Violence in the OR

AORN Journal,  Feb, 2005  

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I wanted to respond to your editorial about violence occurring in the OR ("Does violence still occur in the OR?" vol 80, September 2004). I worked at one hospital for 14 years. A surgeon, who had worked at that hospital for years, was mean and nasty to all nurses, with no exceptions. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, and God help the person who tried to stop him or made any comments. He would only let certain nurses in his room. No one wanted to go in there; they could not take him for very long.

He was cruel to me every chance he got. He told me I was too fat and ugly to live. He wanted to know how I got to be a nurse because I was so stupid. The list goes on. He would bad-mouth me every chance he got to anyone who would listen. I eventually lost my charge nurse position at that hospital, and he made my life miserable. I went to my nurse manager and the director of nursing, as well as the vice president of nursing. The only response I got was that I should learn to live with it and never be alone with him.

I also contacted a lawyer about the incidents, which I wrote down as they happened, to see what I could do. I made it clear I did not want any money--I only wanted a public apology from the physician for everything he said and did to me. The lawyer said it would be my word against his, and the physician had money and I didn't. Several physicians came to my defense, but it did not make a difference. I eventually left that place of employment and went on to other things.

I will never forget what happened to me, however, and I try to be sure that I never let it happen to anyone else. The whole occurrence was devastating to me because all that I had done as a nurse for that particular employer meant nothing in the end. Last year, that employer enacted a policy that verbal harassment would not be tolerated. When I brought up what had happened to me, the human resources manager who was doing the inservice program about the policy looked incensed that I even brought it up.

I wanted to share my experience with a hostile workplace. Thank you for writing an editorial on such an important topic. It definitely is a topic that needs more research, and more legislation should be enacted limiting its occurrence.

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc.
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