Cursing on the job

Specialties Emergency

Published

Alright so maybe this is a sign of burnout but most of us (not all of us) in my ED curse (sometimes loudly) while on the job. Usually its related to frustration. We were so incredibly busy yesterday and all of us were getting our butts handed to us. The call light was binging and the usually missing clerk was not there to answer it so I stormed over, snatched up the phone, and cheerfully (fake cheerfulness of course) yelled "Hi! Can I help you!!!?!?!?!" It was a "problem" patient who had their tv on full blast so I of course couldn't hear anything they were saying so I yelled "I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE TELEVISION..." and slammed the phone down. Then I proceeded to curse. Is this normal? I feel like I have anger management problems. I'm never rude to the patient's face, but I do this passive aggressive stuff and I'm not sure that it's healthy. It's also dangerous because it only takes once to do it in front of the wrong person and you're outta there. Anyone else have issues like this???

Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

Perhaps we could all learn to cuss in American Sign and our hospitals would be so much quieter!

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I want to learn!!!

Lol I've been teaching myself irish gaelic it's not easy because there's lots of hacking sounds, if you can master celtic thunders 'dulaman' your all good, I can sing verse1,3&4 as well as the chorus

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I don't normally curse at work except for the occasional :poop: when a code is called but I do use other phrases. One of my favorites is "son of a biscuit"!:D I blurted out "oh :poop:" one time in front of a patient when a code was called overhead on my floor and took off running. The patient complained that he didn't think that I used appropriate language and that I just left in the middle of his assessment. My manager told me not to worry about it, she would've done the same. I don't even work in the ER, I'm on Med-Surg! I try really hard to keep my potty mouth in check but some nights it's all I can do not to string together a list of invectives that would make the crustiest of sailors blush!

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It happens. I try not to curse and use different words to substitute it. Trust me, I have had my times with "difficult" pts (i.e., intoxicated pts), but surprisingly kept my cool. Just don't curse at the patients, their families, or at each other. That is a whole different story.

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From where I come from, we say, "he swore like a nurse!". People look at us funny and I assure them, "nurses are WORSE than sailors!" Or truckers, or 12 year old boys smoking cigarettes behind the shed. Sometimes, a flurry of expletives breaks the tension, makes us laugh or whatever. I try to make up new curse words. Taking the "root" curse word and following it with such things as "hat" "nozzle" "nugget" or "waffle" which are just a few of my favorites. Usually, someone will guffaw because they've just never heard someone say that before. I'm like, "try it! It feels good doesn't it?!". :up: Oh and I certainly have never been at a loss for words so it's not for lack of verbal grasp or creativity. I mean, I make up custom curse words! For real! It is a legit coping mechanism for dealing with what we do. A person cannot deal with what we see on a daily basis and not be a little twisted. It's the plain fact. People who don't swear, in my opinion, are either new grads or who have not really dealt with the low-down and dirty of nursing. If you'll notice, it is mostly first responders who swear like this. Every single ED/trauma nurse, Paramedic/EMT, police officer and firefighter I know swears with the same fortitude. Why do you think they all like to hang out when they have they chance and talk about *gasp* work?!?! No one else deals with what they do. I cannot WAIT to be a salty ER/Trauma/Flight nurse!!!

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From where I come from we say, "he swore like a nurse!". People look at us funny and I assure them, "nurses are WORSE than sailors!" Or truckers, or 12 year old boys smoking cigarettes behind the shed. Sometimes, a flurry of expletives breaks the tension, makes us laugh or whatever. I try to make up new curse words. Taking the "root" curse word and following it with such things as "hat" "nozzle" "nugget" or "waffle" which are just a few of my favorites. Usually, someone will guffaw because they've just never heard someone say that before. I'm like, "try it! It feels good doesn't it?!". :up: Oh and I certainly have never been at a loss for words so it's not for lack of verbal grasp or creativity. I mean, I make up custom curse words! For real! It is a legit coping mechanism for dealing with what we do. A person cannot deal with what we see on a daily basis and not be a little twisted. It's the plain fact. People who don't swear, in my opinion, are either new grads or who have not really dealt with the low-down and dirty of nursing. If you'll notice, it is mostly first responders who swear like this. Every single ED/trauma nurse, Paramedic/EMT, police officer and firefighter I know swears with the same fortitude. Why do you think they all like to hang out when they have they chance and talk about *gasp* work?!?! No one else deals with what they do. I cannot WAIT to be a salty ER/Trauma/Flight nurse!!![/quote']

I just said some at home and poopwaffle sounded awesome!!!!

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Specializes in Emergency.

"poopwaffle"

"it's a curse"

"it's a breakfast treat"

"hold on you two. New poopwaffles are a curse and a breakfast treat! Now you can relieve stress while enjoying a healthy meal."

Apologies to Dan Ackroyd and props to anyone who remembers the "shimmer" ad from snl season 1.

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I've turned into quite the potty mouth since moving to the ER!

To each is own. But for me personally, I think its completely unprofessional and shows disrespect for yourself and those around you. I would never cuss at work. In 9 years of working I've been extremely stressed, but I haven't let loose with vulgarity.

Well I commend you. That being said, I now feel much better reading through all the comments! Haha today was another "ARE YOU FU#&%@* KIDDING ME!?" kinda days and we were just lettin' em RIP. :)

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I don't think it has anything to do with the cursing but the way you described your response cheerful or not. So the patient had his TV on loud perhaps he is hard of hearing, or maybe something is wrong with the patient and he can't respond. Frustrated or not with the secretary take a walk down and ensure the patient is ok and then let him know that if he calls to lower the tv so you can communicate. The last point is that think about the secretary that is often the ones who answers the bell....this is her world. Answering bells is everyone's responsibility. Keep in mind our behaviors are witnessed by others and can be contagious.
Yeeeah, the patient was not hard of hearing or unable to respond hence my frustration. I'm not some hot-head who just gets irritated at the drop of a hat. My cause for frustration is always valid. And OF COURSE I walked to the patient's room to find out what he said. That would be incredibly unprofessional and negligent not to. Also "answering bells" is NOT everyone's job in MY department. It is the job of the secretary who sits on her butt texting and shopping online. I used to do that job and took pride in it and no one had to answer the call lights but me.
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I do swear, but never in front of patients and I try to keep my voice down. I do have a few colorful but inoffensive phrases I have adopted to use in place of my favourite four letter words. My current favourite (and don't ask where it came from because I don't know, I just said it one day and it stuck) is "crap monkeys!!"

However, people do swear and I think that just makes us human. I don't agree with swearing around patients and think that as professionals that's one thing even us potty mouths should uphold.

One of the physicians I work with was so frustrated this one day over a particularly problematic patient and the involvement of one of the consulting physicians. I'd had to phone him three times after his morning rounds, and the third time the call turned into a complete vent for him. I think I counted 10 utterances of the same swear word. It was not directed at me, nobody could hear aside from myself (he was in his office), and very clearly it needed to come out. Others may have been offended, but I saw it as a) Proof that physicians are people too and b) a complement that he felt comfortable enough with me to be able to vent and know it wouldn't be taken wrong.

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"poopwaffle"

"it's a curse"

"it's a breakfast treat"

"hold on you two. New poopwaffles are a curse and a breakfast treat! Now you can relieve stress while enjoying a healthy meal."

Apologies to Dan Ackroyd and props to anyone who remembers the "shimmer" ad from snl season 1.

Cracking. Up. Holy poopwaffles, that was good.

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My current favourite (and don't ask where it came from because I don't know, I just said it one day and it stuck) is "crap monkeys!!".
I think this needs to be a new thread. Favorite non-offensive curse word suitable for the work environment. Btw, I'm totally using crap-monkey. I say "balls" a lot. I guess that's still pretty offensive, huh? haha
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