Beaten down by colleagues

[Lin2002rn]

I am a fairly new RN, about a year now working on M/S floor. Most of the time I really do love it, but then I have days....you know the days. But my worst days, when I want to walk out and never come back, are not from doctors, not from needy patients, not even from irate family members. It's from other nurses. Most are very supportive and patient of my "newness"..but a few are so mean that I walk out feeling about an inch tall, forgetting all the good things about the day. One, for instance, comes in at shift change and immediately get's out the "write up" sheet, ready to get someone in trouble. She has thrown papers at me, asking accusingly why this wasn't done (even if there was a legitimate reason). I think I need assertiveness training because I get way too intimidated by people like her. I am 37 years old (started later like so many others), and just fed up with other nurses that forget what it's like to be new. Why would anyone want to be a nurse in an environment like that?
Thanks for letting me vent....my family listens, but they just don't understand.

[struggla21rn]

heallo beaten down,
i have been a rn for 5 yrs i am 39 yrs old. graduated may1998. I have not allowed anyone to beat me down, but how they have tried, when i was orienting, i have hauled preceptor, charge rn, any and every body to management when the need arises, pretty soon they learn to adjust thier attitude when dealing with u and leave u alone. i have found that nurses who get the write up book ready are usually the ones doing nothing they are the laziest nurses no matter how smart they are book wise.also they are the ones who pick, pick during report, because they dont want to have to do anything when they come on. THEY usually are too busy running around finding fault. if you have to take report from them, they useually give reports, wirh a lot of stuff left to be done, because they havent done a darn thing all day. i usually stare them in the eye and tell them its a 24 hr shift system if it wasnt done then they need to do it. if they try to get me to do stuff before i waok out the door. I simply ignore them and walk away with a plesant good morning, eveinig whatever time of day it is. i also tell doctors to get stuffed in a professional way of course. and i never get up to give them a seat. they have to beat me to it too.Just be assertive, and let everyone know u wont put up with thier crap. NURSES ARE WITCHES TO EACH OTHER. I AM BY THE WAY A VERY NICE PERSON, AND EVERYONE WILL TELL U THAT, THEY WILL ALSO SAY SHE JUST TELLS IT LIKE IT IS. I CALLLS A SPADE A SPADE MY DEAR.
THEY GENERALLY LEAVE ME ALONE.

[Lovenoxsue]

Aren't we all supposed to be "part of the team" with the pt's well being as our goal? I don't understand why so many are so quick to "write someone up." Being a team player, we all need to be there for each other and encourage each other. I think those that are quick to write someone up are quite inadequate themselves and want to point the finger at someone else. Nursing is a job which should be full of compassion.....I believe....not only to our pts but to our coworkers/all the team playes.

[april15778]

well i know how it feels. i`m a certified nurse aide and i have alotta housekeepers at my job that try to tell me how to do stuff. also some nurse aides that do that.i`ve been a cna for almost 5 yrs now and i find it degrading on occassion.

[traumaNERD]

It is pretty sad that we as nurses have to be SO cruel to each other, that we can't even encourage our "young" and nurture them. Instead, they are intimidated and threatened. There is no fathomable excuse for the demeaning and cruel manner in which that horror show of a nurse has treated you and I find it personally embarassing to include that individual as a member of the nursing community. We sit here and wonder why people are leaving the profession and aren't being replaced by new nurses. Who in their right mind would? The job is hard enough without having to put up with the ridiculous guff that "Ms. Incident Report" gives out. I think you should print this out and put it up onthe bulletin board at work so that she can see what we all think of people like her. Her behavior is unacceptable. She ought to put her energy toward more productive things, such as patient care and nurturing working relationships with her colleagues. By exhibiting such aggressive and demeaning behavior, she is lowering staff morale and thereby creating a negative effect on the unit that threatens both staff and patients.

By the way, people who spend their time writing others up are usually trying to turn the attention away from their own inadequacies. SuperNurse just might be StupidNurse.

[All41]

This is so widespread but doesn't make it acceptable. I wonder if you were to start a task force through Nursing Education to poll nurses in your hospital about this issue. Maybe this will begin a grassroot campain for increasing mutual respect between nurses. Please, don't succumb to that behavior. Just remember, it is painful to be that person and you are the happy self respecting nurse.

[jules]

I am very close to leaving my place of employment for this reason. I am finding it difficult coming into work and listening to my coworkers talking about some "stupid agency nurse", lazy aide, etc......"days rags on the 3p-11p shift and so on....Not everyone is like that but it's gotten to the point where there are more nurses complaining about what others did or didn't do. And yes, the ones complaining are usually the lazy ones themselves. I often feel in the middle of such attacks. I try to walk away but that's not always possible. If such complaints were legit, then I understand but this is usually caused by either jealousy or dislike for certain people.

I'm just sick of listening to this. It has gotten worse in the last 3 months. Why? Maybe because we have a new DON and the ones complaining are trying to get on her good side by complaining about others? Who knows. All I know is I no longer enjoy going to work because of all the negativity. It's amazing that some nurses are so quick to attack their peers. Beats me??

JUDE aka JULES