Unsupportive workplaces

It’s the end of your shift. You’ve been run off your feet, yet it feels like so much is left undone. Ms Jacobs, delirious and unsteady, has had a fall. Mr Ions’ IV cannula has just tissued, and his 3 pm antibiotics are due. Mrs Campbell's family are unhappy with her care.

And now your manager wants to talk about a medication error from last week, on your fifth night shift in a row. You completed the Riskman, and no harm was done, but the conversation feels less like support and more like an interrogation. Your mentor’s on days off. You feel overwhelmed, alone, and unsupported.

Blame culture in our workplaces

People inevitably make mistakes – we’re human, says former ICU Nurse Manager Nel.  

“No one goes to work wanting to make a mistake. Nursing has a skewed understanding of justice and equality. There’s this culture of wanting to punish. For example, with medication errors, the focus is often on the individual staff member rather than the staffing levels at the time or the timing of medication rounds. Mistakes usually have multiple contributing factors." 

Benefits of a positive work environment

Nurses, midwives, and students expect the work to be hard. What makes a difference is workplace culture. Caring teammates, a safe space, and a shared sense of purpose help us cope, even on the toughest days.

A positive environment not only lifts job satisfaction, it improves retention (McKinsey & Company, 2022).

Healthy workplaces – supportive, open and flexible

Healthy workplaces are built on authentic leadership, supervisor support, direct communication, and responsive management.

A good workplace also responds to people’s lives. 

“Some people can work nights. Others are at a stage in life where they simply can’t. We don’t all fit the same mould. The majority of our profession are women, and we need to be flexible.” says Nel. 

Strategies for surviving an unsupportive workplace

If you’re in a difficult environment, it helps to talk to someone and gain perspective before making big decisions about staying or leaving.

If you’re taking more sick leave than usual, struggling to get to work, or finding it hard to get out of bed, it may be time to reach out. These could be signs of burnout.

“You can make bad, toxic workplaces better, or you can also make the decision to leave,” says Nel.

References

• Should I stay, or should I go? Australia’s nurse retention dilemma, by McKinsey and Company, 2021