Does ED have a bad rep for mean nurses?

Specialties Emergency

Published

I was perusing the posts and this question came to mind. I have worked several different units but my short stay in the ER showed me some of the meanest, bitter, most unhappy RN's I've ever met. Most were nice to me, but a handful of the veterans were downright unwelcoming and nasty to me and more importantly, to their pts, too :(

One of the docs saw what was going on and offered advice--he told me it was b/c I was attractive. He suggested I try baking treats, being extra helpful, etc. I did all that and it seemed to make things worse. It seemed the nicer I was, the more they disliked me. Anyway--I could go on and on. It was one of the hardest experiences of my life b/c I so wanted to be accepted there, never had a problem ANYWHERE else. It was months ago but still messes with my mind.

I found the ER to be my fav work. Loved the pt population, will go back to this or another ER one day. The tele unit I transferred to seems SOOOOO much busier for me than ER. I get out late almost always, juggling so much more than any other unit I've worked on. Most of the RN's there are registry or agency, I am staff. I go home drained both emotionally and physically almost always. Just an observation. I'm not saying the floor works harder than the ED. It's just different, different degrees of busy-ness and workloads, and I wish we would all recognize this. Nursing is tough enough without us fighting each other, for any reason, period. The really great RN's, the ones who are secure with themselves and truly love what they do, are who continue to inspire me. The old dinosaur RN's, like the ED ones I referred to earlier, shouldn't be able to call the shots anymore. (They need to change jobs :)

Whew! I feel better! Just my 2 cents.

Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.

:yeahthat:

Exactly. Let me preface this post by saying that I am not trying to incite or belittle the OP. The best advice I can give is to stop and carefully read all these responses to the original question. The nurses on this board are generally here to support and educate others; I don't think many post with the intent to hurt feelings. That in mind, take a second look at what the experienced nurses are trying to tell you. Your posts make you seem like someone who is difficult to get along with; someone who is very resistant to criticism--although I'm sure you don't want to be thought of like that, that is how you are coming across to others here and most likely to those who worked with you in the ER. It can be very hard to hear the truth and easy to respond to those truths by becoming defensive and attacking others. If so many posters are agreeing on their opinion of you, then its time for you to take a good look in the mirror and try to understand why that is.

Think of it like this, if you took a poll about anything in the world, and you came up with 9 out of 10 people believing the same thing, you'd probably have to say there's some credibility there with the majority, right?

(I was just curious also as to how long you were in the ER?)

Halcomb,Lisa 10/31/01 (Sept.2001) Lyttle,Valerie RN, BSN, ONC,CEN. Why ED nurses have that attitude. RN Vol. 64,No.9 Pages 49-50.

Valerie had worked on a variety of different units in her 16 year career, so moving to the emergency department in 1995 was not especially noteworthy to her, until a co-worker said to her "I suppose you'll develop that ED attitude".

That ED attitude, Valerie has learned, means having a reputation for being aggressive, assertive, loud, demanding, tenacious, and bossy. ED nurses are frequently called chronic complainers and are also accused of not understanding the floors, the patients, or the families.

Although Valerie does not excuse these behaviors, she does share some reasons why ED nurses behave the way they do. Besides their ability to treat emergency trauma, they are several types of nurses in one, such as a labor/delivery nurse, pediatric nurse, geriatric nurse as well as many others. They must move among all of their duties quickly and easily, turning from a critically injured child to a patient with a sprained ankle to a cardiac patient without skipping a beat.

That's not the whole article, but it's the gist.

Personally I don't think there's an excuse for nastiness. Nurses, no matter what specialty are professionals, and should behave accordingly.

Thank you.

I'm not sure that being "aggressive, assertive, loud, demanding, tenacious, and bossy" equals being mean though.

And I'm none of the above and work in the ER.

steph

Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.

i am assertive and tenacious when the situation requires but that doesn't make me mean.

Specializes in ICU,ER.

I think therein lies the problem. Many people equate assertiveness with "mean". Just as assertive women are called the "B" word.

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Being assertive isn't "bad." It just means that you get the job done. This is a good thread but we need to be carefule to debate the subject - Are ER nurses mean? - versus other posters.

Thanks everyone.

Specializes in ER, telemetry.

ER nurses are no meaner than nurses on other units. There are nasty nurses on every floor. The ER, however, is a very, very stressful place to work and may push some nurses to the breaking point. Doctors too, for that matter. There is a high level of accountability in the ER when taking care of pts who are severely injured or critically ill and that adds to the stress. Most ER nurses (and techs) develop a twisted sense of humor to deal with the stress, some become bitter and mean. But like I said, thats everywhere (and probably every job). In my hospital, the CCU nurses have a horrible rep for being nasty, but do I think that all CCU nurses are mean? Of course not!!!

ER nurses are no meaner than nurses on other units. There are nasty nurses on every floor. The ER, however, is a very, very stressful place to work and may push some nurses to the breaking point. Doctors too, for that matter. There is a high level of accountability in the ER when taking care of pts who are severely injured or critically ill and that adds to the stress. Most ER nurses (and techs) develop a twisted sense of humor to deal with the stress, some become bitter and mean. But like I said, thats everywhere (and probably every job). In my hospital, the CCU nurses have a horrible rep for being nasty, but do I think that all CCU nurses are mean? Of course not!!!

Gosh--I thought this thread died...:(

Jennifer,

First, I never stated all ER nurse are mean, or even ASKED if "all" ER nurses are mean. (Just as your last sentence states about CCU nurses).

2nd, I realize the ER forum was not exactly the best place to ask this question. Once and for all, it is my personal experience that the ER in my hospital exposed me to some of the meanest most miserable RN's I have ever met. MOST were great tho. :)

noelle

I know this is an old thread, but I was bored tonight.......Just a thought: It doesn't matter if you (or anyone) think you're Miss America or Ugly Betty. Beauty is VERY subjective, beholder, etc. etc. You have to have more than good looks to succeed. Get over yourself. I have worked w/Docs & nurses both that could qualify as models. The fact of the matter is ACTIONS speak louder than words. If you are good you are good, people get over outside appearances in about 2 minutes, and then the test is in your skills & abilities. NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE. "ROCK" the ER?? ROTFLMAO

Specializes in Med/Surg, Peds, ICU.

I work at my level 1 trauma center and I am a happy/friendly person, or so I've been told. However I feel the ER has turned me into a not so nice person. I can't hardly explain it to you but everyone I work with is that way. I must say I love most everyone I work with but where we are so busy, and SOO much is expected of us as well as people constantly asking "when will i get a room" or "what is goin on with me" or "when will i get out of this hallway" things like this over and over every day just get to you. Then you have the traumas that come in like pediatrics, that can ruin your whole day or week for that matter. It just depends about what is goin on around you :-)

i love being an emergency nurse though and i wouldn't change this experience for the world :-)

hi trauma RN,

You come across as a caring person, and I'm sure you're a very good nurse.

You're young and starting out in one of the most volatile RN positions there are. I'm not sure you've worked other units before but just let me say this:

patients ask the same questions on almost all floors in teaching hospitals (except of course, the hallway questions--altho I've seen an occasional pt wind up in the hallway on other floors :(

My point is, I don't think it's fair that ER nurses use the excuse "We see so much crap everyday--it gets to us, and it we become not so nice sometimes."

That's BS. Nurses in general see terrible things EVERYDAY. You deal with it, or change professions or transfer if it gets to you. I know veteran ER/ICU RN's who would never use that excuse for being rude or mean to anyone!!

BTW--the younger ER nurses were very accepting of me, helpful, and seemed happy to have me there. They weren't the problem.

Good luck to you and keep up the good work you do!

noelle

I know this is an old thread, but I was bored tonight.......Just a thought: It doesn't matter if you (or anyone) think you're Miss America or Ugly Betty. Beauty is VERY subjective, beholder, etc. etc. You have to have more than good looks to succeed. Get over yourself. I have worked w/Docs & nurses both that could qualify as models. The fact of the matter is ACTIONS speak louder than words. If you are good you are good, people get over outside appearances in about 2 minutes, and then the test is in your skills & abilities. NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE. "ROCK" the ER?? ROTFLMAO

Glad I gave you a good laugh!! :)

Specializes in Tele, ICU, ER.

I'm not mean - not at all. In fact, I get accused of being "so sweet" to the patients and folks ask how I do it. I tell 'em I took drama in junior high! hehe!

Seriously, I'm focused and intent at work and perhaps that may seem to some folks as stand-offish or "mean". But it really only means that my mind's on what I have to get done for a patient and I'm focusing on that. Even when I'm interrupted in the middle of something, I try to be nice, but I do admit that occassionally I may sound shorter than I meant to.

ER nurses that I've met are not mean but they may be focused and trying to juggle 15 things at once. That's what we do and it's not easy. As for the "if you saw what we see..." excuse, I can see where that comes from. If I say "oh great, it's XYZ in the ambulance, c/o chest pain AGAIN that ONLY morphine will fix, let me real quick list her allergies from memory..." in a slightly less than bubbly tone of voice, that's not mean, it's just reality.

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