I started my career in a profession that is uniquely female–nursing. Nowhere was the connectedness of women clearer to me than during those early years in the tense environment of the CCU. So often, we worked as a team, intuitively understanding what was needed from ourselves and each other.

Then there were the times that didn’t work so well….times that other nurses have told me they too have experienced. Nurses who try to intimidate you with their “superior” skills….or those who start rumors that spread rapidly in a small unit and throw everyone into a state of unease. I’ve heard about (and witnessed) “nursing cliques” based on area of specialty, status, and other personal factors.

Not surprisingly, burnout is high among nurses. There are a lot of reasons why, but no one has really looked carefully at how relationships with coworkers really influence the everyday lives of nurses. “Nurses eat their young,” is an expression I’ve heard more than once.

At http://www.option.org/oc10.shtml you’ll find a pretty blatant plug for The Option Institute, but I found the testimony about dealing with burnout and anger interesting. Since it was written by a vet, it’s relevant to nurses too.