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Nursing?

Why does it have a hierarchy of bullying?
If they're going to do it, can't they restrict their bullying to the nursing stuff?

I don't get it :confused:

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Reply 1

Democracy

Can you elaborate....for the uninitiated?

Reply 2

Helenia

I have lots of theories, but most of them are probably offensive to a)nurses and b) women in general.

My last ward (medical) was lovely, the nurses were highly-skilled (it was a specialist respiratory ward), knew the patients, knew when to ask the doctors and when not to, and for the most part, there was mutual respect between us and them.

The current lot are totally different. Admittedly the last week has not been easy with the snow and all, but there's been so much bitching about who has come in and who hasn't, who took too long a break or was late etc. And they seem to resent all the junior doctors and med students especially. Earlier in the week, we were starting our post-take round, and I was sent to find a nurse to come with us. I found the sister, asked her (very nicely) if she could come round, and got a ********** about how she was already far too busy. I asked her if there was anyone else available and got another earful about how short-staffed they were and they just didn't have time. I can accept they were busy (though coming with the consultant to meet the new patients and hear the management plans just might arguably be more important than getting all the patients washed and dressed right now), but there's just no need to be so rude about it.

That said, I think there's quite a lot of bullying still around on the doctors' side, especially in surgery.

Reply 3

Mushi_master

I've seen it to a degree, but the only time I find it becomes any more than silly banter, which of course I have no issue with - is when a member of staff is lazy, taking time off without reason or if they're genuinely rude to the permanent staff. Maybe it's because I've been lucky and fitted in with the "ward clique", but I've never seen anything I'd call inappropriate.

Reply 4

applemilk1992

see where I volunteer (and this may not be representative of how the nurse actually act, as I only see them for a few hours once a week), all the nurses have been nice, and seem to get along without bitchyness or bullying. yes the sister at one point, when I asked if she needed anything doing was a bit rude to me (and to the other staff that day), basically all 'I am tired, I need to sleep, go and ask someone else' but apart from that, even if theyve said they dont know so I should ask someone else, its been in a kind way. and so they dont seem bitchy towards me or other nurses

the HCA's are lovely though, always have time for everyone, and get along with everyone.

A hierachy of bullying might just exist in the pure sense to get ahead and seem the better, more organised hardworking nurse, and so they can progress their career.

Reply 5

belis

Mushi_master

So it is perfectly OK to be 'genuinly rude' to bank staff and others who just happen to pass through your ward, is it? :wink:

Some wards seem to have adapted this sort of policy. Then they wonder why they cannot get their shifts covered as bank workers vote with their feet and none are taking assigments from those areas.

Reply 6

Mushi_master

belis

So it is perfectly OK to be 'genuinly rude' to bank staff and others who just happen to pass through your ward, is it? :wink:

Of course not, but that's not what I was implying.I occassionally find bank staff can be very rude to the permanent staff (but are usually be perfectly nice), doubting the way the ward works and demanding certain things that the permanent staff know don't work in the environment of our ward.

Reply 7

Annie72

davey jones

Nursing is awful, truly awful for bullying. I don't understand why anyone wants to bring so much poison to work with them. There is so much written on it, it is unbelievable, and the irony of the job supposedly filled with nice, caring people is sublime. Yet, is anything ever done about it? is it ****.
As for the job (the work, patients, families etc), I am yet to have a bad day in three plus years... but with the staff it makes pretty much every day a bad day.

You either become a bully or you are on the outside- marginalised, hen pecked and cold shouldered.

I had all sorts as a student, from being sent to coventry right through to complaints to uni that I was physically intimidating my mentor. And when I told them what was going on, guess what, they told me to get on with the job and accept it. It is institutionally supported, cold, needless bullying. The only place I found no bullying was in the prison service where the gender split was 50/50.

I wish I knew why these people are like that, instead of puzzling myself about how after having 30+ jobs and not having any trouble getting by, I seem to attract hassle just for having a penis.

So I could tell you a few stories Renal, pm me and let me know what happened if you like, I am genuinely interested and there will be no mention of pans or sigmoids...

I can so agree with this post. I was bullied out of my nurse training in the first year by so called professionals who are meant to be kind and caring!.It really does surprise me that there are people like that within nursing , not really the kind of identity some would associate with the profession.

Reply 8

Perfect_Gent

I think bullying changes shift to shift let alone ward to ward. Personally I've found that if I respect the hierarchy of levels of nursing and get on and do the job then I have no problems, then again they know that if they tell me to or ask me in the wrong way I'll challenge them, in a professional way, no matter what rank they are. As for the cliques, I make sure I don't 'belong' to any and I'm welcome in them all.

Reply 9

Magnanimity

Same in the dental school. The nurses are untouchable. It's so frustrating.

Their infection control is shocking yet they pull us up.

Chip on their shoulder.

Reply 10

flugestuge

Renal

Why does it have a hierarchy of bullying?
If they're going to do it, can't they restrict their bullying to the nursing stuff?

I don't get it :confused:

They are just nasty, uneducated chavs.

Reply 11

flugestuge

junglemonkey

Same in the dental school. The nurses are untouchable. It's so frustrating.

Their infection control is shocking yet they pull us up.

Chip on their shoulder.

They are not good enough to become doctors or dentists.
So they have a massive inferiority complex.

Reply 12

Magnanimity

flugestuge

They are not good enough to become doctors or dentists.
So they have a massive inferiority complex.

Yeah we had a lecture from the head nurse in the dental school who told us we were rubbish compared to them and they can do everything better than us.

I'm like, why don't you then? :confused:

Reply 13

Democracy

flugestuge

They are not good enough to become doctors or dentists.
So they have a massive inferiority complex.

Wait till zippyRN/anna_spanner find this thread. You've really put us in a hole now :indiff:

Reply 14

Democracy

flugestuge

Who cares what some RN thinks ?

Some people don't like this forum being filled with endless doctors vs nurses fights...

Reply 15

Llamaaa

In my experience as a very regular patient, and working in a hospital's legal department, I find that community/district nurses are lovely and seem to get on well, while hospital nurses are awful. Some were nice enough to me, but to each other they seemed constantly trying to grind one another down. They'd belittle each other in front of the consultant, bitch about each other behind one another's backs and so forth. It's a bit like how I imagined an all-girls school to be :biggrin:

But then they are no nicer to the trainee doctor folk either. It makes long stays in hospitals more enjoyable though: it's a bit like watching a soap opera the way some of them behave! But I disagree with whoever said all nurses are uneducated chavs. My mummy is a district nurse and she is lovely and intelligent :suith: