Have any of you been bullied by a superior? What happened and how did you handle it? I think that this may go on more than folks even recognize. Ex. To make vague threats of staff losing jobs is bullying. To accuse staff of doing something they did not do is bullying.
Not bullied by a supervisor, but does totally ignored by a CNA count?
There's this one certain one who will ignore lights, makes nasty comments (about me~because I went from CNA to nurse in that same facility) and generally not do her job. I am tired of her, but I don't want to be the type of nurse who "gets too big for her britches" as soon as she graduates, know what I mean? I try to help as much as I can, but I would appreciate call lights being answered instead of coffee being drank while chit chatting with other CNA's on the other side of the building.
Ugh, welcome to my world. Is there any other area you can work where you will not have to be around this CNA? If you have to work with her there are several ways to approach this. First, consult your supervisor and ask for advice on what to do. Get them on your side and let them know that you only want to improve your working relationship. The other methods are to approach her directly when she is too long on a break and explain that the patients suffer when she does this. Document including the behavior, date and time. Good luck. One thing I have learned is that being right doesn't always win you favors. Good Luck.
Being safe than sorry is very important here no matter where you work. So the documentation advic needs to be taken to heart. And the more different people who can witness and occurence the better.
Jerry
One of my son's ussually will offer to help me out in a situation like this. The last time I complained to my son about a problem with a bully, He offered to put on a ski mask and ski by fast and beat the bully up for me. He live one state away. We had a good laugh and that helped me. Can I come beat the CNA up for you would that help. I can find a mask somewhere. LOL. See it does help doesn't it.
eh, you wan I should take 'em out back an beat the....
nevermind
Awwww.... would'ja? Huh? would'ja?
She acts more like a man than a woman, anyway......
Haven't had trouble with her lately...
But boy, oh boy!
I am known by most of my friends as well as coworkers to be an upfront type person. I believe the only way to deal with situations like this is to approach the person first. Tell them what you see going on and how it affects you, the patient as well as their work habits as seen by you and possibly others. I never ever write someone up until I have tried to correct the situation myself first. Then and only then will I go to a superior. I also tell the person when confronting them that going to a superior will be next if the behavior continues. Just my way of doing things.
How about doctors? I'm sure we have ALL run across abusive doctors!
The first time I ran across one was as a student nurse. I was in the middle of giving an frail elderly woman a bed bath when the attending popped in doing his rounds and just snapped at me to move aside- then proceeded to flip the sheet off this poor shivering old lady and examine her with the door wide open and her wet & exposed- and my nursing instructor just said "well doctor's time is precious" and stuck up for the doctor! Bah, never let any doc treat a patient that way since then I'll tell you.
I've worked with one ER Doc that treated the nurses like crap but treated respiratory thearapists like they were fellow doctors! Go figure??
Any good stories to tell?
Interestingly enough this happened to me when I was still a new grad. I felt as if she was trying to intimidate me....she was very knowledgable...but had new nurses crying!
I came from a diploma program, felt confident and knew that I had a lot to learn but knew basic techniques...
I was changing a CVP dressing (before the nice kits-when you had to set up a sterile field, open individual bottles and use sterile gauze to pick up the bottles!) She observed my first dressing change and afterward said...."that was OK but if you'd have done this you would have broken sterile technique"...I said, well I din't do that so I guess you can sign me off on my sterile tech! I was scared to death..but she never treated me like that again...and she turned out to be a great teacher!
I am a new nurse and maybe it is just my way of thinking. But in school, I remember being taught to be tolerant of others differences and working with their strengths instead of focusing on their downfalls. So then why is it that I am finding so much bad mouthing, back stabbing, and humiliating in this field between the employees? I just don't get it. This profession is supposed to be caring and nurturing and teaching. But I am not finding a lot of that amongst employees. I have gone from grad. nurse to RN to supervising RN in less than a year and have also run into CNA's who sit at the desk and expect the nurse to answer the call lights. Respect is something that is earned. If I am not busy at the time I answer them, however, they may be testing you. I have found that confronting them in a calm, non threatening way works well. Something like, "Excuse me, "so and so" we have call lights going off, will you please answer them. I have received good responses to that. I have also received angry responses, such as slamming things down, and muttering as they go to answer the light. I responded to this reaction by asking the CNA to come to the back room where I could talk to her alone. I told her that this was inappropriate behavior, that answering call lights is a part of her job and that if she reacted that way again I would be forced to write her up. It hasn't happened again and she is much easier to work with now. Sometimes, lying the ground rules and the response if they don't follow will help. And treating them with respect and not humiliating them in front of others will keep them from having to try and "Save face" by rebelling. I know this response is being posted at a later date, but maybe it will help someone out there who finds themselves faced with the same type of problem.
Good advise on how to try to improve work performance of surly staff rn4elderly. You sound as though you had some leadership training or experience before you became a nurse. The first principle of leadership is to always give praise in public and discipline in private and that's exactly how you handle situations. I can't begin to count how often I've witnessed cat-spats between staff right out at nurse's stations.. More folks need to read how you handle your staff & give it a try. How are things going at work now?
There will always be bullying at the staff level and I think leadership training is a great tool in handling this. The worst bullying I have personally experienced has come from administration! There are recorded lawsuits of nurses suing hospitals for illegally firing them when all the while, the nurse is trying to do the right thing for the patient or his/her own safety. It is very difficult on the single lone nurse to go up against the deep pockets of a hospital so most nurses shut up and put up. I applaud these brave nurses for sticking up for what is right. This is a bit off from the bullying noted above but I wanted to put this in the site.
The first time I was bullied, a nurse called me at home. (She had a rep for bulling other nurses some even cried.) I worked nights then and she called me around 1100 am. I was getting a good days sleep. She stated getting on my case about things I had told her in report. During report every thing was ok. For some reason the things I told her in report became not so OK at 1100. I let her vent on the phone and hung up when she was done. I only said, "Ya, Ya, what ever." When I got to work I pulled her into a room and gave it to her, both barrels blasting. Told her Never call me at home to complain again. She told me, "If I did not call you, I would be a bitch all day." I told her, "You are a B.... all the time. Doent ever call me at home again.
The funny part about this, nurses from that time on were afraid to call me at home. They heard never call my home, I get angry.(NOT so)
I hate to use intimidation, but I am a former USMC for 8 years, I am not going to take disrespect. Or allow it to happen to others.
I am the anti-bully.
CONFRONT TO RESOLVE
