Workplace Cowardice

[Mr. Murse]

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.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Because of this insecurity in ourselves, and our job, we often "tattle" on our colleagues. often with the passive-aggressive approach that if they are watching her more closely they will watch me less so. Do you think a physician would do that?

Yes, they do.

I had a physician try to "tattle" on allegedly not doing my job, when in turn, I was three steps in front of him.

People are people are people, okay?

Okay. :)

[cdsga]

"Snitch" means tattle tale. Police use them (usually the snitch gets something in return) to get the skinny on people that they can't get to tell the truth or share the reality of what's going on. Poorly performing managers use this type of person to put the ear to the ground for them. That is a dangerous proposition. Once that tattle-tale is exposed to the rest of the group (which most suspect anyway), false rumors get spread and the real issues go underground. The trust is lost and everyone suspects everyone else. Terrible environment.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I feel like a lot of people are missing the point I was trying to make.

I'm not saying every time someone rustles your feathers to puff out your chest and confront them or call them out. I'm also well aware that there are people out there that no matter how diplomatically you approach them, they are unable for whatever reason to be level headed people. These are the exceptions I was referring to.

BUT I do believe some people far to often use management as a security blanket, and no I do not believe it is their job to spend a significant amount of time sorting out interpersonal nonsense amongst their staff.

Another aspect of this is simply to not let so many things get under your skin. Aside from breaking rules and policies or hindering patient care, so much of workplace drama could be avoided by simply not making a big deal of little things.

Maybe using examples would make things a little more clear as to what I'm referring to.

Example 1 (of poorly handled situation): night shift, a few nurses at a quiet point in the night having a casual conversation at the desk at a reasonably low volume. No patients or family within earshot. I forgot the topic of conversation, but one of the nurses PARTICIPATING in the conversation went to the manager the next morning and complained about the other nurses who had brought up the conversation.

Example 2 (of properly handled situation): nurse 1 had been handling a a very sick and difficult patient all night and called the doctor multiple times and been actively handling the situation. Nurse 2 comes in halfway through the shift, oblivious to what was going on and proceeds to seemingly try to take over the situation, butting nurse 1 out of the way and even starting to page a doctor over something that had already been addressed. Nurse 1 was obviously frustrated and annoyed, but waited until an appropriate time, pulled nurse 2 aside and explained what had been happening with the patient and that she felt nurse 2 was trying to take over the situation when she already had it under control. Nurse 2 had no idea that she had come across this way, and was genuinely just trying to help. Both came to a better understanding of the situation, nurse 1 appreciated nurse 2 more for trying to help after she realized that's what nurse 2 was actually doing, and nurse 2 appreciated nurse 1 for being clear about how she was coming across. Both learned from the situation.

On the other hand, had nurse 1 kept it inside and been frustrated all night and then instead gone to the manager the next morning and complained that nurse 2 was all up in her business, then nurse 2 probably would have gotten a slap on the hand for what, in her mind, was just her trying to help out a coworker.

Example 3 (of poorly handled situation): a patient needs a central line. Anesthesiology is called in because a PICC line couldn't be done. Doctor shows up and the nurse gets his stuff together and asks him if he needs anything else (knowing that each doctor prefers different levels of help from the nurse for this kind of thing). Doctor says no and finishes the central line then asks the same nurse where the charge nurse is, then proceeds to complain to the charge nurse that his nurse didn't help him out and stand with him in the room. The nurse wasn't being lazy, and would have had no problem helping him, and had even ASKED HIM if he needed help. Instead, the doctor stews in the room and gets frustrated then unnecessarily takes it to the charge nurse when it could have very simply been resolved at the very beginning, or after the fact even he could have simply told the nurse that in the future he likes to be assisted from beginning to end.

Those are the kinds of things I'm talking about, not getting up in people's face and starting drama.

In situation 1, you really have not a clue what was said/talked about, have no idea what one of the nurses did or did not bring to management, and that is not something that a third party would want to make comment on, I wouldn't think. For example, there are people who get in trouble for sexual harassment due to conversations that--no matter how low toned they may be--that make another nurse uncomfortable. Nurse in question could have said "I can't believe you said that" and been mortified. This is speculation. Much like making assumptions on conversations that we are not actively a part of.

That someone is passive aggressive or any other descriptive choice in words is hard to tell if in fact we are not a party to what actually happened. Assumptions based on third party re-telling is like pot calling kettle.

The second, nurse one/two scenario. I would assume (again, don't know) that nurse 2 would have been a charge? If just a co-worker, it would be up to nurse one to direct nurse 2 as to what was needed at the time. I am not sure of many nurses who have their own assignments to drop everything and start making blind phone calls regarding someone else's patient. If a patient is going downhill fast, a RRT should be called, at which point, someone needs to direct--and it usually is not the care nurse, but the RRT leader. Otherwise, I would question why a nurse would take an actively deteriorating situation on alone.

The third situation, I have never known a primary nurse to not stay and help the MD with a procedure on their patient, unless told otherwise. "Do you need anything else" is quite different than "Would you like me to stay and assist" and one would assume that should needs arise mid procedure, it is a sterile procedure that an MD would be "stuck" without another set of ears/hands. That is basic, I would think.

The bottom line is, OP, that unless these situations happened directly to you, this is all second/third hand information. That some would call gossip. And gossip and calling people names for doing what they feel is the best course of action is just as "offensive". And I certainly hope that you and your cohorts are not discussing who the passive-aggressive snitches are on your team. So yes, it is a bunch of drama.

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

When people start gossiping, I try to find something to do. If I have to, I will shut it down by saying "I don't believe anything that I hear in a hospital."

If a person is a good team player when we work together, everything else is irrelevant.

My coworkers are not my family, my social life or my friends.

It is very important to make that distinction, especially if you are in a supervisory position.

[miss salubrius]

II agree but if the person is a repeat offender, it is time for management to be notified. We are there for the patients not for any other reason and if people are unwilling to take their job seriously, there eventually will be consequences. I had a coworker of mine who repeatedly refuses to answer the phone when the doc is calling. She is an LPN and is supposed to help out in that are as well, and when I was an LPN I always helped out. The last straw was when we had a a critual lab that we needed to notify the doctor about and she said blatantly, in front of multiple other staff that she was refusing to get the call if he called while I was gone(I had to leave the floor for about ten min) and that she needed to chart so she could go home. Every one looked shocked and I was tired of trying to explain to her that we all need to pitch in and help each other. It was a bit embarrassing. At that point I had to tell management. I doubt that did anything though. No one should lose their jobs over a misunderstanding, but frequent refusal of duties needs to be addressed and when people don't respect your authority on multiple occasions it needs to be addressed in a different manner. Took many hard working people out there that will do the job right and be happy to do it.

[Honestyhurts]

This is in reply to the person posting how he/she would not work at an establishment who allowed the term snitch. I agree with this post completely. Well worded and just a wonderful viewpoint. Most healthcare facilities take more time worried about the snitches than they do caring for clients. Its disrespectful and just outright lame. This is the way of the world these days. You are required by law in probably every geological area to report something you feel is wrong. If you saw someone do something horrible and you speak to management, management should mediate and keep it to a minimum. All facilities in my opinion should have cameras and be monitored so it takes away the need to report incidents. I worked at a facility not long ago and saw something that could never have been explained and it was horrible. I reported it and got labeled a snitch. I was warned, threatened and people said I didn't do my job which eventually led me to leave the position. It looked worse on me, facility wide to report it than the person who did something wrong. It would be best if management was fair and impartial and had video feed to review. Sad that people think they should be able to get away with anything cause they can explain it away. To the original poster, if you don't want to be snitched on, work at a facility that doesn't tell newcomers they can be held accountable for your actions if they don't report the things you are doing wrong.

[Nonyvole, BSN, RN]

I'm very firmly in the camp of going to the person before management.

Personal story. I've got an odd personality for a place where I used to live, and it was rubbing people wrong where I used to work. Not the people who were there before me, but the people who started working after I was established. I didn't know anything about it until I was hauled up in front of the department manager and given a warning. Written. Had somebody actually said something? I would have been able to be more aware of the words coming out of my mouth. I would probably have been able to avoid the write up. I stuck it out a while longer, but did leave because the unit culture had developed into something unhealthy and I was starting to feel that it was affecting patient care.

Like people have said, we're all adults. Time to start acting like it.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I'm very firmly in the camp of going to the person before management.

Personal story. I've got an odd personality for a place where I used to live, and it was rubbing people wrong where I used to work. Not the people who were there before me, but the people who started working after I was established. I didn't know anything about it until I was hauled up in front of the department manager and given a warning. Written. Had somebody actually said something? I would have been able to be more aware of the words coming out of my mouth. I would probably have been able to avoid the write up. I stuck it out a while longer, but did leave because the unit culture had developed into something unhealthy and I was starting to feel that it was affecting patient care.

Like people have said, we're all adults. Time to start acting like it.

Going to the person you're having a problem with and trying to work things out before involving management is the right thing to do. It is very, very difficult. Sometimes it is so difficult that people cannot manage to suck it up and do it. But it's the right thing to do. I know it MUST be the right thing because it is just so damned difficult!

[NurseMedic28]

However, many managers encourage tattling; they like to keep people pitted against one another. You know that when You get called into a manager's office to answer to an anonymous, vague complaint that has no substance. When you ask for clarification and the manager says...

..."I'm not at liberty to discuss that." or "I don't quite recall the EXACT person who made the complaint/situation/when it happened"

Ohhhhhhh, I've seen this happen far, farrrr too many times. Usually around the time that someone feels threatened by you. I could not believe that managers encouraged this or gave it any mind. I never bother running to management with petty annoyances. They have enough to do. I do my job and I go to them when patient safety is genuinely threatened.