Are you my waitress today?

macspuds · Oct 20, 2006

I just love what Angie O Plasty had to say.

This often happens and I fail to see why this would be taken as an insult.

You could ask why this phrase "waitress" was used.

Perhpas there would be a lesson in the patient's answer.

macspuds

flytimefl · Oct 20, 2006

When I first got out of high school and told my parents that I wanted to go to nursing school, my father's reply was "A nurse is nothing more than a waitress with a bedpan", which was how his generation viewed nursing.

I went into another field but went back to school to become a nurse, anyway. Now, at 83, my father realizes that nurses are more than "waitresses with bedpans"

Happy nurse

erichRN · Oct 20, 2006

My sister worked as a waitress for a few weeks to supplement her teaching salary, but quit because what some men were interested in was grassping her body parts. This has also occured frequently between some of the male patients in our facility and the female CNAs. On my shift, I simply assign one of my male CNAs to that patient and the problem doesn't occur. It seems that these patients simply usually won't be educated, retrained, or reoriented. If I were female, I don't think I could put up with that mentality.

Sisukas · Oct 21, 2006

i work in an oncology clinic and this was the question ask to me. how would you have responded? my response was "i did not go to school for 10 years to be called a waitress. i am now 4 courses away from my second master's degree in nursing so i can provide you the best care possible. what do you need."
tell me how you deal with these kind of comments.

frankly, if my dad had asked you that question and you answered him that way, my answer to "what do you need" would have been "for you to go away". people who ask you that are either joking with you, confused, or need some gentle education on your role. they do not need a lecture. being in the chair they're in is hard enough.

if they're joking...no it's not a funny joke but it deserves a kind answer. if he asked you that to be mean, don't sink to his level. a simple "no, i'm your nurse but what can i help you with" immediately de-stresses the situation. at the end of the day, isn't that the outcome you want?

granolagirl · Oct 22, 2006

The RN I worked with had been a nurse for over 15 years. He was always called an orderly, or a janitor, maybe because he is male? I look young for 30 and was always called a candy striper or the housekeeper. I used to get offended until the RN mentioned earlier inspired me to have tollerance for our patients. He said: "As long as you know how important what you do and who you are is, it will show in the work you do...". As a side note...the back of the johny gown is sometimes the thing that most represents exactly what the patient is to the rest of the world. In your head, next time say to yourself, I might look like a waitress but at least my bum isn't sticken' out!

firstyearstudent · Oct 22, 2006

Am I the only one who thinks the patient wasn't being insulting but only expressing a little gallows humor? I would have responded in kind. Something like...

"Yes. Welcome to Chez Oncology. Today's special is intravenous Adriamycin. Our appetizers include Reglan intramuscular and Ativan by mouth. If you've got room for desert, the chef suggests a shot of Neupogin. I haven't tried it myself, but I hear it's quite delicious..."

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 22, 2006

the back of the johny gown is sometimes the thing that most represents exactly what the patient is to the rest of the world

LOL!!!!!!!!!

58flyer · Oct 23, 2006

frankly, if my dad had asked you that question and you answered him that way, my answer to "what do you need" would have been "for you to go away". people who ask you that are either joking with you, confused, or need some gentle education on your role. they do not need a lecture. being in the chair they're in is hard enough.
if they're joking...no it's not a funny joke but it deserves a kind answer. if he asked you that to be mean, don't sink to his level. a simple "no, i'm your nurse but what can i help you with" immediately de-stresses the situation. at the end of the day, isn't that the outcome you want?

:yeahthat:

Noahm · Oct 23, 2006

Please. If my dad asked his nurse if she was his "waitress" and she responded with a smart ass comment about the level of education she has....I would applaud her and smack daddy on the back of the head.

CRNAGAL · Oct 23, 2006

I understand that patients say things sometimes that make us grit our teeth, but how about a little compassion. You said you work in an oncology clinic so I'm assuming your pt has cancer. My take on it is that they were probably trying to lighten the situation with a little humour. I would have made a joke back. I agree with Sisukas, if you had spoken to my family member like that, I would have been upset.

BSNtobe2009 · Oct 23, 2006

I understand that patients say things sometimes that make us grit our teeth, but how about a little compassion. You said you work in an oncology clinic so I'm assuming your pt has cancer. My take on it is that they were probably trying to lighten the situation with a little humour. I would have made a joke back. I agree with Sisukas, if you had spoken to my family member like that, I would have been upset.

Amen to that. I'm just going to take a shot in the dark that the guy was lucid enough to realize he wasn't in a restaurant, so yes, he was just making a joke, and I don't think offending anyone was on his mind.

If I was joking with a staff member as a patient and they responded with a rude and smarty remark back, I would have been livid.

It's unprofessional and not acceptable in ANY job to return a light-hearted remark back on a "customer" in a nasty manner.

adria37 · Oct 23, 2006

but you have to remember that this patient was young. She had been here several times, she was not confused the person beside her had the look "of wanting to slap her in the back of the head"

I am glad you are such a patient advocate. I am too, but at the same time I will not be treated as a door mat. I guess you would have to have been there.