Nurses Eat Their Young and Others As Well

We are all familiar with the saying "Nurses Eat Their Young" and unfortunately, I have seen many examples of this behavior. It is not limited to new graduates. It can strike anyone.

I just read this editorial in Advance for Nurses about horizontal violence by nurses. The piece mirrors what I have been speaking about in seminars - that nurses need to be supportive of each other and that other professions support each other, so why can't nurses. Be sure to read the article for more insight into this behavior.

I have seen too many cases of nurses turning against one another and going out of their way to sabotage another nurse's career. Nursing is a profession and as such, nurses should treat each other with respect and support. These attacks should not only be reported in writing to administration, but every nurse should police their work environment so that such a hostile environment is not allowed to thrive. I have never understood how such a giving and caring profession would allow such ugliness to exist within their ranks.

How the BON Wrongly Investigates Nurses

I cannot believe that this happened. Today I requested that an investigator obtain records from a hospital to help show that my client did not divert medication as accused (we don't have subpoena power). The investigator told me that she had the evidence required to substantiate the allegations against my client. I explained that the evidence was incomplete and that based on how the facility handled wastages in order to show my client's innocence we needed the additional records. The investigator refused.

On the Board’s website under “Investigatory & Disciplinary Process”, it states that “[o]nce all necessary evidence has been obtained to either substantiate or refute the allegations, the investigations team reviews the evidence in order to “determine whether or not probable cause exists.” So much for obtaining evidence to refute the allegations. There are actions I can take and I plan on pursuing this fully.

I was shocked that the Board would not be interested in obtaining the truth. This is not an investigation. This is looking only at information that convicts a nurse. This is proof once again that the Board is not on the side of nurses. This is also why when you see a nurse's name in the newsletter, you should not assume that the nurse is "bad" because there are many factors that go into the Board's actions. Just because they are the government does not mean they are right and just.