[PACUJennifer]

It's just fine to come on duty and want to feel you have 'control' over the physical environment you are going to be working in that day by tidying up,putting supplies you'll likely need within reach,etcetc, BUT,it is NOT ok to make the previous nurse feel bad (a previous poster called it 'tacky' and I 100% agree with her) - that's just so rude; a form of oneupmanship that some nurses employ to make themselves feel superior...sad sad sad.

From my perspective,the need for a controlled environment in ICU has a lot,not everything,but a lot,to do with working around an unstable, critically ill patient where everything can go wrong despite our very best efforts - fussing with the physical environment allows us to feel we have some control over the situation. It helps relieve a little of our stress, at the very least,it distracts us.

Do I believe that the 'anal' or 'ocd' type ICU nurses are those who give the best ICU care (this is certainly the gist I am getting from many of the previous poster's opinions) ...not on your life. A calm,confident,nurse who thoroughly knows her theory and can brillantly apply it at the bedside does not necessarily need to be a neat freak.

My point is,be a 'neat freak' if it makes you feel better -whatever works for you - but,getting back to what the OP was asking for -a little kindness and a genuine respect for your nursing colleagues,some humility that "I,too, can make mistakes",AND a good handle on theory and its correct application at the bedside are what the VERY best nurses have going for them imo...This has got nothing,whatsoever,to do with wanting to "socialize at work" - it's just common decency - treat people exactly as you would like to be treated yourself.

Sometimes,nurses stay in areas where they're really not happy anymore. They've gotten themselves into a rut - so to speak,and they're scared to make a change... sometimes a change is scarier than putting up with the current situation.So they stay where they are and are stressed all the time,though they'll never admit it. They're burnt out. And they're mean. They make life miserable for the new ones (or the happy,positive nurses) -the fresh new ones, who are coming to ICU so full of energy and enthusiasm - and it kills them.Putting people down is their way of feeling superior...and the saddest thing of all? those who do that to colleagues aren't likely to be caring and kind nurses to their patients' families either.

A little kindness goes an really long way...and comes back to you four fold.

[nursern20]

Originally Posted by PACUJennifer

It's just fine to come on duty and want to feel you have 'control' over the physical environment you are going to be working in that day by tidying up,putting supplies you'll likely need within reach,etcetc, BUT,it is NOT ok to make the previous nurse feel bad (a previous poster called it 'tacky' and I 100% agree with her) - that's just so rude; a form of oneupmanship that some nurses employ to make themselves feel superior...sad sad sad.

From my perspective,the need for a controlled environment in ICU has a lot,not everything,but a lot,to do with working around an unstable, critically ill patient where everything can go wrong despite our very best efforts - fussing with the physical environment allows us to feel we have some control over the situation. It helps relieve a little of our stress, at the very least,it distracts us.

Do I believe that the 'anal' or 'ocd' type ICU nurses are those who give the best ICU care (this is certainly the gist I am getting from many of the previous poster's opinions) ...not on your life. A calm,confident,nurse who thoroughly knows her theory and can brillantly apply it at the bedside does not necessarily need to be a neat freak.

My point is,be a 'neat freak' if it makes you feel better -whatever works for you - but,getting back to what the OP was asking for -a little kindness and a genuine respect for your nursing colleagues,some humility that "I,too, can make mistakes",AND a good handle on theory and its correct application at the bedside are what the VERY best nurses have going for them imo...This has got nothing,whatsoever,to do with wanting to "socialize at work" - it's just common decency - treat people exactly as you would like to be treated yourself.

Sometimes,nurses stay in areas where they're really not happy anymore. They've gotten themselves into a rut - so to speak,and they're scared to make a change... sometimes a change is scarier than putting up with the current situation.So they stay where they are and are stressed all the time,though they'll never admit it. They're burnt out. And they're mean. They make life miserable for the new ones (or the happy,positive nurses) -the fresh new ones, who are coming to ICU so full of energy and enthusiasm - and it kills them.Putting people down is their way of feeling superior...and the saddest thing of all? those who do that to colleagues aren't likely to be caring and kind nurses to their patients' families either.

A little kindness goes an really long way...and comes back to you four fold.

Jennifer, thank you thank you thank you for adding this post. I couldnt have said this better myself. You truly understand what i meant by my original post and thank you for your input, i agree with you 120%. I wish I worked with more nurses like you

[PACUJennifer]

Originally Posted by nursern20

Jennifer, thank you thank you thank you for adding this post. I couldnt have said this better myself. You truly understand what i meant by my original post and thank you for your input, i agree with you 120%. I wish I worked with more nurses like you

You are very welcome,my dear! I didn't notice until just now that you wrote this post ~ a year and a half ago. How are things going? Are you in the same ICU, and are things any easier for you now?

I made it a personal commitment quite a number of years ago that I was going to do as much as I could to show respect for my fellow nursing colleagues. I don't belittle anyone,I don't aggressively 'jump all over them' or challenge them when they do things a different way (I will address something it's a pt safety issue,of course) - I don't have all the answers;there are many ways of looking at the same problem.I try and leave my mind open to new ideas,new ways of doing things. It's essential,imo,for personal growth.

All the best!
jen

[RNFELICITY]

Originally Posted by Bethy-lynn

I'm so OCD that my students laugh at me. The tease me about not being able to function unless I have all of my lines labeled (and, yes color-coded...Red labels on Xigris and Bicarcb, green on ns, yellow on other drugs that may be compatable with some things, but not with others like Neo, Levo, Versed,....). I even got some butt pats for being the only one who could get the ng, art, tlc, periph, vent, and dialysis lines sorted, orgtanized, and COMPLETELY untangled in a rotoprone. When I walk into my room in the morning, I end up spending the first twenty minutes getting things sorted. Granted, I don't get upset with others because they don't have it the way I want, unless it's a pt safety issue...That's just where we have to draw thew line. I guess you could say that I am one with my OCD, and its Good For Me.

OMG I would LOVE following you. I am very obsessive with things in my pt's room because I feel that I cannot work in a messy environment and 99% of the time, families or the patient themselves will thank me for cleaning up the clutter and making the room seem larger by moving back chairs and using a little organization.

I am always vigilant about how I leave my patients, as well. I have extra IV bags or drips ready to be hung, etc.

I think we are all a team and each player has their own personality. I know we are not here to socialize or to make friends, but being friendly and helping others makes it a little more bearable on those bad days and it is nice to have a friendly ear or shoulder to cry on or talk to when you need it.

[joeyzstj]

Originally Posted by nursern20

i see what u are saying. i know work isnt really a place for socialization, but I'm trying to see the humanity in the ICU. Like helping out another nurse with their pt if they need it. Also whatever happened to the "holistic" care?? I dont see any signs of "caring". The nurses are so rough with the pts. I dont think its healthy for us as caregivers to be like this all the time. It's definitly a source of unhappiness and job unsatisfaction. Granted that maybe if i was a more seasoned, experienced nurse, i wouldnt have a such a problem with this. But since im totally fresh, a little kindness could go a long way from my fellow co-workers.

Holistic care is a term that they beat unrealistically into your head in nursing school. I work in a CVICU and I can tell you honestly that the last thing you have time for, thanks to administration and staffing shortages is the time to give back rubs and foot rubs and talk about relgious aspects and getting to know the patient in depth and all of the "fluff and puff". Most of the time in a busy ICU you have a phone in one hand screaming at pharmacy while you have another phone in your other hand getting screamed at by the surgeon while the families are in the background freaking out that the patient is sneezed and wanting freash icewater and in the meantime management is trying to give you an extra patient while bed 4's V-tach alarm is going off and bed 10's IV pumps are beeping empty becase pharmcy lost your STAT drip refill orders..............all of this while your art line is clotting off and bed 7 is confused and climbing out of bed and surgery is trying to call report on a patient they want to ship to you and beds 1-12's family is calling wanting updates, the same updates, that you have given the other 40 family members in each patients family and they are mad becasue DR. X hasnt updated all of them on rounds, ect,ect,ect. In the meanwhile you are trying to keep your composure, make time to pee and maybee just maybee get one meal. AND chart all of your days activities with amazing precision so that some genius in middle management does come to you a month later complaining that you used an @ symbol instead of the word "at"...........and this is just before lunch. Making critical decisions on patients and keeping them alive takes presedence over other things sometimes unfortunately. By the way, WELCOME TO ICU