Nurse bullying is a problem. It’s destructive, pervasive and doesn’t belong in a profession dedicated to caring and compassion! But what does nurse bullying actually LOOK like?
In my book titled, “Do No Harm” Applies to Nurses Too! I share many actual stories from nurses who have been victims of nurse bullying.
The following is an excerpt about Lisa who unfortunately fell victim to a common bully weapon – INTIMIDATION.
When Lisa was a new nurse, she worked a steady 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Lisa was warned very early into her orientation about the night shift nurses. They were well known for hazing the new nurses, and Lisa was warned to be on guard. Then Lisa had an experience with Norma that she will never forget.
Norma was what you would call a well-seasoned nurse. Rarely did you see Norma smile or offer to help anyone, especially a new nurse. Lisa tried to avoid Norma completely and, for the first month, she did. Then, one night Norma approached her. “I see that I’m not in charge tomorrow night and that I’ll be following you.” Then she leaned in closer to Lisa, and with a smirk on her face, said, “You had better make sure you give me a good report or the rest of your time here will be a nightmare. Just wanted to warn you.” Norma then gave Lisa a half smile and walked away.
Lisa had trouble sleeping that night, had diarrhea the next day, and couldn’t eat a thing. Lisa almost called off. When Lisa got to work, she spent her entire shift making sure she knew everything about her patients. Although Lisa did what she had to do for her patients, her mind was fixated on preparing for Norma.
As the end of her shift drew closer, Lisa’s panic worsened. And then Lisa saw her. Norma walked right up to her and said, “Well, are you going to give me a good report or should I just read the charts myself?”
Lisa’s mouth was so dry that she almost couldn’t speak. Lisa meekly replied, “No, I‘ll give you report.”
Lisa did give Norma a good report because she had spent her entire shift preparing to do so. When she finished answering Norma’s gazillion questions, all Norma said was, “Not bad,” and walked away. For Norma, this was a compliment, but it came at a great cost to Lisa.
WHY?
Norma deliberately tried to intimidate Lisa. Why? Well, there are many reasons that people behave in this way (will save that for another blog post so make sure you subscribe…it’s free!). Low self-esteem, high self-esteem, etc. Regardless of why, none of the reasons justifies the behavior.
WHAT CAN LISA DO?
Lisa doesn’t have to be a victim to this Norma or any other “Normas” out there. I just read this great post about overcoming intimidation. The author suggest 3 strategies:
1. Examine your own behavior (change your mindset).
2. Find a mentor (get advice from positive people).
3. Practice addressing behaviors (in low risk situations).
Remember, you deserve to work in a nurturing and supportive environment!
Have you ever been intimidated at work? Would love to read YOUR story and how you dealt with it.
Thanks so much for reading. Take care and stay connected!
Renee
If you like this post, say thanks for sharing it with others – especially the humans who are being bullied at work.
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