You can’t control how a toxic person treats you but you have control over what you can accept or tolerate.
— Samuel Zulu
Well, well, well, it looks like those mean girls from high school have finally found their calling — nursing! Who would have thought that the same girls who spent their teenage years tormenting their classmates would end up in a profession that is supposed to be all about caring and compassion?
The irony!
But alas, it seems that nursing is the perfect career choice for those who never outgrew their domineering ways.
As it turns out, the nursing profession has a dirty little secret: bullying is rampant among nurses. According to a study of 612 staff nurses in the Journal of Nursing Management:
67.5% had experienced bullying from their supervisors
77.6% had been bullied by their co-workers
Compare that to the 35% of Americans outside healthcare who’ve reported workplace incivility, according to the Workplace Bullying Institute. And let’s be real, it’s no surprise that those mean girls from high school would end up in an environment where bullying is accepted and even expected. After all, they’ve been practicing their bullying techniques for years, so it’s only natural that they would bring them with them into the nursing profession.
These mean girls in scrubs have become a serious problem in the nursing world, creating a toxic culture that makes it hard for their fellow nurses to thrive. And unfortunately, many nurse managers are not equipped to handle this type of bullying properly. This means that nurses who are the targets of bullying often suffer in silence, not knowing how to get help. In the worst cases, this can even lead to nurses leaving the profession altogether.
So what exactly do we do about it? The first step is to recognize that bullying in nursing is a real issue that needs to be addressed. Nurse managers and other leaders in the profession need to be trained on how to recognize and handle bullying behavior. They also need to create a culture that does not tolerate bullying and encourages nurses to speak up if they experience it.
But…
Let’s be real.
It’s not just the nurse managers who need to step up and do their part. Nurses also need to take responsibility for creating a positive work environment. If you see bullying happening, don’t be afraid to speak up and stand up for your fellow nurses, even if you don’t know them personally. Your support goes a long way in making the workplace safer and more welcoming.
And I know, no one wants to be a narc. But you know what’s even worse than being a snitch? Having a 10:1 patient-nurse ratio because NO ONE wants to work with you, Christine.
It’s time to put an end to the mean girls in scrubs and make nursing a place where all nurses can thrive.
What with people leaving nursing in droves, it’s in everybody’s best interest to not be a malicious bitch and project our pent up emotional aggression on undeserving co-workers, Jennifer…
With the right training, personality screening tests, and extra support (and subtle threats from HR), we can make bullying a thing of the past and create a culture where nurses can actually focus on their patients.
Because remember, that’s the reason why you’re there, Miranda. To. help. people. Not to comment about the scrubs the new intern decided to wear and whether or not you think she looks trashy in them.
So let’s all do our part to create a positive work environment for nurses. And to all those Type A, anally retentive girls from high school who have decided to wreak havoc on the nursing community: it’s not too late to change your ways and become a positive influence in the profession.
Let’s make nursing great again!
-B-
