I don't believe all of it should be brought straight to management because with humans there are too many variables. I feel that if I ask a manager to deal with every conflict pretty soon he or she and I might have a conflict. The first time you bring a minor issue up with the manager they are likely to coach you through how to resolve it yourself. If you then return again with a similar conflict scenario the manager will be less receptive.

Should you ignore your minor problem or irritate your manager? I have read the "let it roll off" and "ignore it" advice but I know that is much harder than it sounds for many people. The tension remains and in small, contained workplace environments can be disruptive to others. I've never regretted the times I've talked it out with someone I clashed with. I find it helps me understand why they do what they do and I can get feedback about how I come across to other people without realizing it.

On the other hand if I observed someone engage in theft and watched them document things I know they didn't do approaching them myself would be inappropriate. I already know by their behavior that a heart-to-heart talk will be ineffective and set me up for possible retaliation. I hand that off as soon as I'm confident there's a pattern. If someone would object and call that "snitching" I would not want to work with them.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

Seems every workplace has that one [or sometimes more] staff that acts like a typical 5 year old running to whatever adult authority figure is around saying "look what she did!!!" Usually with no small amount of glee at the prospect of getting somebody in trouble. Here they'd be called a troll...in real life I don't what to call them except immature.

Specializes in Long Term Acute Care, TCU.
I really think it's pointless to argue semantics in this particular situation, it's beside the point. Had I chosen a different word, this thread would have half as many posts.

I understand what you're saying and respect it, but where I'm from "snitch" is kind of a childish word that you rarely hear in the professional world and I intentionally used it to refer to childish behavior.

Can we all just drop the use of that word please? Just imagine I used whatever word you find more appropriate and move on.

Once you let one of the :no:itch words out of the bag, you can never put it back in.

Specializes in Critical Care/Vascular Access.
Agreed.

However, it is obvious that this is personal for the op and they should have said that this situation happened to them. The words that have been used such as coward, snitch, arrogant, and bigoted are all telltale signs.

Here is my take on the situation:

Everyone, at one time or another says something inappropriate at the nursing station.

There is always that one person that runs to management about everything. If you say something inappropriate, and have been called out on it after someone went to management, then simply watch what you say around that person. Don't get all thug and start throwing around terms such as snitch and coward. I can literally see your snarled lip as you type those words. The person who made the inappropriate comment is the person who is in the wrong.

I have made inappropriate and impulsive comments. I knew that they were inappropriate and I faced the consequences, if any.

I have been reported to higher-ups. One time when I worked as a supervisor, an employee went to my CCO and told them that I never helped with any admissions. I was confronted with this and I confirmed that I never helped with admissions because there had not been an admission on any day that I had worked.

I would be concerned with the culture of the floor. If you use words such as coward and snitch in your topic, then I can only imagine the words that you use with your buddies at the nurses station. The person was likely fearful of peer repercussions and took it to a higher authority.

Lesson learned.....right? Don't do it again and everything will be okay :specs:

haha, your perception of my whole premise is kind of funny, and very off. I would apologize for being so unclear were it not for the fact that so many people seem to understand what I'm saying.

One particularly humorous perception you keep reiterating is that I'm some kind of aggressive thuggish type of person. I'm actually just about as far from a thug as you could get, and about as non-agressive as you can get without being a coward. I guess I'm behind on the thug lingo these days, because I have never ever perceived the words "snitch" or "coward" to have anything to do with the "thug" subculture, but maybe your whereabouts breed a different kind of thug than I've been exposed to. ha.

Honestly, I'm not sure how to take you seriously when you can criticize my choice of using the words "snitch" and "coward" (appropriately, I think) while you use the word "thug".

Your relentlessness about the words I chose to use is really so ridiculous I'm kind of getting the feeling you're just trolling for a response.

Specializes in Long Term Acute Care, TCU.
haha, your perception of my whole premise is kind of funny, and very off. I would apologize for being so unclear were it not for the fact that so many people seem to understand what I'm saying.

One particularly humorous perception you keep reiterating is that I'm some kind of aggressive thuggish type of person. I'm actually just about as far from a thug as you could get, and about as non-agressive as you can get without being a coward. I guess I'm behind on the thug lingo these days, because I have never ever perceived the words "snitch" or "coward" to have anything to do with the "thug" subculture, but maybe your whereabouts breed a different kind of thug than I've been exposed to. ha.

Honestly, I'm not sure how to take you seriously when you can criticize my choice of using the words "snitch" and "coward" (appropriately, I think) while you use the word "thug".

Your relentlessness about the words I chose to use is really so ridiculous I'm kind of getting the feeling you're just trolling for a response.

not a :troll:. But now I understand why that person did not feel comfortable approaching you

Page Explains Beef With Drake: ‘He's a Snitch and a Coward'

Specializes in none.

Yeah, I noticed this today at work. My other PCA coworkers did not want to help me do turns for the hospice patients because they had "charting to do". I should have told them that I don't respect them not helping me. Instead, I ******* to the nurses. The pregnant nurse helped me turn all the hospice patients. How is that fair to them?

Specializes in Critical Care/Vascular Access.
not a :troll:. But now I understand why that person did not feel comfortable approaching you

Page Explains Beef With Drake: ‘He's a Snitch and a Coward'

Come on homie, don't be hating on me like that! Don't hate the playa, hate the game, son.

;-)

Cheers. I have a feeling we'd actually get along pretty well in real life. ha.

Specializes in Long Term Acute Care, TCU.
Come on homie, don't be hating on me like that! Don't hate the playa, hate the game, son.

;-)

Cheers. I have a feeling we'd actually get along pretty well in real life. ha.

Me too.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Going back to nursing school, the first aspect of Intro to nursing was that nursing will challenge all aspects of a person-culturally, emotionally and intellectually; one has to come into nursing with an open mind. Not sure if everyone got that same speech, but here it goes:

We are supposed to advocate; that includes advocating with peers; upbringing has nothing to do, IMHO, once you step into the arena of nursing; we are adults and have to deal with adult decisions; with the exception of an emotionally immature adult that acts like a five year old and has temper tantrums when you speak to them, everything else can be discussed and resolved.

I will say that there can be challenges related to management; however, management can preach this until they're blue in the face, but if there are a percentage that do not buy into it, which can include those who have not adjusted in advocating for themselves, it comes a time were accountability that comes with being an adult and a professional.

Anyway, this is my long winded way of saying don't be a snitch.

Preach!

Everyone knows Snitches get stitches! :blackeye: Word!

Specializes in Psych.

If you think your words do not matter then how can anyone respect your argument? Your argument is just meaningless words...

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