Is The Culture of Nursing Improving?

Hi all,

I have first-hand experience with the often bizarre culture of nursing and the culture of nursing school. I'd like your two cents about seeing any improvements (or not) with respect to aspects of the profession (horizontal violence, management, hierarchy, education, patient care, anything!). I've seen my share of rigid, destructive, and petty behavior towards nurses and nursing students, but I do hope this will change for the better as the new wave of nurses enters the profession. Or, maybe not? Please share your thoughts. Thanks!
I don't think so, this sounds like my job, you have to have a thick hide. It gets thicker as you go too.

I wish in eight years that I have seen a change but not yet.

The nursing world is facing changes and creating goals for increased professionalism in the field, as evidenced by the RWJF "Initiative on the Future of Nursing. (http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/The-...ng-Health.aspx)While we follow the progress of this initiative, we must continue to effect change in our own sphere. Nursing is only as professional as we treat it. The age old issues of doctor's degrading us and nurses eating their young aren't going to just disappear, but we can urge a shift away from that type of negativity. I like to think of every action I take as a nurse as having ramifications for the entire field of nursing. For every positive relationship I establish with my colleagues (nurses, doctors, respiratory therapist, etc), I consider it a benefit to nursing. For every new skill I acquire (both at work and during my personal studies), I feel that the nursing field benefits from that knowledge. Every time I figure out a way to make my night run more efficiently, I consider it a win for patient care as a whole. Take your career seriously. Practice as a professional and lead others by example. Expect the best from yourself and your colleagues. Continue to educate yourself. And don't get wrapped up in BS.

I've worked in the same place for 10 years. I regret to say the same docs and the same nurses terrorize the new nurses. It seems though that the newer, younger, nurses are more able to take care of themselves. To answer your question, the culture seems the same, but the newer nurses seem better able to combat it. Kudos to them.

A coworker and I had a short conversation about the culture of nursing yesterday. Nursing has become the art of CYA (covering your a$$). So many of us practice under the fear or concern of being fired, being investigated, losing our license or being sued. You can't do too much for the pt or issues will arise. This came up because a pt's family member came in to see the pt. He accidentally scratched her on the forehead with his sharp, long nails. This left a mark on the forehead--nothing too big or crazy. The nurse told me this in report and asked me if she should document it. The scratch was very tiny, barely noticeable. However, I advised her to document it and how it happened because you never know how the family could turn it against you. It is sad that I even had to think about that. But, seriously, some people are out for money, by any means necessary.The fact that we have to document almost. every. thing. we do is, in itself, sad. It's like, you want to do good for a pt, but you always have to keep it in the back of your mind that some pts are out to get you. So, that is what nursing has become. Nursing is supposed to be about caring, but nowadays, all we do is cover our a$$es. Sad.Sorry, I had to let that out! lol

I am just leaving a position after 5 years with the facility. First, let me say, I LOVE being a nurse. I especially love being an ob nurse. The politics finally drove me out.Furthering my education was the beginning of the end of my career here. From the time I started back to school, management above me who did not hold advanced degrees did their best to put me in my place. They succeeded.I did not experience the horizontal violence common in nursing, but rather a complete lack of professionalism from midle management on up.

Sadly, not really. There are more learning opportunities in the way of degrees, continuing education, and inservices available. I still see a major lack of professionalism among some nurses. How can anything improve if this doesn't change? Nursing can be a great career if you are lucky enough to be able to make it work for you.

No ....sadly no improvement.A big bunch of absolutely excellent coworkers whom I love to bits.And ... a smaller bunch of rude,ignorant, dysfunctional socially-impaired coworkers who will drive me out. These people have been in the area for many years - know their stuff, always available for shift changes and please management, are planted into the community which means the facility has no retention risk with them. Management turns a blind eye to their antics because they are so valuable to the unit ...flexible, dependable,organised fast workers, skilled in all areas speciality. Perfect employees except for the cultural aspect

Thanks for your input, everyone! I am wondering, what does everyone think about the root of these issues? Is it burnout? Is this behavior specific to a certain age range of nurses? Is there a certain psychological 'make-up' of a nurse that exhibits destructive and even cruel behavior? Caretaking and cruelty/rudeness/ignorance/etc. are (in an ideal world) oxymoronic. Do these nurses' actions get lost in big bureaucracies and/or hierarchies? I think we live in a time in the world where we can be progressive and take on this issue. Nurses 'eating their young' was the most horrifying thing I had ever heard when I started nursing school. I know a lot of nurses might be resigned to saying, 'well, that's the way it is, we can't do anything about it'. But can a profession really be sweeping this under the rug and accepting it? I, for one, do not, cannot, and will not.

Quote from carolc415Thanks for your input, everyone! I am wondering, what does everyone think about the root of these issues? Is it burnout? Is this behavior specific to a certain age range of nurses? Is there a certain psychological 'make-up' of a nurse that exhibits destructive and even cruel behavior? Caretaking and cruelty/rudeness/ignorance/etc. are (in an ideal world) oxymoronic. Do these nurses' actions get lost in big bureaucracies and/or hierarchies? I think we live in a time in the world where we can be progressive and take on this issue. Nurses 'eating their young' was the most horrifying thing I had ever heard when I started nursing school. I know a lot of nurses might be resigned to saying, 'well, that's the way it is, we can't do anything about it'. But can a profession really be sweeping this under the rug and accepting it? I, for one, do not, cannot, and will not.

I've never seen or experienced lateral violence. I respect and am respected by my colleagues. I know it's out there, I just seem to be immune, but I have taken great care to stay out of all work place drama. I've seen a lot of self destructive behavior, but I can't say I've ever seen a destructive environment.I think management is the same everywhere, in every profession; some of it is very good, some of it is horrible, most of it is mediocre. The Peter Principle at work. I doubt that will ever change. Education seems to be getting much much worse. Entry standards are too low, school requirements and standards are too low, the bar to pass NCLEX is too low. It is worse than I have ever seen it. This is what worries me about Nursing. Frankly, I think if we fixed the education issues, it would go a long way to cutting down on some of the other complaints I hear. I hope it gets better, but I don't think it will until there is some paradigm shift.

Thank you for this thread. I am amazed at the culture myself. I am trying to transition out because the nursing profession has been so unforgiving. Frankly I wonder about folks who seriously suggest that nursing is not more dysfunctional than other professions. Have they been anything other than nurses?