Image: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
For anybody that has been a nurse for a few years you have already learned this, especially if you have worked at more than one hospital.
Nurses, or even healthcare is general, is a pretty small and close knit group. If you are working in the same town you went to school in, then you probably know at least one nurse at every hospital in your town. If you have worked at other hospitals, then you probably know somebody at every hospital in your town. But it is definite that somebody you work with now knows at least one other nurse at every hospital in your town.
For this reason, I tell my nurses, don’t burn your bridges. What you say or do here will eventually make it to the hospital on the other side of town. Here’s an example…completely fictitious of course:
When I was staffing in the ED, the manager was interviewing a nurse. This nurse was somebody I went to school with. She was an average student, but the know-it-all in the class (we all had one of those, the phlebotomist or EKG tech who think they know everything). She was a complete pain in school.
When he was giving her a tour of the unit, we ran into each other. She came over gave me a hug and was sweet as pie, although we never got along in school. After her interview, the manager came and asked me about her. I told him the truth, I don’t know about her nursing skills, but she was a difficult person to deal with in school and I don’t think she would be a good fit for the team.
She didn’t get the job. This happened with two other people that I was asked about that I worked with in other EDs.
I don’t feel bad about it, because I don’t think they would have been successful here, and I don’t think they would have been a good fit for the team. It was their behavior that caused me to give a bad reference.
What I am saying is….we have hard jobs already. When you are feeling stressed and having a bad day, learn how to keep it in check. Because one day, you may not get a job in another department or hospital because of how you acted on your unit today.
Oh this is SOOO true! I always tell my nursing students that! Be careful what you say, do and how you leave places because you never know, you may show up for a job interview one day and the person interviewing you is that person whose bridge you burned!
By Rebekah Child on December 8, 2009 at 1:34 pm
You are so right Rob. I think this small nugget of information should be ‘taught’ to the nursing students during basic nursing skills – this is Nursing 101. Heck this is proper professional conduct across the board.
Life is a circle and what goes around comes around. Be sure to keep all your bridges open for traffic – coming and going.
Great advice.
By Sean Dent on December 9, 2009 at 8:19 am
Rob, I could not agree with you more. I think in life, in general, it does not pay to make enemies or burn bridges. Being involved in pediatrics, homecare and phone triage, it is amazing how many former co-workers I have run into on the job, or worked with people who know former work mates. Nursing may be a universal profession, but that said, we live in a small universe.
By Steve on December 15, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Oh man so there is one of those in every nursing class I thought it was just ours, but heres the thing she is not only a cna but an flunky from 2 other nursing programs, but she knows it all or think she does…..LOL man I would hate to see how she will interact with the physicans when we start our clinicals if she is always trying to correct our teachers I can only imagine what she will do.
By Ericka Garcia on January 8, 2010 at 8:26 pm
I couldn’t agree more. as a nursing instructor I would tell students that their behvior in the classroom was so important and that we were working as a team. Those students who ignored the message did so at their peril. When job/ school recommendation time came along (as it always does) I was brutally honest about their abilities and interpersonal skills.
By colleen on January 19, 2010 at 8:56 am
This is so true and I wish more of our new grad nurses realized this. Recently one of the new grad nurses I worked with on oure Telemetry unit burned a major bridge at her first ever nursing job. We all tried to help and warn her but she had to make her own mistakes. I wish her well at her new job but don’t really think the grass is really greener there.
By Shannon Weaver on January 26, 2010 at 9:56 am
On the same token, I have seen that when I have left a position and people have been jerks and non-supportive, I remember the behavior and poor nursing skills. Nurse managers will come up to me to ask me about a person when they know that I worked with them at a facility and got my opinion-Needless to say, they were not hired.
By Mary on March 19, 2010 at 5:37 am
I have always been of the opinion that when I leave a job, I should be able to turn right around and apply there again …. You just don’t know who will be your next co-worker/boss/etc . . . and unless you want to totally relocate, you will probably see them again!
By Dawn on March 19, 2010 at 8:43 pm
I could not agree more with the exception of the “clicks” that are still in fashion, mostly when all the hospitals are under one system. Clicks have a habit of sizing people up, and no matter what one can not shake it, even if it’s the biggest lie ever told. There are several healthcare systems here that have clicks that make a round table dicussion look like kindergarden. This state also puts out a high volume of nurses, yet everyone wonders why there is a very high number of out of state nurses that have to come in to work. Just be careful.
By Kathy on June 11, 2010 at 11:12 pm