Deal With Staff Nurses Bullying a Supervisor
When staff nurses gang up against the supervisor, what should you do? Not dealing with it quickly can lead to stress and great unhappiness. Here are some suggestions for what to do.
Steps
- Document behaviors. Send emails to your manager outlining your concerns.
- Document in emails "out of control" behaviors of any staff nurses.
- Submit an "Event Report". This used to be called an "Incident Report", and is a report that records relevant issues such as "delay in patient flow". Managers, Risk Management and Administrators view these reports.
- Report the behaviors and events that caused delay in patient flow in the 24 - hour - daily Administrative Report.
- Verbally express your concerns to your Manager.
- Send a detailed email to an Employee Relations Specialist if you're not getting immediate support.
- Speak with this HR person. Follow their advice and attend relevant meetings.
- Be prepared for meetings with written notes and copies of emails sent to all relevant people.
- Stay calm and respond appropriately.
- Seek a plan to be drawn up by the Manager of the Department, your Manager, HR, and you to correct staff members' behaviors.
- Expect that the Manager and your Manager may be confrontational. Ask for HR support in this instance.
- Take Personal Action. For example, when you start to feel stressed, stop and take a deep breath; go out for a walk, etc.
- Learn the assertive skills required to deal with confrontational behavior.
- Learn about your own limitations and the ways in which you can be a better supervisor and communicator.
- Continue to work with HR if needed.
