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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Been made to feel like a outcast at work :(

161 replies

Thelily · 29/09/2025 14:30

I started a new job on an NHS ward about 2 months ago. I haven’t had any other trouble settling in roles, but I am auADHD so I suppose I could potentially be seen as a bit shy?

The ward atmosphere is unlike any other ward I’ve been on. I will walk in at the start of my shift and say hi/good morning etc, and no one will reply. Whenever I ask a question to any of the staff they act like it’s a big inconvenience and will roll their eyes. When I walk on the ward, they will stare at me (after I say hello) until I walk down the whole corridor. I feel like I’m not liked, which is fine, but it’s undermining my confidence.

I’ve still got friends from another ward I worked on, so I meet them for lunch (when I get one) but I’m not sure if this is just compounding me feeling isolated with the current team I work with?

A few people do speak to me during the shift, but I feel very isolated and lonely. My manager is only in 2 days a week, and on days they’re not in, I sit largely on my own with a few different appointments with patients across the day.

My manager has said she thinks I’m doing well but “don’t be scared to share your opinions of your patients in the team meetings, you are quite reserved about doing so”. I am reserved here because I know whatever I say will get eye rolls.

Is this normal ward working? I don’t expect best friends, but I am feeling so disheartened and actually dread going into work

OP posts:
Dymaxion · 30/09/2025 20:22

I would honestly look at NHS jobs and find another one. In the meantime, just try and do your job to the best of your abilities, if you haven't been given enough supervision or don't feel confident performing certain tasks then email your manager and let them know, not because I expect them to do anything about it, but it does provide a paper trail.
A couple of other things you could do is contact the following people;

  1. A professional nurse advocate - they will listen to your concerns and help you figure out a way forward. There should be several in your trust, ask your friends if they know of someone who is doing this role currently.
  2. If you don't feel you have had enough support/supervision in your role, could you ask for help from one of the trust practice educators ?
I am not suggesting the above because I think you cannot do the job, but sometimes it is useful to get other people on board and the above tend to be useful allies when it comes to toxic environments Flowers
Iris2020 · 30/09/2025 20:14

Your colleagues sound horrid and strangely immature, like high school bullies. Maybe they were hoping someone in particular would get the position and resent you for it.
I don't know enough about the NHS to understand if you can get a transfer easily but I wouldn't be wasting my time on them.

hobbledyhoy · 30/09/2025 20:13

I’ve not worked on an NHS ward so no idea whether this would be considered unusual but it would generally be very odd elsewhere.
it must be very difficult, no one likes to feel excluded, these people are either completely unaware it’s being perceived in that way or are exceptionally rude and unprofessional.
I’d look to leave if I were you, don’t be miserable for anyone.
I’m getting quite cantankerous as I get older and I’d be sitting in the meeting ready to put them on the spot and ask if they’d like to share the reason for their eye rolling. Sometimes these fuckers need called out.

XenoBitch · 30/09/2025 20:10

"She needs to learn to deal with situations like this as she will come across them again and again and she can’t keep running away…..

I started a weekend job in the NHS (cleaner). Within the first weekend I was there, I was pulled into the office with a supervisor and manager for not "engaging enough" with my colleagues.
In our rest room, they would just talk about sex. I got a job there because I was dating a porter at the time an he got me an interview etc. They asked my name, and about our sex life!
It was all women too, before anyone says it was a toxic male environment.

Hauntedcastles · 30/09/2025 20:05

CrispsPlease · 30/09/2025 19:51

Erm.... I was sticking up for OP?!

I know you were, but it is honestly so difficult to make eye contact all the time for alot of autistic people. I end up getting a migraine if I do it for too long. I am just worried that OP will get burnout , so I feel she needs to keep a diary and get the union involved for advice if things escalate.

powershowerforanhour · 30/09/2025 20:05

"She needs to learn to deal with situations like this as she will come across them again and again and she can’t keep running away…..

She doesn't "need to learn". Life is too short. It's not her fault, not her problem, and you can't fix a workplace culture (be it bitchiness, substandard work, crap H+S practices) by yourself especially if you're not the boss. It's the whole wrestling with a pig / playing chess with a pigeon scenario. Zero point.

"as a lot of people up thread have mentioned, bitchy nurses like this exist on every ward "
Literally nobody said that. Lots of people have experienced one or two crap environments in their whole working lives, with lots of lovely cohesive teams in between.

OP doesn't "keep running away"- she said that she has had no problems fitting into workplaces before and has never experienced a ward like this before.

CrispsPlease · 30/09/2025 19:51

Hauntedcastles · 30/09/2025 18:42

I think some of your advice is correct but do you know it it is so difficult to read people when you are autistic ? And I feel they can use thing like not smiling enough against a person. Similar stuff has happened to me. I bet OP is exhausted by all this crap. And I bet OP is actually a really caring person who is just trying to do her best for the patients on the wards without these daft mind games. Please OP, join a trade union, if you are not in one already and keep a diary. I am so sorry this happening to you xxx

Erm.... I was sticking up for OP?!

guestusername · 30/09/2025 19:45

Did you get the job that one of their friends was a shoe in for? That’s exactly what happens to the new starter in that situation. Or, they could just be the type of group who dont like newbies. Either way, it’s not acceptable. The manager is your first stop but if you don’t feel like anything is changing once you’ve done that, then go higher.

if you don’t feel comfortable doing that, your trust should have “Freedom to Speak” champion type people, or something equivalent. Whichever way you choose to go, I wish you the best of luck

Duckyfondant · 30/09/2025 19:43

It won't get better. Resign and make sure you have an exit interview where you tell the truth about your reason for leaving

Hauntedcastles · 30/09/2025 19:43

Sasha07 · 30/09/2025 19:07

I know you're talking about the NHS but it sounds like every care home I've worked in. Then they had the audacity to say they can't get/keep workers. I've noticed it's usually stemming from one or two people and the rest just go along with it to keep from being targeted. I know a few nurses who are the same, pointless attitude and entitlement. Sorry you're going through this and I hope something happens to improve it.

Re :care homes . This is my life just now. I honestly feel your pain OP. ❤️

Hobnob90 · 30/09/2025 19:43

I’m a nurse in a non clinical role now, but i think NHS wards are very toxic places to work. I’ve had mixed experiences my first ward when I qualified was awful I felt really unsupported. I stayed there just under 12 months the manager never knew my name! And I found some staff really rude I remember getting home and crying after my first week. As some people were really rude clicky, not being team players, bitching. Somebody ate/threw away my lunch too! However after some time settling in I made a few friends. The last ward I worked on I made some great friends and was such a good team. I do find it odd in a caring profession people can be so awful. I think sometimes it does take sometime to get to know people and settle in. Hopefully things will get better however if doesn’t personally I’d look for another job, you spend a lot of time at work. Nothing worse than dreading going in.

Bananaandmangosmoothie · 30/09/2025 19:41

GiveDogBone · 30/09/2025 19:03

I was going to say how horrible this is, but then you bumped the thread after nobody replied inside of a whole 7 minutes!

Normally on Mumsnet threads either get replies straight away or not really at all.

Bananaandmangosmoothie · 30/09/2025 19:40

I’ve heard that maternity wards can be the worst for this. Give yourself a deadline, see if it gets better then move and be honest about why you’re moving.

Tiddlywinkly · 30/09/2025 19:33

Life is far too short for this shit. I would suggest leaving ASAP. You deserve better 🙂

parrotsy · 30/09/2025 19:32

InveterateWineDrinker · 29/09/2025 14:50

My NHS experience is in management rather than on wards, but some places are just like you've described. I'm sorry to say that I have met several NHS staff who actively enjoying 'seeing them off' when someone dares to join their department.

Look elsewhere.

This. Just left a job like this. Utterly miserable fossils that get joy in seeing people leave.

Driftingawaynow · 30/09/2025 19:22

GiveDogBone · 30/09/2025 19:03

I was going to say how horrible this is, but then you bumped the thread after nobody replied inside of a whole 7 minutes!

What’s your point?

Everyonceinawhile · 30/09/2025 19:19

AntiBullshit · 30/09/2025 19:08

Perhaps the timing of you starting work is when they are with patients so cannot say hello.
Tey eating lunch in the common area and when you walk on the staff room say hello, does anyone what a coffee. People soon come round

when you walk on the staff room say hello, does anyone what a coffee.

Given what the OP said about the staff and how they have already treated her I would not do this, it’s just giving them another opportunity to ignore her.

Beachtastic · 30/09/2025 19:17

This is a "them" problem, not a "you" problem, OP.

The stupidest people I ever worked with, and the most toxic/bullying environment, was in the NHS. It was horribly bitchy. The only way to deal with it was to get out.

Find another job as soon as you can, even if it just means finding another hospital to work at. I think the trouble is that the way things are run, you only need one bad apple to poison the whole workspace. You might have better luck in another hospital, but don't crush your soul trying to make this work.

Motherofalittledragon · 30/09/2025 19:16

This happened to me once when I moved to a different trust, I stuck it for one shift and that was more than enough! I went back to my old trust on temporary staffing until I found another permanent contract that I wanted.

Everyonceinawhile · 30/09/2025 19:15

Thelily · 30/09/2025 08:11

I burst into tears when I got in the car this morning

How did your day go today, were they at it again?

AntiBullshit · 30/09/2025 19:08

Perhaps the timing of you starting work is when they are with patients so cannot say hello.
Tey eating lunch in the common area and when you walk on the staff room say hello, does anyone what a coffee. People soon come round

Sasha07 · 30/09/2025 19:07

I know you're talking about the NHS but it sounds like every care home I've worked in. Then they had the audacity to say they can't get/keep workers. I've noticed it's usually stemming from one or two people and the rest just go along with it to keep from being targeted. I know a few nurses who are the same, pointless attitude and entitlement. Sorry you're going through this and I hope something happens to improve it.

GiveDogBone · 30/09/2025 19:03

I was going to say how horrible this is, but then you bumped the thread after nobody replied inside of a whole 7 minutes!

nutbrownhare15 · 30/09/2025 19:02

Can you try being more assertive. E.g. carrying on saying good morning? Until someone replies with a wide smile. Ask the eye rollers if they have something they wanted to say. Tell your manager this is the unfriendliest team you've ever worked in.

OchreReader · 30/09/2025 19:01

I encountered a few wards like this when I was a very young student nurse and it really upset me. It was only when I made a passing comment to a fellow student that I was considering not returning after my weekend back home that my tutors became involved, and suddenly those bitches couldn’t do enough for me.
Now I’m through menopause I wouldn’t hesitate to call them out in the manner that a PP said, but I fully understand how you feel.
I would take a transfer or new post if one comes up. It can be a very challenging environment if there is an established clique.
I hope you find something that makes you happier OP xx