Rudeness in Nursing – Enough is Enough! [VIDEO]

At some point, all of us have probably witnessed disrespectful, rude or downright rude behavior from one colleague towards one other. The topic of workplace incivility brings to mind several examples from my very own experience where I needed to step in to guard a colleague from one other nurse’s cruel words or actions.

The most annoying example I actually have seen in my profession involved a brand new nurse transitioning from a successful profession in business to the emergency department. This nurse brings years of experience within the workplace as an adult, extensive experience as a parent, several advanced degrees, a peaceful demeanor and an easygoing personality. As an adult learner and profession changer, the nurse was highly motivated, wanting to learn the ropes of the unit, quickly mastering tactile skills, and asking excellent questions. There was one problem; this nurse, for unknown reasons, became an early enemy of the nurse who was one of the vocal nurses on this unit. This experienced nurse was able of authority and was deeply involved within the day-to-day running of the unit. When it got here to room assignments, scheduling, patient assignments, and breaks, there was little doubt who her least favorite nurse on this unit was.

Please imagine each nurses. Would it surprise you to learn that the brand new nursing graduate was male? I’m glad to report that, due to supportive colleagues, this lateral violence didn’t drive the brand new nurse away. He persevered and grew and flourished on this department, despite the fact that the nurse who bullied him treated him with derision. It had been ten years since he joined this team and he enthusiastically sought guidance and mentoring from those more experienced than he was on the time, but was rewarded with disrespect and rudeness from one other nurse able of influence. In the years that followed, he generously offered assistance and mentorship to assist other recent graduates transition into their recent, sometimes overwhelming, role as a nurse.

Our beloved occupation will be exhausting for each body and spirit. With all of the pressures we face every single day on our wards, caring for patients with increasingly complex comorbidities, there isn’t any room for the extra stress of lateral violence. As nurses and the occupation most trusted by the American public, we usually are not here to pull one another down, but to assist one another. What we allow, we promote, and it’s the responsibility of all of us to attract a line within the sand and say “enough” in relation to workplace incivility.