A good manager can make a hard ward feel bearable. A toxic one can make a good ward unbearable. Leadership is one of the strongest predictors of whether nurses stay or leave their jobs, so if you dread every shift because of one person, you are not imagining it.
Picture walking into work without dread, on a unit where your manager backs you up. That is not too much to ask, and this guide helps you get there.
12 signs of a toxic manager
- Shouts at, belittles or humiliates staff, especially in public
- Plays favourites with rotas, leave and opportunities
- Takes credit for your work and blames you for problems
- Ignores safety concerns about staffing
- Punishes people who speak up or report incidents
- Gossips about staff
- Micromanages everything but supports nothing
- Changes rotas at short notice without discussion
- Refuses reasonable requests for leave or flexible working
- Is never available when you need help
- Uses threats about your job or registration
- Turnover is high and good nurses keep leaving
How to protect yourself
- Keep records: dates, times, what was said, witnesses, and emails. Store them outside work systems.
- Put concerns in writing, calmly and factually.
- Use formal channels: a more senior manager, human resources, a freedom to speak up guardian or ombudsperson if your organisation has one.
- Get support from your union or professional body, especially before meetings.
- Raise patient safety concerns formally. Your professional duty is to patients first, and many countries legally protect whistleblowers.
- Look after your health. Use occupational health and counselling services.
Is it toxic, or just strict? A strict manager is consistent, fair and focused on standards. A toxic manager is unpredictable, unfair and focused on control.
When it is time to leave
If you have raised concerns and nothing changes, your health is suffering, or you are worried about your registration because of unsafe practice, it may be time to move. Leaving a toxic environment is not failure. There are many good managers and units, and you deserve to work for one.
“But if I complain, I will be labelled a troublemaker.”
Calm, factual records and the right channels protect you. Many countries also have whistleblowing protections for health workers who raise concerns in good faith.
Your next step: start a private, dated record of incidents today, kept outside work systems.
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