The Well blog in the New York Times this week explores an interesting and ever-present topic: why nurses bully each other, or “eat their young,” as many nurses call it. In it, Seattle nurse, consultant, and author Kathleen Bartholomew is mentioned-she literally wrote the book on the topic, which might be worth checking out: Ending Nurse-to-Nurse Hostility: Why Nurses Eat Their Young.
The blog explores the reasons behind such abusive behavior, in which a nurse will publicly berate another nurse or make a nurse’s shift unreasonably tough. Blogger Theresa Brown, RN, suggests that while many nurses eventually learn to handle the stress of nursing, and others burn out and quit, a few burn out, stay, and fight back like “cornered animals.”
What do you think of that idea? Have you encountered nurse-to-nurse hostility? What helps prevent it?
February 15th, 2010 at 10:48 am
In two words, this happens because of bad management. The behaviour is tolerated and not dealt with swiftly and clearly. It seems when a nurse obtains a position of authority and power their energy quickly goes into preservering their own 9-5 Monday through Friday schedule instead of what is going on with their staff. Managers forget why they are there. They do not consistently value the work the staff nurse performs. That is why they don’t care that their staff can work a 12 hour shift with no breaks or even bathroom time! Too many middle managers cannot wait to put patient care behind them. They all need to get back to the bedside(or clinic or home).
February 24th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
If you permit it,
you promote it!
March 15th, 2010 at 11:19 am
I agree that many of the nurses in the management end of the profession need to get back to the bedside and experience how it feels to have no one to turn to in a staffing crisis. Patient care is what nursing is all about and it becomes too difficult to care for the patients after 12 and 13 hours of grueling bedside work. Many nurses leave the bedside to avoid the feelings of guilt laid upon them if they refuse overtime or 16 hour double shifts. When will the managers change from their business suits to their scrubs to fill in the gaps of shift work? I wouldn’t iomagine any time too soon.
October 30th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
This issue in nursing is one that I personally feel is holding us back as a profession. Until we treat each other with respect, dignity, and are professional, we will not be seen as professionals.