So there are a lot of post about nurses eating their young, and toxic work enviornments.  I graduated almost 2 years ago, and my friends and I can't believe some of the behavior we see.  On the floor I'm on it's so clicky it's like the movie mean girls.  Sometimes if you float to other floors those nurses will give you the worst assignment cuz you are the float nurse.   Nurses sh**  on each other with transfers, admissions and whatever else.  I will not go on cuz we all know what I'm talkin about.   

My question is this...How do we change it?  By creating a good work enviornment we would certainly improve outcomes for our patients.  We wouldn't feel like drinking half the time when we leave work.  And the nursing shortage would probably lessen as people would stay in direct patient care jobs where it can be stressful but also very fufilling.  What enviornments have you  worked in that were good, and why were they good? 

rrybak says ...

So there are a lot of post about nurses eating their young, and toxic work enviornments.  I graduated almost 2 years ago, and my friends and I can't believe some of the behavior we see.  On the floor I'm on it's so clicky it's like the movie mean girls.  Sometimes if you float to other floors those nurses will give you the worst assignment cuz you are the float nurse.   Nurses sh**  on each other with transfers, admissions and whatever else.  I will not go on cuz we all know what I'm talkin about.   

My question is this...How do we change it?  By creating a good work enviornment we would certainly improve outcomes for our patients.  We wouldn't feel like drinking half the time when we leave work.  And the nursing shortage would probably lessen as people would stay in direct patient care jobs where it can be stressful but also very fufilling.  What enviornments have you  worked in that were good, and why were they good? 

I think the best way to change it is to treat others as you would like to be treated. Set an example, and support each other. If another nurse is giving someone a hard time, in a professional way, call them out on it. Alot of reasons nurses are mean to each other is for underlying reasons. It's sounds silly, but true. Jealousy, and the old clique mentality are easy coping mechanisms when we aren't sure of a nurse we are unfamiliar with.

I try not to be that way since I've done agency and float for the past year and I've had the worst assignments. I charged a month or so ago, and had a new nurse from another floor pulled to my floor. I informed her I was there to help and answer any questions she had. I gave her the codes to get into various doors(I wrote them down for her) and explained the gist of how our unit ran. I'm not stupid, I may need this nurse to work on my floor again. Why make her hate it? Why cut my nose off to spite my face? Unfortunately, not all nurses think that way.

I also try to take nursing students under my wing when I can. I let them know how much I value their help and try to give them a positive experience. I ask them to always remember they were students once, and to please pay it forward and be kind to students when they become nurses. This may seem small, but someone has to start somewhere. Where better than with yourself?

I pride myself on the fact that most nursing staff enjoy working with me.