BULLYING IN NURSING | Tips for Handling Bullying & How to Fix it

Bullying in Nursing. Certainly not a super fun topic, but it’s one I’ve gotten quite a few questions on. In todays video, I’ll share my experience with nurse bullying, and the ways that I have learned to deal with bullying and decrease it among my peer group. I’ll also talk about how to deal when you are not included in that “clique” that everyone seems to be in. Lateral violence is on the rise in any workplace, but seems to be unfortunately deeply entrenched in nursing and other healthcare professions. Hopefully these tips will help you manage bullying when you see it, and show you some ways to cope when you are the one being bullied. I hope that NONE of you ever experience this, but unfortunately, it is likely that some will. Please reach out to someone (that you don’t work with) and talk about it! It is NEVER your fault if you are being bullied, and it is completely unacceptable. Hopefully with time and by leading by example, we can change this culture entirely, and start loving people more and judging less. Sorry about all my tangents in this one. It hits close to home.
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[@selfdevelopmentlab4078]

"You can't change [mean people]." "Do not meet drama with drama." Well said! I would also add to all the great stuff you already said, an effective method with bullies is to reflect facts and NOT share your feelings with them. What I mean: never tell a bully "that hurts my feelings when you say/do that." They (by definition of being a bully) aren't saddened or regretful to hear that. They don't tend to respond with empathy to soft feelings. I've never, NEVER heard of a bully responding with "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. What can I do to change?" Hahahhah!!! Instead, calmly reflecting the facts to them: "You're telling me you don't like me because I have curly brown hair." No look of sarcasm on your face. No attempt to jab. Then just pause and wait for them to respond. Bully's typical responses = backtracking what they said ("Well, what I really MEANT to say was...."), getting defensive ("I was just joking...."), avoiding responsibility and trying to put the problem on you ("Well, what's wrong with saying you have brown, curly hair?" "You're so sensitive."). After they respond, you can respond accordingly. For example, "I'm just verifying that's what you actually said." (metamessage you give to the bully--> "You've got to be kidding me that you're functioning on this level. I heard what you said. You're not getting away with it.")

[@NurseLiz]

I absolutely love this!! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@LandscapescounselingSiouxFalls]

Nurse Liz, sure thing! 👍🏾

[@youssefa.2251]

The most gangster thing to do lmao. Catch them in that logic trap and thrive 💯

[@anthonyalexandrou809]

Thanx ,, the responses to you calling a bully out is so true... only joking.. your to sensitive etc...

[@triciaandor686]

@@anthonyalexandrou809 Yup... some of their favorite go-to ways of trying to shift responsibility from themselves and onto you.

[@MsShellie2U]

Being bullied as a nurses aid while in nursing school made me quit nursing and school. Today, I am back in school for healthcare administration to make sure this is an issue thst is dealt with. It is unfair that a very good nurse leaves a position while the bad one gets to stay.

[@MarksTournaments]

Thank you

[@erinnorwood6124]

I'm glad you are becoming a solution

[@jinsu0504]

very good!​....one thing I hated about nursing wasn't the patient care aspect...no, that gave me fulfillment and satisfaction. i loved taking care of patients...what I hated the most, and somedays dreaded going to work was mingling with these female nurses who spends their entire day gossiping, spreading rumors and just getting in the way of effective OBJECTIVE teamwork. I made sure to treat my new training nurses with the very respect I wanted for myself. luckily I didn't have a hard time when starting out as a new nurse. my preceptors were amazing...I truly won't be the nurse I am today without their help and dedication....but not all nurses are like that...nurses with limited knowledge and skill will compensate by being rude to beginning nurses to exert their dominance....I've seen stupid nurses like this...with associate degrees and 40 years of experience...being an absolute ****. and nursing shouldn't be about that...its a beautiful profession with rotten people. If you aren't here to make a change, leave before you get burnt out. Im here to make a change by starting with education. I'm going to one day be in a position of change and I will, mark my words, get rid of these toxic nurses and ancillary staff in every unit.....sure, the hospital needs to focus on safe staffing ratios, better staff pay, benefits, research, etc...yes. but toxic people get in the way of productivity, efficiency of the unit, confidence of individual members who can CONTRIBUTE TO PROACTIVE evidence based treatment, and overall lead to unit turnover rates....managers shouldn't be afraid to write these people up....and report for just culture and termination just because the unit is understaffed...it is your responsibility to rid of lazy, toxic people in your unit just leeching off the good energy of others. it affects your other staffs and your patients. and it all leads to patient dissatisfaction, unsafe working environment, greater change of iatrogenic infections as low esteem nurses aren't following infectious control guidelines (sometimes practicing by the books are also frowned upon by these toxic nurses, as they see as "change" to the unit..) and can lead to MORE COSTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! the change starts with you. don't give up. don't leave the profession because of the influence of a few bad apples. be the change! be the experienced, all knowing nurses who gives quality orientation to the new nurses with love. change this profession and evolve it to something better. pursue higher education if you can't make that change as an entry level nurse. It all starts with you being fed up with it all.

[@hanbanan0]

I’m graduating in 2 weeks so I’m applying for jobs as a RN at my hospital

[@karenleroy499]

You would think that adults would have left that type of behavior behind in middle school.

[@Alphaslice]

Lol yeah.. oh it might be that they have never matured to adulthood

[@NurseLiz]

You would think. I’m hoping it goes away some as we continue to educate on it!

[@miavue7792]

Actually, my single mother taught my 8 siblings and me to be very respectful and kind. I don't care what age or grade you are in, there is no excuse to be mean or disrespectful. As a nurse myself, I wished every nurse would be kind and nice to new nurses or to each other.

[@NurseLiz]

Mia Vue couldn’t agree more!

[@lovejesuschristlovejesus3398]

I know😰

[@allynleblanc3811]

That's funny. Basically blaming the bullied for getting bullied. Last week a nurse was bullied in cath lab. She was verbally assaulted. She went to her manager to complain about the behavior. Nurse was told "what did you do to push them off". She went to HR. CEO of the hospital fired the offender bully. Called the cath lab supervisor, manager, and director in. Told them their response was unacceptable. They were all fired. New message is BULLYING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED!!! If you are being bullied report it. Keep going. I've been a nurse for 20+ years and an NP for 12.

[@allynleblanc3811]

Administration outside of nursing and CNOs take this serious. If our own profession won't they do. There have been several lawsuits won in my hospital, so HRs take this serious.

[@NurseLiz]

Definitely not blaming the bully for getting bullied, like I said in the video! I’m so glad your hospital treats it as such! Not all are that lucky. I’ve also encountered a TON of bullying that isn’t nearly on an assault level, where you can’t report much because it’s their attitude, or small things. There are many types of bullying, and not all are very obvious. Thanks for the input! You are very right that until we start treating it like a problem, nothing will change. What are your suggestions for when it is small slides over time rather than full on assault? I’ve found that to be far more challenging to confront.

[@cv2733]

Bullshit

[@melissahouse3488]

This is Awesome!!! Sadly it took suits to create change but it's promising to know there are places holding accountability because this kind of disrespect abuses that employee and ultimately it's the patients who suffer, a true violation of everyone's rights to peace on the job and focusing on care/team work. It is definitely a driving force in why nurses are leaving a profession desperately needing people. It needs to be addressed a lot more in school, and training as well as all employer's and work places of a zero tolerance, same as sexual harassment would. It is ABUSE to everyone. I prefer private care or assisted living at night, because I've suffered my whole life of bullies and harassment. Some of us tend to unfortunately draw it in through vulnerability so I developed a loner life and it reflects in my job choices where my decisions cater to the idea of how I can work as independently as possible, because I take the skills naturally and why should a populous needing my care go deprived because somebody has the ill motivation to be mean /make trouble, such people shouldn't be in nursing because it's displaying abusive tendencies. Your place of employment sounds wonderful, I hope they continue to thrive!!! Corruption and abuse have no place in caring for those suffering.

[@ivybichon8582]

And this is a perfect example, as to a healthy response from HR.

[@Patricia-zl2su]

I had a nurse be mean to me my first day on the unit as a student. She was a new nurse on the unit but a more seasoned nurse pulled her aside and said, "we don't do that here", not only was that amazing but made me love being on that floor. Her attitude improved but you could still tell she was mean but that behavior was not tolerated on the unit.

[@dustydarrius5318]

A girl who used to bully me in high school is a nurse now. I think most bullies use this title as a "Look, I'm a good person because I help people now" type of mask to keep appearances out in public when people start to think negatively of their abusive behaviors.

[@NurseLiz]

I think you are probably right. It’s sad

[@rozzie5651]

Its a darn shame.

[@bricbrac28]

And probably a mean nurse

[@MotorcyclePhaedrus]

I think that may be a depressingly accurate assessment.

[@mychannelnotyours]

Well they’re still doing the same things in healthcare system…they’re bunch of soulless human beings they won’t even shed a tear when their patients die.

[@meghankrause2689]

I'm a CNA and was bullied by a Nurse who used to be a CNA on my unit. After trying to address it personally with them, I did have to go to my Nurse Manager. She took it very seriously, supported me 100%. The actual bullying stopped, now they just have a rotten personality.

[@NurseLiz]

Ugh I'm so sorry, but im so glad they actually did something about it!!! Some people's attitudes are horrible :( .

[@allisondyamond487]

My nurse manager was the actual one eating the young on the unit and trickled down to some (most) of her staff; both day and night shift. When I tried to tell her about a certain even that happened to me, she just told me to handle it myself. Ugh I just can’t!😭

[@Rachel-rs4dl]

I quickly learned that not all nurses are nice and not all nurses are in the field because they care, and I am currently home from a shift crying because this just breaks my heart. And some people can be so cruel... So that’s why I’m here watching this. Thank you for posting.

[@NurseLiz]

UGh hope it gets better for you. There are definitely some awful people out there.

[@dustin4450]

I had surgery few years ago, woke up in the recovery room with 4 female nurses hovering over me giggling and my gown lifted up to my chest. I kinda sat up a bit, I guess they realized I was starting to come to it, one quick pulled my gown down and the other 3 left the room right away. I had a female nurse tell me once how a local TV anchor had surgery. Word spread throughout the female nurses and female employees in the unit. So afterwards 30 or so female nurses quick took turns shuffling in, I'm guessing the recovery room, and lifted up his gown. They thought it was HILARIOUS to sexually degrade him like that. I could go on and on and on and on and on with stories. A LOT of female nurses do some WILD things to innocent defenseless unconscious male patients under anesthesia. Most commonly going up to unconscious male patients and lifting their gowns up for NON MEDICAL REASONS but to laugh and gawk and sexually humiliate them then further sexually degrade them by gossiping about their genitals even to other women outside the hospital. Or PURPOSELY leaving unconscious male patients exposed when it isn't NECESSARY and having other female nurses who have NO BUSINESS with that patient to come look and giggle and gawk. I NEVER hear a female nurse defend the innocent defenseless unconscious male patients that get sexually assaulted by female nurses. All we hear is female nurses talk about their fellow female nurses bullying them. They NEVER defend the unconscious male patients they are paid to look after from being sexually assaulted by their fellow female nurses, but will complain when they get bullied. I understand female nurses HATE talking about this topic. Because they know its true, female nurses NEVER stick up for their Male patients. But then it just seems selfish then to complain about it when they themselves are on the receiving end of it. And even the female nurses who dont partake in this sick n twisted female nurse ritual of sexually assaulting innocent defenseless unconscious male patients but turn a blind eye to the ones that do are JUST as complicit, they ABSOLUTELY would report it if it were male hospital employees doing this to unconscious female patients but they ignore it because its being done to male patients by females

[@annmarieriley-nees8219]

I have been a LPN for years. The one thing I totally loathe is the bullying surrounding nursing. It is totally unacceptable. This is why people leave professions. I took a long time to choose my accelerated program because I was very disappointed in the lack of comradery. We need nurses people. You want to feel like a hero or special? Wrap your arms around that new nurse. Show them the ropes. Be the bigger person.

[@erinnorwood6124]

Where did you find a nice program?

[@queenbutterfly4888]

I fight bullies back. I don’t care what anyone else thinks about it. No human on this planet is going to attempt to bully me ever.

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@shynot6741]

I've been bullied on the job. I think it's a shame that companies put up with such behavior. Nursing is supposed to be a compassionate field. Thanks for the info.

[@NurseLiz]

I've found we are not very compassionate to our peers or ourselves. Which is interesting since its a profession based on compassion. I'm so sorry you've been bullied on the job. I hope it gets better for you friend.

[@shynot6741]

@@NurseLiz Thank you. I work perdium so I don't have to deal with negative people. I think patient care suffer because good people don't stick around long. Take care. God bless.

[@NurseLiz]

I completely agree about patient care suffering! Its too bad.

[@victoriatongun1775]

@@NurseLiz Only in paper. Most nurses are truly pure evil...

[@sepideh1792]

Being nice to a bully, won't help situation. I have tried it but didn't work out for me.

[@NurseLiz]

It definitely doesn’t always work out. Which sucks. But at least then I felt like I did something and didn’t add to the negative. Sorry you have dealt with that 😖

[@jenno5555]

Its more like not reacting their meaness. You yourself become a nice person to allivate issues. You want to be kind and helpful.When some is mean to you call out the behavior and state your purposes. Like for example "Hey, I dont appreciate that. Im just here to help patients. I wish you do the same." For HR they are not going to stop it but they need ti have record of whats going on.

[@lunamooncat7926]

@@NurseLiz being nice to a bully only works if your bully has a conscience, which a lot of them lack. They don't view their behaviour as wrong and lack the self awareness to realise how inappropriate their actions are. Thus, they'll perceive you as an easy target, a weak pushover that lets them walk all over them without even complaining. That's dangerous.

[@Timo-Epis]

I did this and then they started to call me manipulative lol

[@Frogger790]

Me either. I never thought would be bullied but yet I left work with nurse of accusing me of stealing a narcotic. From the first moment i stepped on the floor she was already mean and am new. Then after the shift she took over again. She started yelling at me because 1 narcotic was missing. I told her idk really. Idk if she took it herself & accused me or what. But she went ballistic. Like nuts… like she would kill me if she could. I’m so upset. It was so stressful 34 pnt’s new floor, not knowing the system. I didn’t even take a break. Then she was yelling in the elevator making it like I was leaving. I was trying to go to the supervisor.

[@SarahRumley]

My step dad is a doctor and when I said I was thinking of nursing he said to be aware of mean nurses because he said all the nurses he works with are SO mean to each other. So I'm definitely expecting to come across mean nurses when I start nursing.

[@NurseLiz]

Ugh I hate that THAT is the first perception of our progression 😞

[@rozzie5651]

Wow, you see how many others notice what's going on? It's appalling.

[@zamzamwater8749]

@@amyhulse1867 go into home care, I don't want anything to do with hospitals and nursing homes. I literally threw, burned my scrubs. I like homecare though and there are some businesses that provide benefits

[@detoxlady6777]

Don’t be a nurse. Trust me you will get out. Don’t even waste your time. There are a lot of other fields to get into. Listen to your doctor dad. What about dentistry?

[@onodarse]

Thank you for your video! I recently started working in an ICU unit as a new grad and I'm already experiencing nursing incivility. Every time I ask a question they just roll their eyes and they always make me feel like I'm not part of their team. It sucks that after studying so hard and sacrificing so much I now hate my job and dread going to work every time. Hopefully it gets better with time. Nonetheless, I plan to start applying to another unit once my 6 month probation period ends.

[@NurseLiz]

Orlando Nodarse ugh I’m sorry it’s like that! 😣. Definitely not the entry into nursing you deserved. Hope it gets better for you soon

[@wintersedge8990]

Omg me too! After I started in ICU, there was a small posse of severely overweight nurses that seem to hate life and me. Every time I would have the displeasure of having to talk to one of them, they would talk down to me and roll their eyes. During report they would seem disinterested and would say things like "I don't care". One evening after a rough shift, this particular woman decided to belittle me by telling me publicly everything I'm doing wrong, I was so fed up that I called her on it and told her that she always looks so angry, like she hates her job and that she doesn't have to work in ICU.... That's when she started rumours and gossip about me. Then other people started treating me differently and reporting me to the educator when I didn't change my parameters on my monitors because I wanted to watch my blood pressure closely... I'm just finishing my maternity leave and should be going back in two weeks. I'm dreading it. I'm looking for other work. And I'm watching videos like this. Ugh. It's so sad. I have the personality to work in ICU, but apparently don't fit in with the type of people that tend to work there :(

[@NurseLiz]

wintersedge so sorry you are experiencing that 😞. Congrats on your babe! Fingers crossed something drastic has changed or you find your dream unit ❤️

[@queenb7426]

☹

[@cupcakelove2018]

@@wintersedge8990 the fat overweight nurses are bitter and angry most of the time. Most of them are like that and some aren't as bad but minions of the other click. They don't like incoming cute, fit, younger version, or potential competition...ughhh it's not easy when you stuck with them for 8-12 hrs

[@karadronzek91]

And once again I would like to remark that nursing is a predominantly female based career. We should lift each other up, not tear each other down. How can the profession move forward if we don’t stop the bullying?

[@NurseLiz]

Agree!

[@bash9032]

Bullies are cultivated over YEARS' time -- but what we can do that may be more effective, is teach and mentor people to be confident enough to stand up to bullies and discourage bullying behavior.

[@karadronzek91]

First most it is a high stress job and I think that some people have a difficult time handling the stress so they displace their own emotions and put it off on someone else. I do also think the idea “ nurses eat their young” is an idea that was propagated and grown by the older nurse population. I’m hoping that as these nurses retire so will that philosophy. Because it’s SOOO counterproductive and realistically just dumb. Young nurses, hang in there. This is an amazing and rewarding career.

[@NurseLiz]

Thank you for leaving this encouragement for people!

[@LoraGarcia1]

I have been bullied at work, someone said something to someone in leadership, this leadership person brought me to management. I guess they had already heard what happened, told me they were taking care of it and that is not how things go. However there was one other player in the situation that they did not know about. Their response to that was "Nurses eat their young" lol I was mortified that I was marched into management office, it made it WAY WORSE. The bullying looks like this: Being left out, being ignored, being slammed on the unit, being set up by nurses so I fail. The bullying is VERY incognito. Nothing is really ever said. It's eye rolling, not helping, watching me drown, whispering behind my back, leaving me out of everything, eating alone in the lunch room and walking passed a big group of my colleagues and they all ignore me. It's so sad and pathetic. I had a triage nurse bully me by telling me that I had a patient in my room, told me what was wrong with them, the patient was NEVER brought to my room, I had to look ALL over for the patient because I thought they were at CT for the first hour, until I called CT and they were not there. The triage nurse never brought my patient back....sabotage....it was meant for me to fail. The patient was sitting over in triage for 2 hours wondering what was happening while I was her nurse.

[@NurseLiz]

Ugh sorry you had to deal with all that. I do agree that so much of the bullying is how you described and not easy to report and even when it is done it’s typically not helpful 😞

[@rozzie5651]

So that patient was with the triage nurse all that time?

[@selfdevelopmentlab4078]

Ugh!!! What you describe here is so true. Bullying is so frequently in the non-verbals. The stuff that's hard to communicate the power of to your supervisor. So sorry about your experience. :(

[@CaptKat3]

This is exactly how I experienced bullying.

[@stvsanders]

I am a physician that has tried to change out dated obstetric care in a small hospital and have been the target of nurse bullying for having rocked the boat. This really helped. Thank you

[@NurseLiz]

Ugh I'm so sorry. Thank you for doing what you do!

[@hannahd4680]

Good to note that physicians get bullied too and it can be hard if you work alone.

[@anadanielle884]

🤔 Cultivating a positive culture. Wish this was the norm!! Thanks for the video!!

[@NurseLiz]

Me too! Wouldn’t that be lovely?

[@hinaynigenerations7]

I had to stand up for myself and show what I could do. I earned my respect but either way earned it or not I straight up got clear in a nice way. And I got my respect. My term for this is called workplace abuse. I straight up showed what I was willing to take and not willing to take. As soon as someone said something I stopped them right there and quickly.

[@lakshithasivanandan7289]

YES!!!! Thank you for this video. I remember my very first acute care position and the bullying I went through. I was completely miserable. I've gotten better at having confrontational conversations with people but still working on it. I think I'm a bit too nice!

[@NurseLiz]

It is so hard! I think most nurses are people pleasers, hence why we became nurses haha. I’m so sorry you dealt with this! I hope it’s getting better!

[@meaganmutuc6685]

hi! I am a pre-pa, I was gonna go into nursing and the FIRST thing that has driven me away in nursing is the bullying. Nurses eat their young, it is very true when I volunteered.

[@NurseLiz]

its really really sad how pervasive that is in nursing

[@zaynaby9445]

I'm experiencing this rn ...😪 just today this nurse abused me out of nowhere!

[@cindyvillanueva5025]

There are a lot of seasoned nurses who are bitter, and have a chip on their shoulder. I agree with you. I’ve been a nurse over 20 years, try not to take it personal. Even with my experience I’m still bullied. I’m 62 years old. And cross trained in so many different areas in nursing. I have left hospital nursing for that reason. I’m so sorry for the way your treated as new nurses. But to present another side, please here me out. New nurses often have a “I have the same degree, don’t tell me what to do” when a seasoned nurse tries to share their years experience and how they can share their experiences with new nurses. We feel disrespected. The facilities we all work at are devaluing ALL nurses. I love new nurses who are well trained and want personal growth in the field. But so many new nurses don’t respect the experience of seasoned nurses, they see new nurses as “know it all” and I think that’s where the mutual disrespect comes from. Experience and knowledge comes from the same place. I see new nurses as thinking they got a degree and don’t need the help of older nurses. They ignore the subtle changes in patients because of lack of experience. When older nurses see the trajectory occurring, ie a decline in patients and we want to share to help but the attitude of “I have a degree just like you so I’m equal in knowledge” rubs us the wrong way. Kindness and humility is definitely the key you’re right. But new nurses need to respect the experience of seasoned nurses. Just like new nurses have training we could benefit from. But don’t equate many years of hands on experience with a new degree. I’ve had experience where a new grad thinks they deserve the same pay as someone with many years of experience because they simply received a degree. It’s not good for the patient or the nurse. The facilities are not on either side. It’s a business to them almighty dollar is all that matters in a lot of instances, be kind, humble and forgiving.

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@BUNNY-vf7cl]

Nurses who bully rlly have not moved past high school and for me I feel rlly at peace knowing that I’m not low enough to seek self assurance by excluding others or bullying.

[@anonymouslissahlily3241]

Today I had my fellow student cry during labour ward clinical assessment!! It was so bad I literally had to remind him that what has gone through had nothing to do with him ( mid assessment 2nd stage of labour). I think at this point I have developed such a thick skin no amount of bullying can stop me from achieving my dreams in nursing I mean like literally I don't care what they say or don't say!! I am too focused to even notice

[@cbrn5906]

It is so much easier to be kind to someone. I am about to graduate, and I am excited to be a part of the nursing community. I pray that the professionals I will be working with are nice and kind.

[@laurenmusso4111]

I shared this on my nursing school discussion board about bulling in nursing. You are such a great resource. You rock Nurse Liz!

[@NurseLiz]

I’m sure there will be flack about the not reporting it to management comment. 😬. Oops haha. Thanks for the love!!

[@jennifertaylor6694]

Bullying is never okay, being afraid of retaliation or being failed for reporting someone is real. You are afraid to report it because nothing is ever done about it. You only regret that you ever said anything. what about when you are in school, clinical for example

[@NurseLiz]

Agreed. I've only ever received horrible backlash for reporting bullying. Which is awful.

[@TheErinlw]

Confronting works often. A lot of Bullies continue to bully because no one calls them out on it. Usually if you do it once they’re like a deer in the headlights and won’t know how to respond. If it continues I would bring to higher levels because it is absolutely unacceptable.

[@Wewereneveryoung]

Lol NO this does not always work, especially if you're smaller than them

[@kr-ru5dm]

I'm navigating the bullying. We have a class bully in school. I'm smart, compassionate warm, got one of the top teas. My "friend" has become a bully. Nobody really likes her. Others have expressed how rude she is. I am standing up for myself starting next time class meets. She is controlling my time, she tries to control me and criticizes me tries to ridicule if I don't know the answer to a question everyone is struggling with. She is so fucking insecure and wants knowledge but she has neither the knowledge or the caring behaviors she's awful. I'm not Sharing or fall into gossiping aby her in class I want to remain professional and develop a good rep w my peers. I considered reporting her (the school encourages us). She might be a menace to patients and peers later on. She's got the maturity of a Catty 11 year old making cliques and trying to have power over it. I have slowly walked away from her. She thinks she can control me but I'm gonna prove her wrong. She is scary she says if I dont help her with nursing school she would kill me on the first week. She is early 30s is divorced and dates a wealthy retiree. Only in nursing for the money..looks down on all the rest of us poor nursing kids. Unfortunately she said thT in class and I didn't know how to document it and no witnesses. She rejoices in try to ridicule me when I dony know something in front of my peers.when she raises her hand she yells. She's just too much I am going to start calmly but firmly letting her now to back off say "stop that" when she tries in class and see that she feels called out or that I stand my ground. When she plays dumb ill say I don't feel comfortable with the way you approach or talk to me...I have to look at her firmly in the eyes and not look away first. If she keeps harassing me or saying "why u reacting like this why u sensitive" I won't answer.

[@TheErinlw]

@@kr-ru5dm wow! You should record her with your phone in class. I can’t believe she threatened you like that! Please let me know how it went with standing up for yourself. I know it is difficult and scary but you don’t deserve to be treated that. That is the worst person to be a nurse. I can’t believe she’s 30 I thought you were describing a 14 year old.

[@LeeLivinLife]

When I become a nurse I’m gonna bully them Back!

[@Lolarawrxo90]

LeeLivinLife 🤣

[@youssefa.2251]

Hahahah no chill 💀⛓💯

[@sabrinamartin47]

Liz, i first watched your video a while back around the start of my nursing journey. now rewatching in my 5th semester of nursing school after experiencing a growing toxic culture within my clinical group. you are so right-- becoming like them will not help the situation. trying to remain grounded and remember why i am there. THANK YOU for making this content!

[@judycoulter4556]

Thank you so much for this video Liz. I didn’t expect to be bullied but I was terribly bullied. It was so horrible. I worked for central staffing and I hated some floors I worked on. No one would help me and then they would tattle.

[@solangeelkallassi9514]

I'm a nursing student. Nurse bullying disgusts me and it makes the whole profession look awful. Do people seriously have such a lack of professionalism? Doesn't make other healthcare professionals respect you either!! So terrible! Lift one another up. I'm so professional and blunt that I'm concerned it'll be misconstrued as a new nurse and I'll seem harsh/cold but really just being normal! But yes....beyond just being nice, it's a matter of professional and nurses shouldn't have such shameful behavior.

[@NurseLiz]

It is definitely incredibly unprofessional and ridiculous that it is so pervasive. I think professional and blunt is perfect. But I may be biased because thats how i am haha

[@niathenurse]

I was bullied in nursing school no one liked me no one would talk to me or sit by me or anything. I always felt like everyone was laughing at me & making fun of me, after self-reflection. I really didn't see what I did wrong. I am a totally and generally nice person. One time at clinicals this girl was always mean to me. So, one day she got so mad at me. I ignored her & the nursing instructor at the time pulled me aside & said good job. You handled the situation the same way I would have. That made me feel good, because I did nothing wrong. I never did anything to this girl. Crazy part about it all was she just turned 18. I was 32. Here is what happened. It was my turn to do med pass. We all had medication evaluation that day at clinicals. I was checking my cart looking for my patient's medication & the bully started yelling at me asking me what I am looking for. I ignored her so she yelled at me a couple more times then came stomping to my medication cart slamming my hand in the drawer & took over MY evaluation. I was so embarrassed & angry at the same time I was in pain. My hand was throbbing. She hated me & still till this day I never would understand why. Like I literally never did anything to this girl. She would always roll her eyes at me too when the instructor would ask me questions when I would answer them. It was the worst bullying experience ever. I pray I never go through bullying ever again even working as a new nurse. It sucked because all throughout junior high school and high school I was bullied. 😞

[@chrystallee1563]

So sorry that happened to you. I would’ve called her out and let her know, abusive behavior is not tolerated and that you will report her asap!

[@montanagal6958]

I love Nurse Liz and all your videos!!! It's a low person that bullies a new graduate. I have observed the behavior and it makes me pretty sick. Best thing to do is ask the bully if you can speak to them alone, then say whatever it is you need to say...."I heard you said this or that..." for some reason this usually stops it-even if the interaction is weird, unresolved or uncomfortable. Bullies are cowards.

[@shiviyashi892]

Thank you for talking about this and recognizing it for what it is!! It is sometimes so hard for me to believe that it happened, but it did and we need to call it out for what it is! Nursing is so much more than this. Thank you Liz for your positivity. We need more of this!

[@NurseLiz]

shivi yashi so glad it’s been helpful! I think the high stress of the job definitely doesn’t help! But it’s definitely a struggle. Hopefully we can all do our little part to make it more positive!

[@ambientamber7204]

the problem in my unit is shift segregation. Like, I love everyone on my night shift, they rock! However, nurses and other NA's on the other shift have their own agendas and make us night people the butt of every issue. It gets so old. Im very new here and have already dealt with so much abuse. I just need to hit my stride, I know it will get better and my confidence will come back!

[@NurseLiz]

There is definitely a lot of struggle between day and night shift I agree. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself! You got this!

[@Hannah-pn2gs]

It's amazing, you would think nurses are cordial to each other.

[@heatherd273]

I think this is common in the hospital setting. I've worked as a pharmacy tech at 2 hospitals and we also have the same issue. The day shift always blames the evening shift and vice versa

[@veiled_sakura]

This literally helped me with years and years of uncertainty of how to respond to people who have bullied/just not responded well to me at work. For the longest time I was scared to even directly stand up for myself at all because I thought the management would find out somehow and then take the side of the other person and then discipline or fire ME. For literally years it was like that and I thought I had to just... "take it". Like you just have to be nice like it wasn't even happening and almost even act like you LIKE it. How terrible and masochistic of a misunderstanding that was. Now, I am definitely a lot more self- and socially-confident and honestly braver in general, so all of this is also easier to digest and just do it. A few years ago I may have still been scared to take this advice, but now that's not the case. Now I'm gonna do these things and I don't care now if get flack back from the other person. Srsly thank you for this. From now on in my work environment and when I become a nurse (God willing), I'm gonna follow all of these to a T with zero regrets. >:)

[@OperationFoxley19441]

Fight fire with fire but tactically in a sneaky fashion never argue but sink the bully when you can by reporting them for mistakes and bad behaviour. They will fear you and respect you!! But you will always meet bully's in the care system. You just have to put them in their place!! Love this video!!

[@NurseLiz]

👍🏼👍🏼

[@laurenblocher1287]

Hi! I am a first year nursing student and I found this video really helpful. I have heard some stories about how "nurses eat their young" and it has kind of made me nervous to go into the field. However, watching this video has taught me a couple of strategies on handle certain situations. Thanks for the video!

[@miaormonde]

I love the self reflection tip! So wise

[@NurseLiz]

❤️

[@mythoughts7248]

Health care has highly educated individuals, with the most ego, pride, and most unforgiven, critical, toxic people. Education builds position not character or manners. I am surprised how many people agree with this video, yet there continues to be no change in the field. Which is why I left the hospital (pool of sharks) to open up my own practice (pool of dolphins). My friends who continue to work in the hospital continue to complain how toxic it still is in the hospital. Professionals being unprofessional with each other. Toxic environment shouldn't be excused, should know better as "educated people". Hope this video reaches more people.

[@Joy-sr8nh]

I am a PCT who has been hazed for years but i learned tools along the way... Liz is 100% correct in killing with kindness.....when i pop around being overly nice and charismatic tonsomeome clearly trying to intimidate or discomfort me, they usually don't know where to go from there. 😂😂😂😂...they walk away defeated and begin avoiding me instead of following me.

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@victoria8362]

Why should I have to deal with your personal drama... it's the workplace, deal with your mess off the floor. I am there to do my job and others should be too!

[@roxieschuster3877]

For me, being 58 yrs old, I constantly hear things like, I'm just an old Gramma, I'm too old and I'm lazy. Also, when I got covid, I heard that I wasn't expected to recover because I'm "old and fat". Comments about my ago are mentioned every day. I'm "old and slow" or I hear that I don't fit the profile of young nurses, with their too tight scrubs, heavy make up, manicured nails and their fancy hairstyles". I get wrote up for silly things. I was told that they want to get rid of me because of my age, but they don't want to be in trouble for discrimination. I would leave except I know it's harder for older nurses to get good nursing jobs. But my job now is just miserable. I get all the pts no one else wants. I'm never invited to order out food and usually work 12 hours with no food, no break. I just don't know what to do. Any advice would be appreciated.

[@NurseLiz]

That is awful and I'm so sorry you're going through that! I know you mentioned that jobs are more difficult to find, but maybe look in a clinical setting or as a clinical care coordinator? My mom transferred to a clinic setting in the years before she retired and she was much happier there. I hope things get better!

[@roxieschuster3877]

Well, funny you should mention that. I got fired Monday. I was upset at first. But by the time my 45 mile commute home was over, relief started setting in. It's Thursday night and I've already been offered a new job, one that I think will be better for me. It even pays more and it's only 25 minutes from home! I go tomorrow to pre-orientation! I'm looking forward to a fresh start!

[@elaineacero6315]

Im a rather new subscriber! Totally loving your channel and this video really helped me to get to know you even better. Love how informative your videos are and well your express yourself. You are so articulate! Thannks for all the info. I was just accepted into a BSN program starting in January with hopes or becoming an NP eventually!

[@NurseLiz]

Elaine Acero congrats on your nursing school acceptance! That’s so exciting! Thanks for watching 😊

[@proceduralpuppet1562]

This was such a helpful video! Thank you!

[@VVeeezer]

Excellent points and tips!! 🙏💕 100% truth in this video- thank you!!

[@mercrn1995]

Sadly, it's still happening. You're right, you can't change the bully. It's a shame that grown adults act worse than 7th graders. The general public should know how nurses really act among their peers on hospital units. That's not at all encouraging for patients. These days people are generally self absorbed. And just plain mean in every profession. Thanks for your videos and your honesty. :)

[@NurseLiz]

ugh it's so true. Its mind boggling how vicious nurses are to each other. Online, in person, just in school. Just yuck .

[@alejandrabayardo1264]

Yes!! Thanks Nurse Liz awesome advice!

[@NurseLiz]

Alejandra Bayardo so glad it’s helpful! Hope you aren’t dealing with this 😣

[@alejandrabayardo1264]

Nurse Liz I'm about to start nursing school, but it's never to early to start getting prepared right! Lol

[@NurseLiz]

Alejandra Bayardo so true!

[@makaylahollywood3677]

I can't stand bullies- they are in every field. Great video;-)

[@rachaelmorris3405]

Yup. I literally have been told that "nurses eat their young" from day 1 of nursing school by peers and instructors. Like this is normal and we are just supposed to expect this and live with it. I REFUSE to be this way as a nurse and don't understand or support any nurse who behaves this way. Everyone starts as a new nurse and has to learn. We are a team and patient care is the most important thing! We all have a responsibility to help eachother give our patients the best possible care! There are so many good people and good nurses who quit the profession because of this. This is not ok and needs to end.

[@NurseLiz]

agreed. it's a huge embarassment that this is such an ongoing issue

[@toddviv]

this is what working with women is like, seriously I have never encountered this problem with men

[@mrsaldama]

Yes, you are so right. When I work with male nurses the shift is so smooth and drama free. Its the toxic karens that makes it so hard to work😂

[@pirateslife4me]

💯

[@cshel37]

Another advantage to going into nursing at an older age. I could not care less about cliques and worrying about whether everyone likes me - high school was a LONG time ago. The best thing you can do is be positive, helpful, and worry about the welfare of your patients. It's no fun to bully someone who refuses to be upset about it - eventually they'll get bored and stop.

[@ForeverrCheer]

I love this video so much. Ugh. I wish I could be your friend! Lol. This was great advice. I just started at a pediatric hospital and I'm so nervous people are going to hate me but def going to try my best to be the best I can be so they will like me lol.

[@NurseLiz]

Just be you girl! And the good people will come 🙂. Good luck at your new job! Pediatrics is the bomb

[@ForeverrCheer]

Thank you!!!! :) It sure seems like pediatrics is a great place to be! :)

[@MotorcyclePhaedrus]

Looking back on my past, i often critizised myself for quitting nursing school to pursue a masters in the social sciences. I ended up working at a psychiatric hospital by chance, and it is the bad colleagues that wore me down, not the patients. I would have earned more salary wise had i not followed my heart, but watching this video made helped me realize that i quit nursing school because it felt toxic andf alienating at the time. After ten years in a permanant position at a psychiatric hospital, i believe the most pervasive source of collective gasloghting within various healthcare organizations, is the silence around unacceptable bullying behavior from people who should know better. And yet the hard lessons i learnt, and that you elequently confirm for me, would have to be learnt at some time or another in my work life. But the patients deserve to be cared for by kinder people.

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@RNScrub]

good video and tips for people. it sucks that it happens to people. keep on making videos and keep on nursing.

[@NurseLiz]

RN Scrub thank you! Will do 🙂

[@kennypachi00]

I work as a bedside nurse on the med-surg and sometime get floated to the tele floor. I don't really mind patient's bad behavior as much as I do other nurses. Our hospital wants us to do shift report in patient's room, and involve the patient in report. The time of the shift when I feel the most bullied is during shift report. Some oncoming nurses expects to receive the patient in perfect condition and expect a full on perfect detailed report. Report is suppose to be simple, short, and on to the point. Some nurses take 15-20 min per person for report even though the patient information can be easily access online. If you had 6 patients that shift, it can take a whole hour just to finish report. During this time they look for any opportunity they can find to point out your mistakes to reprimand, and intentionally belittle you in front of the patient. And to add insult to injury, some nurses expect you to fix everything before you leave from a 13 hour grueling shift. Before I applied for nursing school, I use to think nursing was all about teamwork. You take over where I left off. But now I know you are all to yourself.

[@NurseLiz]

Ugh. I'm sorry this has been your experience

[@alaina516]

Thank you for this video it helps!!! I’m in nursing school working as a pct and I sometimes get attitude by other cna’s/nurses and I ALWAYS take it to heart because I’m a teddy bear lol

[@NurseLiz]

It is so so hard not to. Hope this improves for you ❤️

[@christinepamplona2940]

I’m currently on my last semester until I finished my prerequisites and apply for the nursing program. I’m scared to go into the profession and deal with just mean nurses. I even heard some stories in which bullying endangered a patient. I’m scared I have to deal with a situation in which I have to deal with a code by myself and not be able to know what to do. I still want to help people but after reading all these negative aspects about nursing, I’m starting to think that maybe there is another way I could help people without dealing with this much negativity. With that being said, have you ever come to a point where you questioned if nursing is for you? What made you stay? is nursing really that bad? Do you really have to be a people person to be a nurse? Im sorry for this list of questions but I just really need a new perspective. There is so much negativity online and I would like to believe nursing is better than what most people say.

[@NurseLiz]

I found overall that the good out weighed the bad in terms of the negative and positive aspects. It definitely has challenging aspects but for me I found it to be rewarding. If you aren't a super people person there are definitely areas that involve less people. I'd recommend shadowing if you aren't sure!

[@Feminella]

It’s sad anyone bullied you as a kid considering what a beautiful and strong woman you now are. Honestly your curly hair has given me confidence in wearing my own haha

[@NurseLiz]

Spread the curly hair love 😍

[@the_irate_juan8462]

From where I worked before, the biggest b*tches and bullies were our own chief nurse and a lot of the nurse admins. They literally want you to be nice to them and acknowledge their presence every single time they're in the room. Like they expect you to smile at them always and greet them good morning if you cross paths, but as soon as you do, they don't even respond nor look at you. Like you're not even there nor are you worth their time. I be like, b*tch, I don't work for your ass. I'm here to care for the patients.

[@NurseLiz]

I had a very similar experience unfortunately. Sorry you are dealing with that

[@the_irate_juan8462]

Nah. Don't be. If anything, I feel sorry for them. They probably been in the industry too long that they lost their humanity already. I like your point of killing them with kindness, though. Works everytime. Haha.

[@caffieneaddict8716]

This is one of the things I am scared about. God willing, if I pass my NCLEX, I start my first job in the IMU in February. I took the job mainly because of how friendly the unit is with everyone! I hope I get a good preceptor. I have been bullied in my first major job, and it is... not fun.

[@esthermayorga279]

Proverbs 25:21-23 The Passion Translation (TPT) 21 Is your enemy hungry? Buy him lunch. Win him over with your kindness.[a] 22 Your surprising generosity will awaken his conscience[b] and God will reward you with favor. 23 As the north wind brings a storm, saying things you shouldn’t[c] brings a storm to any relationship. :)

[@NurseLiz]

Such a beautiful message ❤️

[@muahful]

I just make food for my precepter, everytime she treat me unkind, i kill her with kindness.

[@myda9733]

Beware of the passion translation. Watch Mike Wingers video on it, in fact literally just search up why it’s misleading. There HUNDREDS of videos on it. He claims to of had “fixed” the Bible and that’s a complete lie.

[@b.e3366]

Your daughter is so cute ❤️ great idea using the dog gate 👍🏻

[@NurseLiz]

Thank you! Joe gets all the credit for the gate, I was using a cardboard box 😂

[@AneesaPletcherrrr]

I started in EVS to get my foot in the door while getting my prerequisites. Then I somehow worked my way up to a Med Surg floor as a CNA...and it was difficult. And I felt like nurses didn’t mean to be that way, it’s a lot of high stress, but it’s definitely a confidence killer. I feel like the only reason why they were sad I decided to leave was because I did everything I was asked and more. Even though I had assigned nurses and patients, I treated everyone as if they were my own. I finally went to the NICU and I LOVE it. The only problem is it’s not so much nurses eating their young...it’s more of a unit against unit. L&d doesn’t like nicu and nicu doesn’t like PP & PP doesn’t like l&d.. it’s crazy haha

[@NurseLiz]

Oh man the unit vs unit hostility is UNREAL. That has to stop too! I think doing some shadowing in other departments would work WONDERS. Always easy to blame others when you have no idea what is going on on their side. Good for you for working so hard!!

[@john1verse1]

HCA has an anti bullying policy. I know of someone who was fired for bullying. They don’t want any employee suing them so they have that policy in place.

[@NurseLiz]

Interesting! I’ve never heard of those before. Seems like a good idea though

[@john1verse1]

Yes they want to discourage hostile work environments whether it is vertical or horizontal. It doesn’t matter if the bully is a physician or a fellow nurse. This is their policy and I have seen it enforced.

[@NurseLiz]

Karen Weinstock that’s awesome! Hopefully that helps to change the environment a bit!

[@christinejohnson7711]

Thank you Jesus I'm about to start one of HCA residency in Atlanta and I was bullied as a tech at different system and nothing was done about it and now I'm terrified to start as a nurse. Thank God I was just looking for something positive. Blessings!!!

[@academicvalidation2176]

Today I'm going to a hospital for the first time as a nursing student I heard a lot about bullying that I'm preparing myself beforehand Thank u for making this video it very helpful

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@hinaynigenerations7]

And it’s still a problem. I experienced this as a person who turns over rooms on the surgical floor. I am in school for CNA/PCT and let me tell you it took them a little bit to warm up to me but this is very real and still happening.

[@NurseLiz]

I wish we could all come up with a way to fix this, because it's definitely not okay. But I'm glad you were able to stand up for yourself!

[@nadiamalik6987]

Liz, question: Do you feel bullying is common among NPs also? I've witnessed it among RNs, Lvn's. And I absolutely love your videos, been binge watching/listening to them driving to and from work. I'll be starting PMH -NP program soon and am super excited 😄

[@tl9611]

Im a new nurse. Almost 1 yr. I’m experiencing bullying from a charge nurse and it feels targeted. She is supportive to other nurses but not to me. I always have my worst shifts under her watch, because instead of being supportive she points out what I’m missing submitting or charting when I’m super busy. She answers in condescending ways and gives me short answer where it feels like she doesn’t want to share the knowledge. She has a minion staff nurse who check up on my patients too seems like she looks for any mistakes she can find. It’s stressful because when I see she is the charge nurse I get a mini panic attack because I know I’m all by myself 😖😣

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@queenb7426]

Love your videos. Could you do one about doctors. I have heard some doctors treat nurses bad and how to react in such case.

[@NurseLiz]

I'll add that to the list! Thanks!

[@allaboutthejuice519]

Step on it immediately! Don't let it slide not once....

[@YelenaElle]

I was in the marching band in Hs and I’m currently in nursing school! High five 🤗👋🏻!! 🌸💐

[@NurseLiz]

Yesss! What did you play?

[@YelenaElle]

Nurse Liz i played the flute! :)

[@NurseLiz]

Yes! The best section of them all 🙌🏻

[@D3ltaFreedom]

Great video! You made some good points. Personally, leading by example, and my faith in Christianity helps me get through such conflicts.

[@NurseLiz]

Thanks for sharing!

[@dannygjk]

For the small amount of time i have spent in nurses environment I'm surprised at the number of power struggles between them.

[@leaharchambault5796]

Yeah, the being a great team player part doesn’t work. What the clique says about me: “if she’s stupid enough to do all the extra work, I’m not going to stop her”. Yup.

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@queendoss8118]

Bulling is illegal and never accepted it must be reported

[@cocoamoe1570]

Wow did I need to hear this.

[@guchichan]

I called a nurse out for their negative comment in the pyxis room since she was like its all her fault (me). I did not do anything was just minding my business in the pyxis room.

[@NurseLiz]

way to stand up for yourself!

[@jm091844]

My opinion of why new nurses expect to be bullied, is because most of us get bullied by nursing instructors while we are in school. It seems like a natural extension of the process.

[@NurseLiz]

That is definitely a good point. My nursing professors were often far from kind as well

[@JenWIL641]

I am a nurse who is being bullied by Certified Aides. On Aide has threatened to beat me up outside and was in my face when she said it. I reported that to the administration, and nothing happened. I have looked back over texting the on call, and it is nearly a year, and this person is escalating in her threats. She is having altercations with other staff who are in charge. These Aides are negligent in that they take 2 hour breaks and place the patients in bed at 3p.m. so that they can socialize and watch TV. They push the water pitchers away from the patients so that they can not drink fluids. I believe that they're not feeding the hospice patients and barely feeding some others because they're going to die anyway. Yes, these Aides are of a different caliber that what use to be as they live in boarding homes and hotels with their 6 children. One even asks for money and donations from staff and become angry of it is not given. I didn't come into nursing to be treated like this or have my patients abused.

[@Inkironnrum]

When I was newly hired, someone with access to my employee file leaked my hourly pay. Not too long after, a coworker (my future bully) says to me, “I heard all of the new employees are getting X amount per hour.” A sneaky way to ask a question without asking a question. I looked at her and said, “Oh, lucky them. Must have occurred after my hire.” Truth is, I did get the X amount of money she mentioned. She knew I was lying. Yes, I was earning more than she was. After that conversation, she made sure to make my work life miserable as possible. Working with her was frustrating at times but manageable. When she quit, the work environment changed for the better, drastically. I feel sorry for her new coworkers. She is now someone else’s problem. Who ever you are, my most sincerest condolences to you.

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@spookytook]

thanks for the helpful videos

[@NurseLiz]

Thanks for watching!

[@bash9032]

I have a novel to share. I look back on my first few years as a nurse and wow, I wish I'd had people like you on my team, to mentor and help teach/model respectable and mature behavior. Truly! I moved into "leadership" as a unit clinical leader/charge RN around the ~3 year mark and up until that point, we had a very negative leadership model. Our unit clinical leaders/charge nurses (a separate position you apply for where I work) were bullies, picked favorites, were not helpful. Looking back, I it seemed they liked seeing the new nurses struggle/fail. Two of our charge nurses were older nurses whose upper leadership positions were eradicated, so essentially they were "demoted" to charge nurse level. The other two were promoted after only 1.5 years of experience & were entirely too arrogant. They weren't positive mentors at all, and they were very cliquey. I remember trying so hard to "fit in" with them and their friends, who were other nurses on day shift, NPs, etc. Once I became a charge nurse and was more involved with some of these girls, I became enveloped in this toxic culture -- people who were fake nice to your face, and talked massive amounts of sh!t behind your back. Looking back, it was like high school all over again and I fell right into it (I was quiet, shy, nerdy, and certainly not popular in any sense in high school). My first year or so of being a charge RN was a struggle -- Our leadership was lacking, and my team was made up largely of new grads nurses with strong personalities who needed a lot of oversight. I don't have a strong personality myself and leadership is not my strong suit, but I thought it would be an opportunity to grow as a RN and to help my team. I found myself very frustrated most shifts because I felt way in over my head; I was very irritable, and not as helpful or patient as I should have been -- engaging in gossip as well, because now I was part of the "in" crowd. But I was still learning. It took me a little bit to realize that if I didn't actively change my stance then I was directly contributing to the same problem that I'd been hating for 2+ years. Almost all of those "toxic" individuals have since left, and our workplace culture has improved drastically over the years. It's taken some self-reflection to recognize some of the ways I have been "toxic" in the past, and how I can improve my own self as a mentor and a leader. I've been a nurse for 6 years now. I am embarrassed that starting out, I fell into this trap of negativity early on, but I've learned, and I'm grateful that content like this exists to help increase awareness and help stop the cycle of this toxic culture. One thing I notice that still happens, is the toxic "venting" that takes place amongst peers, which almost always degenerates into sh!t talking. I notice someone will always preface their argument (I do this as well at times) with "Don't get me wrong, I love so-and-so, but s/he ...." That's something I want to disengage from and discourage going forward. I have a group text with a few of my friends and for a short while, it turned into a bitter and resentful grounds for angry story-telling and aggressive venting -- one of my friends in particular would complain incessantly, and I really limited my replies and tried not to feed into it, and over time my other friends did the same, and it seems to have significantly cut back on the complaining, which creates a more positive space overall for all of us. I have been ranting and raving. Anyway -- I appreciate your videos! Thank you for the content you create and for your level-headed perspectives! I shared your video about bullying in the workplace with a coworker who is looking to initiate a "culture change" surrounding this subject. This is important stuff and I wish it were talked about more, or that we had groups and places to meet up and discuss this sort of thing in the workplace

[@NurseLiz]

thank you so much for sharing this and your experience. I'm glad things are slowly changing in your environment! YOU have been a part in that!

[@jemmaworch]

This is only my humble opinion. I could not even finish watching this. It did feel as if it was victim blaming. No matter how much someone would try to help and be part of the team, if they are bullied, they will be bullied. Bullies are usually in cliques with management, so get away with so much. Fight drama with drama? Sometimes you cannot keep quiet anymore, and why should you? The more you talk, the right people will hear you. I was bullied so badly, I could not hold it anymore. Bullied person needs an outlet too! I felt so low, I didn't want to live. If I did not talk about my experience, I would probably not be here anymore. Bullycide is a real phenomenon. Let me tell you, confidentiality never exists anyway. Managers usually drag their feet to do anything, especially when bullies are in their cohorts. You see pictures of them going out, getting drunk etc. At least when you talk, no one can say it did not happen!

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@nursekaitland9410]

New nurse here. Just started at a facility in December and had an experience recently with a nurse on morning shift after i had my first death, was ruling out a stroke with another patient while caring for 32 patients all at the same time and this nurse went off on me for not completing drs appt paperwork for a patient. She completed it in less than 5 minutes… Nursing is 24/7 care. Things happen. Mistakes happen. If you have experience take the opportunity to teach, not belittle. It’s so sad that this is how nurses with experience choose to treat brand new nurses.

[@KXV237]

Sadly, managers & MNA can’t do anything about it.

[@NurseLiz]

That's the truth. :(

[@retrouniverse6089]

As someone that works in a field that helps nurses they let out all the angry they build up from dealing with patients on their coworkers.

[@Adrian1111]

2:16 I'm a band person! lol I played the bassoon. :)

[@NurseLiz]

Awesome!!

[@JenWIL641]

I have been bullied at one job ecause I reported the RN sexually harassing an LPN. RN would grind her chest against this nurses chest while we spoke about patient care in the hallway. Later she grabbed the young LPN by her waist and tried to drag her to the floor like she a lion after a gazelle. Administration gave her a warning only and she remained and after that I was shunned for my remainder of time at the facility. I don't see where anything that you said will curb bullying, especially if it escalates. I am find that some nurses are related to other staff as well as CNAs, and they act like a gang. I have experienced nurses retaliation when they place the wrong drugs in another patients drawer in hopes that I will provide the wrong medication or even neglect my patients' needs while I am on lunch break. Someone told me a few days ago that people don't like me because I do my job and I expect them to do their job.

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@marimarujaa7818]

I quit my job as a CMA while in nursing school due to being bullied by older nurses which made me re-evaluate the whole idea of nursing I want to help people which is the whole reason why we go into nursing not to be in high school…. Am considering doing corporate because it was horrible 😞

[@karenrandall6059]

I can’t stand that bullying shit. I have been bullied to the max. I eventually had enough. I was many student’s preceptor for many years and did not tolerate if I heard it. It is best to be like Buddha. Let it bounce off you. Walk away. I have written report so I did not have to talk to a certain bitch . You can’t always have a great day and be nice, but be with the team and be all in. Bullies will need help, probably in the worst way, and you will be the only one available. Just smile and go. I have heard reporting to management. Management then became the leader of the bullies. Then when HR was notified it turned out that the lady in HR was the managers BFF. I totally agree with self reflection. Hopefully the mentor will be able to discuss.

[@cincin1194]

I had a doctor yell and me and publicly humiliate me. She was made aware that I didn't have labs drawn but I had to wait to get permission from the family. She was not able to consent for herself because of being mentally disabled. What should I have done in this situation? I tried to tell her the situation but she didn't care.

[@janiek1374]

When I went to a manager about being bullied, I was told that I sound very condescending when I say it like that.

[@EYRM9]

Forgive and leave it in God’s Hands, He will repay: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, o“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-21

[@teenie418]

Good video. Sad that this is a thing. 😔 makes me concerned for going into nursing.

[@NurseLiz]

Hey! I was definitely worried when ppl kept asking for this video because I didn’t want to scare them away. Nursing is so so much more than just this! Unfortunately I’ve seen many professions struggle with this. How you handle it is everything!!

[@teenie418]

Nurse Liz so true!! I'm glad you made the video. What I love about you is that you are real and so encouraging too. Btw, love your sweater!!.😊

[@NurseLiz]

So sweet. Thank you! The sweater is from target. Shocker haha

[@teenie418]

Nurse Liz haha!! Love Target. 😊

[@hi8107]

It always stems with them and their negative feelings.

[@johnarvinbarcelona387]

I got ya. 100% if that’s ok.

[@chantalalfaro1983]

Can you do a video on your accelerated nursing program? I am starting my ABSN program next month and am super nervous!

[@NurseLiz]

yep! You'll do great! I really liked mine, you'll get super close with your cohort which is nice. And it was cool to just have the core classes without the "fluff" classes if that makes sense. Because then you care about everything you're learning about. Best of luck! You'll do great!

[@chantalalfaro1983]

Nurse Liz Thank you Liz!!

[@chantalalfaro1983]

Any study suggestions for the accelerated bsn??

[@NurseLiz]

Chantal Alfaro I made a video on how I like to study and a different one on how I took notes! I used that method in by accelerated program as well as my NP program! They are in the nursing playlist if you want to check them out 🙂

[@connorhunt1138]

I don’t think Human Resources does much for the individual who is experiencing harassment by another healthcare worker they really care more of the interest of the company they don’t really care about the employees who maybe being harassed.

[@alyciabagwell9633]

I love strong women who open up about nurse bullying. Nationally nurse aides are also not supported; construction sites recieve visits from OSHA all the time why don't nursing homes?? Busted my back as a nurse aide and got fired for claiming it. Can't find a lawyer interested in helping me. My husband is a construction manager and his worker won a $40k settlement for a scratched thumb. It's cause we are women; but on a positive note this video helps because we're opening the conversation!!!

[@NurseLiz]

Ugh I'm sorry you dealt with that. Thats absolutely unacceptable.