10 best and worst nursing bosses

Worst: The Best Friend

Work is just another reason to socialize for the Best Friend. They view their team as a circle of friends, whether their employees like it or not. No subject is off limits. They feel the need to share every detail of their life with the hospital staff, as well as ask you personal questions about yours.

The Best Friend knows no personal boundaries. They are the boss who will give you a backrub while standing over your shoulder. Or who shares, in detail, their sexual exploits in the hospital supply room. (Hello, Grey’s Anatomy!) In essence, the Best Friend is just a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen.

Worst: The Ghost

You never see the Ghost, but their presence is everywhere in the hospital. The Ghost seems to have an infinite amount of vacation time, or is always on a “business” trip. But when the cat is away, the mice can’t play. The Ghost will haunt the hospital through e-mails and phone calls, making sure everyone has plenty to do in their absence.

The problem: It’s hard to get any work done when your boss isn’t there to answer questions. Can’t decide the best way to complete a task? Better figure it out. Have a personal issue with a patient or nurse? Take it up with them. Need something signed or approved? Better hope they are near a phone or fax machine. By constantly being out of the hospital, the Ghost can accomplish their tasks without the nuisance of actually having to manage their team.

Worst: The Bully

It’s like the third grade school yard all over again, except this time the Bully isn’t after your lunch money, they are after your time and commitment. They aren’t interested in your problems or your opinions. The only thing the Bully wants is for you to work as hard as humanly possible and make them look good to upper management.

The Bully makes all team decisions, with little or no input from the rest of the staff. Their word is gospel, and to challenge them is to spit in the face of the hospital. And since the Bully seems like such an asset to the hospital — mostly due to all the work you put in — it’s futile to go around them. Working with the Bully always ends up being a lose-lose situation.

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