Scapegoat: The Cure to the Blame Game

After spending several months in orientation, I have started to notice a pattern when things go wrong: the people I work with usually start to point fingers. As you can probably guess, that finger often gets wagged toward the bumbling new nurse. Nobody is mean about it, and I feel supported in my new role but why the need to blame someone? And why doesn't anyone feel ok accepting responsibility for delays, wrong supplies, or missed cleaning, etc.? Is there a way to change this habit or at least not get so burdened by all the blame? 

Blame is a natural, defensive human reaction to keep one’s reputation intact and avoid undesirable consequences. Being at fault is a vulnerable position that most humans avoid. Deflecting responsibility is an instinct that is difficult to grow beyond in all relationships, but especially in work environments. The fact that you wonder if there is a better way says a lot about your maturity. 

When your cohorts blame you for delays, missed cleaning, or other miscellaneous non–patient-safety errors, they are likely in survival mode. The OR can be brutal in its unspoken hierarchy. The better you do, the more you are favored. This could mean being a part of a specialty team, getting to work in more satisfying rooms, or just avoiding a stern scolding. When fingers start pointing, it is usually by folks who want to keep their own slate clean. They bank on everyone forgiving the new nurse, because after all, the new nurse is “still learning.” While this is not a healthy approach to mistakes in the OR, it is unfortunately the reality of many surgical suites. 

The problem with the survival-of-the-blameless approach is that it fractures the team. The truth of the matter is that we are all still learning. Understanding and embracing this concept is crucial to changing a culture of blame. By recognizing that everyone is still learning, we can begin to deemphasize competitive, individual reputations (which initiate the urge to pass responsibility to someone else) and instead look for opportunities of growth as a team. This approach lets a mistake be a catalyst for improvement rather than a perceived demotion of a team member. 

The true cure to the blame game is for each team member to take accountability and keep learning. When we change the narrative to deemphasize competitive, individual reputations, we empower each team member to be secure enough to accept responsibility for their actions instead of blaming others. As we each take responsibility for our own errors, we grow in our knowledge and experience. The act of taking responsibility for an error not only garners respect from coworkers but the process of correcting yourself makes you a better nurse. The old adage, “Learn from your mistakes,” is tried and true. 

Here's the bottom line, friend: The blame game will likely continue. There are unfortunately no tips or tricks to get others to stop wagging fingers in your (or anyone else’s) general direction. But the burden of blame decreases as you yourself decline to engage in the blame game. Be accountable by taking responsibility for your mistakes and doing the work to fix them. Don’t worry too much about pointing fingers, because those who work with you will soon respect the maturity and tenacity that I already see in you.