I’m hiding in the restroom. It is peaceful here. I’m by myself. My shift just started and I know my patients need me – I’m supposed to be there to protect them. But, who’s protecting me from the attack I feel by my coworkers and how did it come to this?
That scene was my real-life. I once worked in a toxic environment and was plagued with feelings of confusion and anxiety. I failed to see the warning signs and thought everyone I worked with felt just as genuine about caring for strangers as I did. I was wrong. Not everyone feels the way I do. Nursing school didn’t prepare me for the sabotage, bullying, and workplace harassment I faced early in my career. Is this what a veteran nurse meant by “nurses eat their young?”