[mercynurse]

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!

[rn4elderly]

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.

[medi]

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?

[All41]

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.

[1mg.epi]

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 ***** 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