Nurse Bullying: How to Keep a Toxic Coworker From Ruining Your Career

I think we can all agree that toxic co-workers lead to a toxic work environment. But what do we do about it?

In this episode of Coffee & Conversations About Nurse Bullying, I’ll tell you 3 strategies to protect yourself from a toxic coworker.

While we can’t control other people’s actions, there are several techniques you can use to keep yourself from losing it while maintaining your work productivity. The majority of these things are based on mental strategy, making them unusually helpful because they rely on you and you alone.

Although it can be difficult to be the bigger person 100% of the time, keeping your cool is always in the best interest of your career, and these strategies will help you do just that.

DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY

It’s easy to let a toxic co-worker lead you down the path of sadness for hours or even days after their disruptive - or sometimes downright mean - behavior, but it’s important to resist that temptation. Instead, remind yourself that the problem lies within them; not you.

I remember working with a nurse who always seemed to find fault in EVERYTHING I did! I used to go home beating myself up and wondering if I had what it took to be a good nurse. Finally, one day a wise older physician saw how she treated me. He pulled me aside and told me to NEVER let a toxic person bring me to tears or make me feel badly about myself. I took his advice and stopped taking her ridiculous criticism personally.

SPEAK UP

Let that person know that it’s not okay to treat you that way. Use powerful scripting techniques such as, “I’m offended by that comment” or “It’s not okay to talk to me that way.” The key is to say something. They say silience is golden. But when dealing with bad behavior, silence isn’t golden, it’s an agreement!

WALK AWAY

Unfortunately, there are plenty of toxic people that aren’t reprimanded despite the circumstances.

Babs Ryan, author of America's Corporate Brain Drain, says you may have just one option in the end. "If you work with a toxic coworker, your only choice may be to leave as quickly as possible -- especially if the company supports that bully repeatedly and has already exited several of the bully's targets."

If you’ve done everything in your power to not allow a toxic co-worker to get to you, including involving Human Resources, but haven’t had any luck, it’s probably time to walk away. Life truly is too short to live it around people with no respect for themselves or others.

I know first hand how difficult it can be dealing with someone who has no desire to be a positive human, or even behave appropriately. If this is something you’ve struggled with it may be time to step outside of the box and begin celebrating nursing again!

As an international speaker and consultant Dr. Renee Thompson tackles the professional challenges facing healthcare leaders today. With 26 years as a clinical nurse, nurse educator, and nurse executive, Dr. Thompson is a thought leader on creating a healthy workforce by eradicating workplace bullying. She hosts an award winning blog and is the author of several popular books on bullying and professional development.

Renee works with healthcare organizations that want to eradicate bullying and incivility. Got a question or situation you'd like Renee to answer in this series? Put it in the comments below or contact her on her website www.reneethompsonspeaks.com.