Can workplace relationships affect future success?

In high-stress clinical environments, one of the more common problems, and one that may seem insignificant compared to the personal problems encountered by others, is bad workplace relationships. What should be an inspiring and fulfilling place to work often becomes a disappointment, or worse, a place of nightmares.

Many of us are familiar with the terms harassment and bullying, but even if we have been educated in recognising it in the workplace, in some forms though, it can be hard to tell when it is actually happening to you and the person doing the harassing may not even be aware that they are doing it.

This past week I had a trainee veterinary nurse (VN) contact me for advice stating that she felt horrible when she went to work and she wondered if she was fit to be a VN. This particular VN is already qualified and is going for a higher degree. She is one of the most promising young nurses I have had the pleasure to come across and I knew something must be wrong in her workplace if she was questioning her ability. After discussing it for a while, it transpired that there was one person in particular, a veterinarian, who was at the root of the problem. The VN recounted to me several incidences where she came away feeling like she was always doing a poor job. She stated how she felt nervous and rushed when she was working with this veterinarian and that she dreaded going to work on the days that they would be in surgery together. She was frequently reprimanded in front of others and often felt humiliated and degraded as a person.