Why is it that the more experienced nurses often times “bully” newer nurses. I’m not talking about the ones that will be tough on you because they realize you have the potential…..I’m sure this has been asked, but I’ll never understand it.
Lack of culture, dim-wittedness, psychological problems could be some of the reasons. Doctors don't eat their young. But nurses do, and they talk about it with some sort of macabre hubris. We all have our not so beautiful, not so admirable sides. Eating their young (and sometimes their old) is the ugliest side of nursing. Cannibalism is antihuman.
What a shame that the more experienced RNs are bullying new RNs!! WHAT’S THEIR PROBLEM? (and it’s NOT YOU!!!!)
I never experienced bullying in my long career either as a new RN or after moving on to a new unit or job in the same or different hospital. lf any employees were bullying me, I’d have difficulty with that and likely would move on to another unit, hospital or job. We all DESERVE TO BE APPRECIATED and you should have had a warmer welcome. It makes NO SENSE to me TO BULLY ANY NEW NURSE! There’s NEVER an excuse for bullying others, and if I was bullied, it would only make me feel worthless and unappreciated.
I worked in four different jobs in three different settings during my 40year career as a pediatric RN and adult ICU nurse , and NEVER ONCE was bullied by ANY RN, family member, employee or Doctor. I occasionally faced a grumpy patient but usually won them over with kindness and caring.
I’d recommend making an appointment with both the head RN and HR to report the bullying.YOU HOLD ALL THE CARDS so if you want to stay at that hospital on that unit, you’d likely be able to do so and give it another try. You could likely move to another unit at that hospital that hopefully would be kinder to you and warmly welcome you. You also could also resign and find another job in a doctor’s office or different hospital.
DON’T GIVE UP!!! In my experience, the majority of nurses are NOT bullies or abusers. That being said, as far as I’m concerned, NO ONE should have to work in an environment where they are being bullied.
BEST OF LUCK TO YOU…AND STAY STRONG!!! Nursing is a GREAT career in the right environment that fits YOU!!! !
Yeah, for some strange reason nurses eat their young. I think they forget where they came from??? Maybe they think they have earned that right??? I think it's wrong and hate it happens. Stay strong, not all are that way
Being new, you probably don't want to complain, but there are laws against workplace harassment, aka Hostile Work Environment. Document the bully's behavior; words, date, time, etc (A nurse knows how to document!) and bring it to the attention of your immediate supervisor or your union. This bully may have been awful to many people, and maybe you'll be the first to speak up! Being bullied interferes with learning. I don't know what you mean by "being tough on you because they realize you have the potential." Every nurse has potential and no one needs to "be tough" on anyone else- that accomplishes nothing. We should all work together and be a strong team. One old nurse where I worked was so awful to new nurses that, after many warnings, she was eventually moved to a desk job (which she hated.)
That is a good question. My theory is that nurses don’t have the upper hand with anyone, so, we dole out our bossiness to anyone we can! “Nurses eat their young”-truer words were never spoken.
