Comments on: Guest blog: Bullying and Nurses

By: Carrie

Carrie — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:18:09 +0000

Great article! Bullying is worldwide and will always be there because of unsympathetic human behaviors and selfish minds. This subject should be also brought up as a violation of the nurse workforce’s rights as to be able to work and evolve in a free harassment environment. It takes healthcare management back to revised the simple rules of Respects that employees ought to show to each others and to their patients in order to be able to sustain free harassment environment workplaces. One good thing to be the bullied is that you can’t be in that state all your life. But a bully has a big chance to stay forever one either he/she was born like that or is incapable to confront outcomes is a peaceful way as much with itself than with the others.

By: nursing

nursing — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:37:16 +0000

online nursing school…

[...]Guest blog: Bullying and Nurses | WBI[...]…

By: Peggy Berry

Peggy Berry — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:44:48 +0000

Bullying in healthcare was cited as one of the five main reasons nurses leave their place of employment. Some nurses never go back. The fact that nurses are bullied needs to keep in the news, front and center, so we can work in a better environment, free from bullying. If you don’t talk about it, nothing is done.

By: babynurse

babynurse — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:18:17 +0000

I would like to say that I myself have a bully for a charge nurse and is so much so that I have finally gotten to the point that I fear going to a job I love. I speak with my director and she states I should just sit down with her in her office and talk. I politely declined and informed her that in any and every situation she (the bully) will always be right. She butts heads with other staff and Doctors. Many have lost jobs as a result of her wrath. I did talk with someone with corporate and she advised me to file it formerly and that from what I’m telling her the whole “sandbox approach” will not work with her type. She is rude to all coworkers and Dr.s alike. She is rude to patients. She again is ALWAYS right. She micromanages everyone (including dr.s and administration). She has made it her job to make administration to believe that they can not do without her. I fear going the corporate route for fear of retaliation and loosing my job. I have seen over the yrs what she does to those who cross her in any way. A while ago I would say I was not gonna’ leave because that would mean she would WIN. Now after our most resent altercation I’m thinking it’s about SURVIVAL! I love my job and do not know how long I can survive. I’ve had things thrown at me, I’ve been degraded and cussed at. It’s like she will all but beat the hell out of me one day or two or three and then be all nice like nothing ever happened. By then I’m shell shocked and post traumatic. To me from what I have read about nurse bullying, this does not seem to fit what I have been reading. Maybe there is another word or book for what I have been experiencing that past couple years. As time goes by it gets worse and I’m afraid of her literally going postal on me one day.

By: No nursing jobs - Jobs, employers, employees, hiring, resumes, occupations, government, laws, unions, contracts, workers, part-time - Page 6 - City-Data Forum

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 19:29:12 +0000

[...] Originally Posted by andywire The working conditions need to improve so they can alleviate the frighteningly low retention rate. People pour out of the profession just as fast as people enter it. For everything that nurses do, they are expected to deal with some of the worst working conditions in my opinion. Injuries are common, and the conditions can be downright dangerous. Muscular-skeletal injuries are much more prevalent than people realize. Aside from this, they do not get the respect they deserve. Sure, people may think it's a cool gig, but that's about it. At the end of the day, they are the front line between the doctor and the angry families, and cases of physical abuse are much more common than people realize. They are treated with no respect, and few realize how much stress they must deal with every day. Tell me, who wants to go to college for 4 years for this? Once people see what it is really like, many feel it simply is not worth it and move on to something else. This is why I have all the respect in the world for seasoned nurses… You all rock, but I sure couldn't do it I regularly read the postings on the Workplace Bullying Institute website, and according to them, nurses also are among the most bullied professions. Guest blog: Bullying and Nurses [...]

By: Ishita

Ishita — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:47:18 +0000

Nowadays a lot of people are victim of different harassment. Sexual harassment blocked our mental health also.

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:38:45 +0000

Hi Kelly,

I would love to hear your stories! I will be interviewing people for my dissertation within 6 months. Would love to interview you!

I believe the brunt of the solution lies with management. Management creates the organizational culture by the way he/she leads. However, this same environment needs monitored and requires mitigation w/ accountability.

My PhD will be in Organizational Management – Management Education. This is the area I hope to make a difference!!!!

cherylpainter523@gmail.com

By: RNICU

RNICU — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:43:25 +0000

Very good article! I work in a busy ICU, and I do enjoy my job quite a bit. I hate, absolutely hate, where I work. The bullying actually takes place from the top down. Our nurse manager is the bully, has no “emotional intelligence” whatsoever. The environment she has created is so toxic, that staff are afraid to report any mistakes. We all chafe under the heavy burden she has placed upon us. She micromanages every step we make. She yells at staff loud enough to be heard down the hall. Our turnover on the unit is incredibly high, most of our staff are travelers! She insists we all join committees to make the unit a better place for patients and staff, but all our suggestions are completely discarded. It’s just a waste of time. I’ve told people on the Beacon committee (it’s a Magnet type of designation for ICU’s) that what they are doing is a waste of time, until things on the unit change. The “Beacon Journey?” It’s a joke. And I am not the only one who feels so cynical, so sick to death of the place.

Whew!! Thinking about this brings up some sore spots. I could type pages and pages of what is going on at our ICU. Needless to say, I’m looking at applying to another hospital in the city, but I need to find out if the environment there is just as bad, if not worse, than ours.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:54:15 +0000

Cheryl,
Excellent article.

My complete frustration lies in the fact the ZERO TOLERANCE policy implemented by Joint Commission includes not allowing such environments and bullying.

Management is NOT doing a very job at following this policy. Perhaps more nurses need to be contacting JC and having the policy enforced. This is a very real issue which can be very detrimental to a person and, affect teamwork, which, ultimately DOES affect patient care.

Management seems to bow down to every other policy which Joint implements. What happened with reinforcing and making KNOWN this one as well??

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:27:47 +0000

Check out the Joint commisson Mandates on disruptive behavior!

By: MJ

MJ — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:44:52 +0000

The institution I work at has not done any education on workplace bullying. My boss supposedly did her dissertation in workplace bullying. Right now she is playing codependant and not standing up for what is normal treatment of an employee. It is costing her dollars in her budget, I’ve been silenced as a negative thing happens to me every time I stand up for myself.

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 04:48:35 +0000

Would love to chat Dr. Lewis.

My email address is cherylpainter523@gmail.com

Username and Password to website: cherylpainter

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:39:44 +0000

Thank you!

Cheryl Painter
cherylpainter523@gmail.com

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:38:33 +0000

RN Fighting the Dragon stated, “Leaving one to believe, it is not just nurses that EAT their own, it is a pervasive culture of arrogant, self-centeredness and lusting for greed and power that is out of control in America and particularly overt in Nursing! Shortage of nurses is real…..wonder why? Sadly, with the failing economy, there are people entering the ranks that like the money and job security but who do not have a heart for nursing, some are losers and only make problems with their narcissistic attitudes and gross immaturity, where in they enter the field with not an intention to serve and learn, but to economically rape and pillage the ranks of nursing, abusing and bullying whomever they perceive might threaten their objectives.”

This is a huge concern! I view nursing as a calling. However, people are entering nursing now for the vast financial incentives being offered to attract more nurses to the field.

As an educator, I believe the way one learns determines the types of careers best suited to that individual. For example, divide the brain into four segments [Neethings Brain Model] – upper left is the logical thinker [statisticians, doctors, nurses in acute areas, scientists, etc...]; upper right is the imaginative or holistic thinker [artists, fashion designers, transformational or charismatic leaders, etc...], lower right is the empathetic thinker [nurses, social workers, psychologists, counselors etc...]; and the lower left are sequential thinkers [transactional leaders (by the book), accountants, hygienists etc…

When looking at career choices and learning styles, it is easy to see why certain career fields fit best with certain learning styles. Emotional Intelligence is absent in left brained thinkers. I believe upper right brain thinkers can see the whole picture and can learn emotional intelligence. Right lower brained individuals get emotional intelligence, but I hypothesize they are the ones most targeted by bullys.

Nurses in acute care areas are normally logical or sequential thinkers – thus lacking empathy according to the model. Nurses who are in the profession to truly help people fall into the right lower quadrant and thus have all the traits to become a target of a bully.

I believe this theory is worth further investigation!!!!!!

Cheryl Painter
cherylpainter523@gmail.com

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:10:07 +0000

Hey Greg,

Dr Namie has a great section on the Workplace Bullying Institute regarding help for targets!!

Cheryl Painter
cherylpainter523@gmail.com

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:08:22 +0000

Although the Joint Commission has mandated education and a zero tolerance policy, I do not see how this will help if it is not enforced in the school system. The way the nursing education is structured seems to put potential nurses in the fight or flight response from the beginning!

I believe a course specifically related to workplace bullying, incivility, disruptive workplace behavior etc… should be mandated in all nursing and business schools.

Targets need to know why they are targeted and what they can do to stop the abuse.

Some things that made me a target is my go- getter attitude and working above and beyond (this made me a threat to other go-getters), sharing too much personal information, illness, empathy, not reporting abuse, reporting abuse [both had negative ramifications].

Awareness and accountability are needed!

Cheryl Painter
cherylpainter523@gmail.com

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 09:57:25 +0000

I believe the issue of workplace bullying lies with the managers and administrators!!! Without education, mitigation, accountability, compassion, emotional intelligence, and personal integrity, the problem with workplace incivility will be difficult to conquer!

Cheryl Painter
cherylpainter523@gmail.com

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 09:51:49 +0000

Hi Carol,

It seems that women bully women more than women bully men! I wonder if women still have something to prove….trying to outdo each other in climbing the ladder of success….and still more intimidated by men??? Reminds me of Machiavellian type behavior in which one is willing to throw all morals aside in an attempt to succeed.

I am researching a company called BeautiControl. The company specializes in spa quality products and cosmetics. The way the organization is structured promotes a positive organizational culture which supports the consultants. In supporting the other consultants, it helps advance the team leader!

I decided to participate in the program and I am very pleased. The company’s organizational culture and teamwork seem to nullify the aspects of disruptive workplace behavior or workplace bullying! My webpage so you can check it out: http://www.beautipage.com/cherylpainter/

Cheryl Painter
cherylpainter523@gmail.com

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 09:39:28 +0000

Hi Leonard,

Thank you for sharing your blog. I am so sorry you had to experience such treatment. I to suffer from PTSD. I was diagnosed as an Insulin Dependent Diabetic after an autoimmune reaction from the flu. I was diagnosed at the beginning of a 12 hour shift – blood sugar close to 600. I had to care for a fresh, post-op open-heart patient, on a balloon pump, needing multiple blood products, and on multiple vasoactive drips. No replacement was found for me – I had to work the entire 12 hour shift. This not only put the patient in jeopardy, but me as well. I was admitted to the ER after my shift and officially diagnosed as a IDDM – c-peptide confirmed. Needless to say, I had a very difficult time controlling my sugars and I had to use Family Medical Leave. I was treated horrible when I called off. The worst I was treated the more unstable my sugars became….. i ended up leaving the field of nursing.

Emotional Intelligence is lacking..accountability is lacking..compassion is lacking…

Cheryl Painter
cherylpainter523@gmail.com

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 09:27:26 +0000

I believe the sincerity that nurses have in caring for patients is exactly what makes them targets! Empathic people are often viewed as weak….. I personally view empathetic people as emotionally superior! In my experience working in a CVICU [a high acuity unit], many nurses were more logical thinkers. I witnessed nurses who demonstrated a caring and empathetic demeanor called stupid and treated in demoralizing ways. One article I read suggested targets of bullying be taught assertiveness skills and the logical thinkers be taught emotional intelligence skills!

By: Cheryl Painter

Cheryl Painter — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 09:20:09 +0000

I believe education about this phenomenon is desperately needed. The Joint Commission has mandated education regarding “disruptive workplace behavior” in the healthcare environment because patient safety is becoming a concern. However, enforcement and acknowledgment of the issue seem to be absent.

I believe employee safety is becoming a major concern as well. As a victim of workplace bullying or disruptive workplace behavior, I suffer from PTSD. When illness forced me out of the nursing profession, I decided to pursue a solution to this problem by educating myself.

My dissertation will have a workplace bully focus on autocratic and lassie fare bosses and those targets viewed as “weak.” I am finding many targets are those who have personal issues,family issues, personal illness, etc… I have also found that many targets are those who go above and beyond. These people are targeted because they pose some sort of threat to another go-getter.

Great discussion!
Cheryl Painter
cherylpainter523@gmail.com

By: Nursing as a Calling: Aspirations and Realities « Minding the Workplace

Nursing as a Calling: Aspirations and Realities « Minding the Workplace — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:26:58 +0000

[...] is growing recognition of workplace bullying in the nursing profession. Cheryl Painter’s article about bullying and turnover among nurses captures the problem (some citations omitted): [...]

By: Dr Malcolm Lewis

Dr Malcolm Lewis — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:56:11 +0000

Well done. If Cheryl would like to contact me I would be happy to share some of my insights on nurse bullying in the UK with her; which I undertook for my PhD.

Dr Malcolm Lewis
School of Public Health and Clinical Sciences
University of Central Lancashire
PRESTON PR1 2HE
Lancashire
UK

01772 893405

By: Greg Sorozan

Greg Sorozan — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:52:54 +0000

Very well done article. I’ve emailed it to my neice, who is an RN and unhappy at her work because of management expectations and bullying treatment. She has asked me for help in bringing in a union.I’ve provided her with that information, as well.

By: It Starts Here

It Starts Here — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:50:00 +0000

I work in a health care education environment and believe me our students are conditioned early and often to engage in mobbing, bullying and abusive behavior. Our student population is inner-city for the most part (from one of the poorest per capita metro areas in the country). They have very few higher education opportunities available to them. Many of our kids have had a hard scrabble life and most are financially vulnerable. Their facial expressions are often openly hostile and their body language often aggressive. Many appear to have almost pathological authoritarian personalities. I am a 62 year old male victim of what I call “startle” attacks. I meet students and staff, in otherwise empty hallways and staircases, at blind intersections constantly and daily. It’s like a COINTELPRO, non-consensual human asymmetrical gauntlet run every time I leave the office. Like someone is running the Stanford prison tests again. Smashing out of classroom doors as I pass by and violation of personal space are continuous. Everyone from administration, faculty and staff enters the same side of the door I exit from. I practice normal behaviors like walking on the right side of the hall and entering and exiting through the right side door. That normality is not observed at our institution of higher learning, rather most people walk toward me on (their) left side of the hall and will even try to squeeze between my right arm and the wall. It all seems to be about triggering a “startle” or fight/flight reaction (to avoid a potential collision). Since I work in a health care education institution I assume the resulting adrenalin rush to the heart is not unanticipated. Sweet, huh? All very scientific and necessary for the greater good I’m sure. You see we educate our health care professionals to first do harm. Watch out for them, they’re coming to a health care facility near you. God help your patients when they are left alone with these kids after visiting hours.

By: alliegirl

alliegirl — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:20:39 +0000

Hospital workers are definitely bullied by incompetent administrators…. anyone who begs to differ, is obviously one of “them”

By: David Czuba

David Czuba — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 04:01:29 +0000

I agree. As an experienced instructor with a local career college, I’ve seen this organizational behavior before in many firms, not merely nursing. What amazes me about the blog is the timely reference of analytical studies. This kind of quality writing is scarce these days, but pertinent. I will engage my students in a discussion about this topic. They need to know the superiority attitudes, the cliques, the dumbing down of important procedures to fit the ‘real world’, and the coercion to conform. Great post.

By: Carol

Carol — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 03:37:54 +0000

I had to leave a job I loved recently. I loved the work but did not like the Mafia Troika who sabotaged me, demeaned me and spread false rumors about me. I worked for a huge southern medical center and could not get any help from HR, my supervisor, my director or the CNO. Two of the troika were RN’s and the third was a unit clerk. It was unbearable and I couldn’t take it any more after almost four years. I am now working for a home health company and things are much better. I do miss the job I had before. I don’t know how they get away with this stuff. The sacred cows remain at the job and as far as I know, nothing has been done about their bullying. The problem arose when one of the sacred cows had wanted the job I was hired for. She quickly enlisted the aid of the two others. This was worse than the mean girls in high school and two of us are in our sixties. It is just pitiful how people can get away with this stuff. I did not sue because I had too much stress and didn’t want to be put through the mill against a huge corporation. I feel we do need to ban together because divided, this will never cease.

By: Leonard Nolt

Leonard Nolt — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:26:17 +0000

This is a fine article about bullying and mobbing in health care. Although it focuses on nurses, my experience in a similar setting was as a respiratory therapist. The last 2.5 years I worked at St. Alphonsus Med. Cen. in Boise, ID, I was the target of a female co-worker bully, a therapist in the same department. I was diagnosed by my employer with PTSD as a result of the psychological abuse. Even though there was no question about the cause of the PTSD, the dept. manager still scheduled me to work with the bully! Nor was I offered, by management, any treatment for the PTSD. For a medical center that calls itself the place where “advanced healing” occurs, refusing to protect an injured employee from additional injury, and refusing to provide treatment is a grave dereliction of duty.
This article reminds us that those who are bullied and mobbed are seriously injured, both psychologicaly and physically. Although I left St. Alphonsus in 2006 I still have nightmares about working there and being bullied. I had one just last night. Other symptoms of PTSD still haunt me and I have to work at keeping healthy and keeping the hounds of PTSD at a distance. This is much more difficult when one’s employer refuses to acknowledge that there was a problem and refuses to respond appropriately to the injury. J. Herman in “Trauma and Recovery” writes: “Restoration of the breach between the traumatized person and the community depends, first, upon public acknowledgement of the traumatic event, and, second, upon some form of community action.” The chief response I received from management was orders to not talk about the bullying or the injury, and threats of termination if I did talk about it! I appreciate the suggestion that mobbing behavior be prosecuted as a felony. Psychological abuse should carry the same penalties as sexual and physical abuse. I know some still question the seriousness of the problem, but no one who has been bullied, or who knows a war veteran with PTSD, has any questions about the destructiveness of workplace bullying. An article in the July/August 2006 issue of Monitor on Psychology reports that victims of bullying had higher PTSD stress scores than soldiers who had just returned from a war zone. Now 4 years after I left St Alphonsus management there has refused to be accountable, to address the problem in an ethical manner. They’ve refused to even acknowledge that I was injured even though the diagnosis of PTSD was made by their professionals. There has been no credible apology from those responsible. They refuse to even sit down with me and a mediator to discuss what happened and why, in order to prevent others from being injured. And others are being injured there. I talked to two people a few months ago who confirmed that the problem is an ongoing one at St. Alphonsus. My empathy goes out to others including you, Celia. Take good care of yourself. If you want to read more about my experience check my blog http://www.leonardnolt.blogspot.com under the heading “Workplace Psychological Abuse.” Thanks again for the article.
Leonard Nolt

By: Scrub Uniforms

Scrub Uniforms — Thu, 27 May 2010 08:33:22 +0000

“I had the ability to do anything I wanted. I wanted to help people. I did not want to be destroyed in the process.”

Very true statement about nurses. Many nurses are sincere in their jobs aiming and wanting only to cure patients and help them to be healed from various diseases however it is really a fact that there are so many abused happening on nurses whether from his or her colleagues, patients and patients family and especially on ER department and female nurses. Great article eh!

By: Celia Harrison

Celia Harrison — Wed, 26 May 2010 06:50:27 +0000

This is the best article I have seen on workplace bullying in nursing. I am a nurse who was the victim of severe mobbing behavior with complex PTSD who also ended up with contact with corrupt state officials and a corrupt court system. They have done all kinds of awful things to me. It is time nurses got some help. Where I worked they mobbed most new nurses out within a few months. I stayed because I had a contract for two years and they the worst nurses and doctors I have ever seen in my life. I was hoping to be a role model. After twenty months I had a psychotic break and did something in a suicide attempt that got me arrested. The corrupt court system is a second source of bullying trauma for me. If I knew what I know now when I went to college to become a nurse, I would certainly have not become an RN. I had the ability to do anything I wanted. I wanted to help people. I did not want to be destroyed in the process.