It seems that the finest nurses get the worst rap. Because of their empathy and their love and dedication to the job, they are often the ones who are targeted most by bullies. A nurse’s job is hard enough but when she is bullied by not only superiors and coworkers, but patients and their families too, I can only imagine how much harder she must work to hold it together- especially if he/she is fresh out of nursing school.
When a nurse is bullied, it’s devastating and only goes to show what a thankless job he/she does! And sadly, bullying often starts in nursing school.
There’s a saying that’s been popular for quite a while:
“Nurses eat their young.”
Sadly, it’s true and most likely the reason the medical field has such a shortage of nurses. And that problem existed way before the pandemic.
If you’ve ever been through nursing school, then you know it’s not only boot camp for your brain, but also a cesspool of bullies. Not that all nurses are bullies because they’re not. We have some fine nurses and they are our heroes! But sadly, the bullies seem to spoil it for all these wonderful people!
It’s shocking that there are bullies in a profession which is centered on care and healing and pride’s itself on compassion and empathy. Yet many students who’d be awesome nurses are often bullied out by those who are only in it for the great pay and prestige they know will come with being a nurse.
And in the workplace, the handful of bullies often make it hard for the greatest nurses in the field!
In 2013, I began training to become an RN. And I won’t pretend that it wasn’t tough. Although there were a few times when a few attempted to bully me, I managed to blow it off and after a few times, they left me alone.
However, there was another woman, a young girl who was just a few years post-high school. I had the displeasure of watching her get tormented by the other students. And they would bully her to the point of tears! Even the instructors mistreated her. My heart broke for her. We’ll call her McKinley.
McKinley was young, a vibrant and gorgeous lady! And beautiful! So beautiful that she could’ve easily been a face on a magazine cover!
I’m not kidding. This young lady had movie-star looks- a trim waist, long beautiful hair, wide, almond-shaped eyes, and a natural sun-kissed glow! And these spiteful older women in the staff seemed to target her every chance they got, which sent the message to the other students that it was okay for them to bully her too.
Bullies only ruin any profession they seek.
What was really shocking was that the two main bullies in the class would cheat on tests and when the rest of the class reported them, they were allowed to get away with it because, conveniently, the cameras in the classroom weren’t working or so it was told. And would you believe these instructors made sure the cheaters went on to graduate?
It’s funny how those two seemed to get a free pass. But you can bet that if they’d accused sweet McKinley of the same, they wouldn’t have thought twice about kicking her out of the nursing program!
Lucky for me, I still remember the cheater’s names and will know who to watch out for in the event I get sick and end up in a hospital bed.
As I continued to watch McKinley get berated, I grew both sad and angry at the same time. So, I decided to befriend her and immediately took her under my wing, giving her a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on when she needed it.
Great illustration of Retro Styled Businesswoman who caught up in a bureaucratic Spiders Web and looks like she is on the menu of a business lunch.
Having been bullied in the past and knowing well how it felt, I bore this child’s pain! She soon became “my daughter from another mother” and through the rest of the semester, McKinley and I were inseparable.
I never went back after that semester. This experience made me realize that this wasn’t really what I wanted to do. McKinley dropped out the following semester.
She and I remain friends to this day and I’m excited to say, she’s happy! McKinley has moved on to a better life. Having since gotten married and had two children. She’s also moved on to another career, one she enjoys!
McKinley now has the job, family, and home she’s always wanted and I couldn’t be more proud of her. And I have no doubt she will continue to make her surrogate mother proud!
Reminder:
Don’t forget to pray from all the great nurses and other healthcare workers during this crisis! They not only put themselves but their families at risk! Pray that God will form a hedge of protection around them and bless them with staying healthy as they continue to put in long hours and help those who are stricken with Coronavirus.
Also, pray that God bless the nurses who left their jobs because they chose to keep sovereignty over their own bodies.
We have a Constitution and a Nuremberg Code which each states that no one should be coerced into taking an “experimental” shot. Taking it should be a personal choice only.
I respect these nurses decisions and their autonomy.
Good for McKinley! Makes me worry about the Bully Nurses. Hopefully, their demeanors caught up to them.
I’ve seen many go down in flames, Texas Jack. One was a DON in a nursing home I worked at. She was caught stealing pain medication from the nursing home, fired, had her nursing license revoked, and ended up working as a waitress in a local cafe. Then she went through a divorce. It all came crashing down. It was brutal.
Brutally deserved.
So true, Texas Jack.
Sadly, she got sick and passed away about 6 years later. Many bullies come to a terrible end and you can’t help but feel a sense of pity.
I’m so glad McKinley had you and that she moved ahead and beyond the venomous vitriol. I pray for nurses and am thankful for all they do.
Thank you, K.L. It seems that the good nurses get the worst treatment. And I pray for them too. They are the best! 🙏💖💐🌹
You’re so welcome. 💚🤍
Perfectly written! If you disrespect a nurse around me, I will not turn my back!
I hear you there. And I’ve seen nurses get disrespected by patient’s families and their doctors too, not just their bullying coworkers. It’s sad what they put up with.
Cherie,
This is a powerful post.
You know most of my family worked in health care.
I have written on this, still writing on this.
As you know.
This is a wonderful post.
Did I say that already?
Anyway,
to quote Bogie at Bacall,
“You’re good; You’re really good.”
Probably used that quote already too.
Anyway
With you
I always rings true.
Cheers,
–Lance
Thank you, Lance. I hope none of your family experienced workplace bullying. 🙏
My family are all Texans.
No one was ever stupid enough to even ponder bullying them.
Suicide is illegal in Texas.
Commit suicide in Texas.
You go to prison.
This was very eye opening. When I met my first wife, she was training to be a nurse here in the UK and she never mentioned anything like that.
A lot of people are afraid of talking about it or just Don think about it. However, these days, it’s being talked about more.
Hey,
Cherie Amour!
I know you don’t have time to read the updated version of my post
“Happy Cockeyed Optimist. I’m Stuck Like a Dope With a Thing called ‘Hope’–C’est Moi!”
I added a snippet from my Navy SEAL daze.
Just a memory I had buried…
It goes like this:
Late entry/addition which no one will see. I drop it anyway. just a fond memory:
When I was in Navy SEAL training, late Eighties, we had, everyday, to run around with an IBS on our head (IBS: Inflatable-Boat-Small).
Anyway
One day, one morning, my class mustered and went to retrieve our assigned IBS’s. Someone in another boat crew was laughing manically.
WTF? I pondered.
I walked over the the boat crew.
“What is so damn funny?” I asked.
“Lookit this shit” one said.
I looked at their IBS.
One of the SEAL instructors had spray-painted on all the IBS’s
“Don’t worry; Be Happy.”
I had to laugh.’
I did still manage to keep my sense of humor, even though I knew I would probably die that day….
Thank you such for the heads-up. Lance. I’ll definitely give it a read.
Sorry to hear this. I’m in my second year of RN school now. I’ve not experienced this yet. But we’ve been online majority of the time too. But I’m not actually worried about this because of the type of person I am.
I’m so glad you’re not having this problem and I wish you lots of success in nursing school and in your career. 💖
Thanks and you too