What's with the chip on your shoulder?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I was in the hospital visiting a friend who just had a baby. As I was walking by the nurses station in postpardum, things seemed to be quiet. I decided to stop and say "Hello". ONE nurse (mind you there were about 12 nurses total) gave me that put out, what do you want look and grumbled in the most cold, "I HATE MY JOB" voice, "WHAT DO YOU NEED?!"

Needless to say, I was quite taken back by her attitude. In my naive, nurse-to-be brain, I thought all nurses were kind, caring and compassionate people that love their job or they wouldn't be doing it, right? Looks like I have ALOT to learn.

The worst part is, the other nurses that were there saw her attitude and how rude she was and didn't say a thing! Then again, what should they of said?

Now my question: If you had a bi*chy co-worker that was rude like that, how would you handle it, or would you?

:eek:

NO, patients are not customers. I don't care what the new generation of business people who run healthcare say. A customer is someone who decides whether to shop at Walmart or Marshell Fields. A customer is someone who decides to get an oil change at the dealer or decides to go to the local quick change place. They are not someone that gets sick and has to go to the only hospital in town, or the only hospital their insurance company says is in network. Customers are not people who get into bad car accidents and are taken to the nearest hospital. And while nurses are human beings just like anyone else it is entirely unacceptable to be rude because you can. Nurses fit into the same catagory as fireman, police and rescue workers. If you can't be decent to the public than you're in the wrong job. I have been curt with family members or patients upon occasion when they have been nasty to me, I won't tolerate that at all. But not only is it unprofessional to behave as described in the first post, it is simply poor manners.

Specializes in LTC/Peds/ICU/PACU/CDI.

i re-read the first post & noticed that proud2bme stated that she was visiting a friend whom just given birth. when reading the post the first time, i only saw where proud2bme mentions about being a "soon to be nurse". i automatically assumed that she was a student at this facility & was mal treated. i guess i have to get my reading glasses checked...lol.

other than advising proud2bme to ask her instructor to change or not assign this nurse to her in the future, all other statement remain the same.

wow, i'll really try reading things clearly in the future!!!

originally posted by skm-nursiepooh

...no matter what's going on...you didn't deserve that!!! :scrying: you probably did the right thing by not saying anything else to her...you're probably seen as just an annoying student in which some people aren't cut-out to deal with or teach & think they can take their frustration out on. this certainly is no way to set examples to such students & future nurses. :angryfire

the unit or department acuity has no bearing on the amount of rudeness & unprofessional behavior this nurse displayed!!! i would inform your instructor about what happened & request not being assigned to her again.:chair: as far as those other nurses not saying anything, it would've been inapproriate :nono: for them to say anything to her, especially in front of you; but my guess is that someone just might've spoken to her privately though. :rolleyes:

there's no wonder why people are leaving the nursing profession in droves...& having difficult time attracting new ones too !!! :mad:

sorry
Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.

nothing, i repeat, nothing! excuses bad manners! we all undergo stressful situations in the nursing workforce & yes, we're all human. there is no place for the rude, arrogant, bullying, cold, hard types in the "caring" profession. i've been nursing for 34 years, pretty much seen & heard it all. nothing will ever convince me that being rude has a place or is excuseable. as for the post about protecting patients casenotes while writing them etc in the station....just goes to show how much we need a seperate room where we can document & store those confidential notes??!...

remember.... "do unto others, as you would have done unto you"

wishing you all a pleasant & happy end of april! :kiss

cheers,

grace.

Specializes in LDRP; Education.
Originally posted by Grace Oz

As for the post about protecting patients casenotes while writing them etc in the station....just goes to show how much we need a seperate room where we can document & store those confidential notes??!...

Yes we do. But it also goes to show the obvious lack of power, control and influence that nurse's possess. If it were up to ANY of us, we would definitely have a more confidential space to chart and give report, however, I still think patients/family walking into/behind the nurse's station is a definite no-no and should be quite obviously so.

I'm sorry, but I find that inexcusable. :cool:

Yin/Yang. Good and bad exist in every setting.

I've seen a lot of nurses come and go over the years. Most were great with visitors and families and a handful were not. I don't understand those that are rude, there really is no excuse for it. When I am in the presence of a rude colleague, I attempt to help the person who is catching the attitude in whatever way I can. Again, if managers and administrators would do their jobs effectively and start weeding people like this out...The rude ones I have worked with have never been reprimanded in any way, shape, or form!

Good luck to you!

Originally posted by fedupnurse

Again, if managers and administrators would do their jobs effectively and start weeding people like this out...The rude ones I have worked with have never been reprimanded in any way, shape, or form!

Good luck to you!

I am not a manager or adiministrator but could be someday. I am trying to learn something so please take this in that spirit. How do you suggest the weeding be done?

I am thinking we don't always know until after a person is hired that they are rude. Firing is difficult, I think particularly due to labor laws. I think employers always have the fear or a suit of wrongful termination in the backs of thier minds. I don't have any ideas on this. Do you?:confused: :kiss

I donot think that nurse really has any good excuses. She is

getting paid to do a job and do it well. I just stepped down from

15 years of leadership, and I think no one has a monopoly on

stress or a reason to lash out at someone. I could have sworn,

cried at least daily, but I made a choice not to. My employees

were very sad to see me leave but I had empowered them.

Even so, they still had to be responsible for themselves and their

attitudes. Managers are human too, and we can only do so much

and the rest is up to the employee. I empowered, disciplined when I had to, but eventually burned out because of the demands. I saw my attitude slipping and knew it was time for

a change. Now I am hoping to be one great staff nurse, and to

really give great hands on care! I have seen both sides of the

fence, and neither one is easy. I have a choice, and I plan to

show up at work, be real (but kind and decent) to my co-workers

and to give patients the best care I can because that is what

nursing is about. I might be in their shoes one day. Daisy

I think that if I overheard one nurse saying to another that the day sucked and she hated her job, I would just think that the nurse was venting. I know very little family members that really care about all the crap that nurses go through daily. I am not rude to other people but sometimes things are said in the wrong context. I vent all the time. But I love my job. (ok, most of the time. )

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