What to Do if the Bully is Your Boss? 5 Steps for Nurses

By Renee Thompson

Nurse-to-nurse bullying is pervasive, destructive and doesn’t belong in a profession that is supposed to be caring and compassionate. To help nurses protect and bully-proof themselves, I conduct workshops on bullying. My workshops are designed to help academic organizations who are trying to create cultures of civility and respect among faculty and student populations; hospitals who are trying to enforce a “zero tolerance” for bullying (hint – just having a policy doesn’t work), and individuals who feel like they are swimming upstream in a sea of bullies.

During my workshops I have met some of the most wonderful, caring human beings who are just trying to make a difference. It breaks my heart to hear their stories of bullying.  I feel even worse when I get asked this question, “What do I do if the bully is my boss?” Really? Unfortunately, some of the most horrific examples of bullying I’ve heard involve nursing leaders.
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RN Opportunities—UPMC East

Preregister for August 2 Event!

Registered Nurses (RNs):  We need YOUR nursing experience and wisdom!  UPMC East, located in Monroeville, Pa., offers a comprehensive range of nursing specialties from emergency to primary care, orthopaedics to general surgery. Our state-of-the-art environment and sophisticated services place us at the forefront of community hospitals in the nation.  UPMC East opened its doors on July 2 with tremendous response from the community.  Due to this success, we are adding associates to our team!  We have immediate full-time, part-time, casual, and weekend openings for the following RN opportunities:

  • Med/Surg/Ortho
  • Telemetry
  • Critical Care
  • Emergency Department
  • Step-Down
  • GI Lab
  • Peri-Anesthesiology
  • IV Team

One year of experience is strongly preferred.  We will be conducting interviews on Thursday, Aug. 2.  If you are interested, complete a preregistration application at http://bit.ly/RNUPMCEast_2021828.  Qualified candidates will receive a phone call to schedule an interview.

UPMC offers excellent salary and benefits packages.  Now’s the time to discover why more than  55,000 employees choose UPMC as their employer!  EOE.

Learn more about nursing at UPMC. 

What’s next? Network With Us!   Join us on Facebook and Twitter for an inside look at UPMC.  Or, if you’re not ready to apply, join our Career Community.  Connect with UPMC Careers to view career opportunities, recruitment events, news releases, and the latest career tools!

National Nurses Week 2012: Nurses: Advocating, Leading, Caring

Often described as an art and a science, nursing is a profession that embraces dedicated people with varied interests, strengths and passions because of the many opportunities the profession offers. As nurses, we work in emergency rooms, school based clinics, and homeless shelters, to name a few. We have many roles – from staff nurse to educator to nurse practitioner and nurse researcher – and serve all of them with passion for the profession and with a strong commitment to patient safety. National Nurses Week runs May 6-May 12. Learn more.

Nurse Practitioners Provide Solutions to the Healthcare Crisis

National Nurse Practitioner Week celebrated Nov 13-19

As the healthcare provider shortage crisis looms, nurse practitioners offer the high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered services needed to help solve the increasing demand for healthcare in the United States.

Nurse practitioners are licensed, expert clinicians with advanced training who provide primary, acute and specialty healthcare services. They work as a partner with their patients, helping them make educated healthcare decisions and healthy lifestyle choices.

Penny Kaye Jensen, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, FAANP is president of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

“Nurse practitioners have a proven track record of success, and research has shown that they provide high-quality primary care with outcomes that are similar to, or even better than, primary care physicians,” Dr. Jensen said.

National Nurse Practitioner Week, November 13 – 19, 2011, is a time to celebrate these unique healthcare providers and to remind lawmakers of the importance of allowing nurse practitioners to practice to the full extent of their experience and education.

J.C. Blair utilizes nurse practitioners that work in a variety of clinical settings. J.C. Blair’s nurse practitioners include Gina Lechene, CRNP, in the J.C. Blair Primary Care Center and the Hospitalist program; Sharon Stiver, CRNP, with J.C. Blair Company Care’s Occupational Health Program and J.C. Blair Cardiac Care Center; and Shawn Bookhamer, CRNP; Deb Messner, CRNP; Vickie Lathero, CRNP; and Linda Dubois, CRNP, with the J.C. Blair Hospitalist program.

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Forward Township Registered Nurse to Represent Jefferson Regional At 13th Annual Cameos of Caring® Awards Gala

Michael Cook, RN, of Forward Township, a Behavioral Health Unit nurse, will represent Jefferson Regional Medical Center at the 13th Annual Cameos of Caring® Awards Gala on Nov. 5 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh.

Cook was chosen by his peers from among a record field of 18 candidates from 15 different hospital departments. He started working at Jefferson Regional in 1989 as a patient care technician, a position he held for 20 years before enrolling at Community College of Allegheny County South Campus to become a Registered Nurse.

“Michael has demonstrated a remarkable and persistent dedication to improving the lives of those in need, and particularly to the treatment of our patients with mental health problems and concerns,” said Joseph Cvitkovic, PhD, director, Behavioral Health Services. “He worked full-time and attended nursing school in his efforts to develop his skills to have further positive impact on the health and well-being of our patients.”

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