How Nurse Bullying Chose Me

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So many nurses ask me why I chose bullying as my area of focus, but I didn’t really choose a career in bullying.

Nurse Bullying Chose Me.

Just like many of you, I know what it’s like to come into work, and beeline for the assignment board – not to see what patient assignment, but to see who you’re working with that day.

Just like many of you, I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed with gut-wrenching dread, knowing that I was working with a nurse who terrified me, because I lived it. And not surprisingly. Did you know that more than 70% of new nurses are exposed to workplace bullying? (1). Yes. Really. Bullying in nursing is far more common than you think.

I used to work with this one nurse who was so notoriously known for being mean. Like junk yard dog mean. When I watched the movie The Lion King with the scene where the hyenas where complaining about the lions, and just by saying the name Mufasa, they shuttered in fear…that’s how I felt every single time I heard her name or saw her name next to mine on the board.

I know people like her are still out there all over the place, causing fear in other nurses every single day, so I wanted to do something to help other nurses who are suffering. 40% of all targets don’t ever tell anyone about their fears or suffering. It’s just not right.

And for that reason, I want to help nurses know that they deserve and can have a better life. I just couldn’t sit back and say, “Well, that’s just the way it is in nursing.” Because I knew better. Because YOU deserve better. And YOU are the reason I choose to make bullying a thing of the past.

If this is your first time here, and you or someone you know is suffering, let me tell you how I can help. I’m here doing my part to help you do yours:

FREE, FREE and FREE:

NOT FREE, BUT POWERFUL

$20 – $40 is a small price to pay for something that can transform your work environment, and ultimately your life. Skip a few lattes, and you’ve paid for just the book!

One nurse who read my book recently said,

“I loved this book! In my culture, saving face, especially with people who are older than me is very important, so I am often passive with older nurse – bully types. Your book gave me respectful, yet assertive strategies that don’t devalue my culture of respecting my elders. Thank you!”

We are hemorrhaging so many amazing nurses because of the bullies. We need to stop using silence as a strategy and start speaking up!

ReneeThompson_013_HRThanks so much for reading. Take care and stay connected!

Renee

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Dr. Renee Thompson works with healthcare organizations who want to overcome the leadership and clinical challenges their people face every day. If you’d like to find out more about her programs, please visit her website www.reneethompsonspeaks.com.

Contact Renee today at [email protected] to bring her to your organization to talk about ending the cycle of nurse bullying.

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3 thoughts on “How Nurse Bullying Chose Me”

  1. This is a powerful and personal blog post by Dr. Thompson which shows why she is so passionate about helping those suffering from workplace bullies.

    “40% of all targets don’t ever tell anyone about their fears or suffering.”

    A scary statistic that shows how big of an issue bullying is within nursing and why we must all work together to help stop it for future generations. As a nurse, you deal with enough stressful situations helping those in need.

    Thank you Dr. Thompson for your continued work in helping to reduce bullying.

    1. Thanks so much Rob! We are hemorrhaging really great nurses to this problem and can no longer afford to use silence as a strategy! We need more compassionate and respectful nurses like you to actively role model professional behavior! Nurses should support – not squash!

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