Why are nurses disrespected so much?

fitfabfunnurse2b · Sep 14, 2017

Lil Nel said:
Is this response supposed to be helpful, serious, or simply a show of your snappy snarkiness?
You choose.

I laughed out loud when I read this. I found it to be humorous, quite frankly.

Elizabeth1414, RN · Sep 14, 2017

I think it is very dependent on the place you are working and what those nurses have to deal with. I have done clinical placements in many areas, and areas where nurses are more overworked, and their management doesn't back them up, there tends to be a more negative environment.

As nurses we are supposed to check our life and stress at the door... but we're human and that's not always possible. Especially when the source of your stress is your job itself.

I wouldn't judge the whole career on this placement. The nurses I have met that are excited to have a heling hand, and go out of their way to find me teaching opportunities far outnumber the one's that seem annoyed that I am there.

For the question you posted about nurses being disrespected, honestly, that's just part of working in a helping profession. People who are often hospitalized are not at their best, by any means, and people often take that out on the people around them.

I worked in social work before starting nursing and its the same. If you've ever spent any time in costumer service, you'll know that it is no different. Working with people is hard. period.

In terms of doctors being more greatly respected, I haven't always seen that to be the case within the healthcare team. I have experienced some older doctors that seem to put have a god-complex, but I have met far more that are willing to go out of their way to teach me, and look to the RNs I am working with for input and advice since they're the one's spending more actual time with the patients.

Healthcare is very much a team, not a hierarchy, and that has been my experience in the majority of my placements so far.

Toadette, MSN, RN · Sep 14, 2017

fitfabfunnurse said:
Hi all! I just started our clinical this week as a new nursing student and there is something that's been bothering me and I just can't seem to come to terms with it... why are nurses so disrespected? I've seen nurses treat other nurses like dog crap and the pts treat them like slaves essentially-- ungrateful, degrading, etc. I'm shocked that this is the way the heirarchy is structured... Dr's are gods, nurses are peasants. We've worked way too hard in school and beyond to be subjected to this treatment. I guess this is also my phlegmatic personality coming thru... but wow!! Nurses are literally like Mean Girls. Sometimes I wonder, how did I end up choosing this profession again? It sickens me the way HCP are supposed to nurture and support their PTs yet they can't even treat their own coworkers like human beings... I guess I have "thin skin" but yikes this is not the kind of work environment I want to be in! Why can't we all show compassion towards each other? I'm a very kind person and I feel like I'm going to get spat on in the nursing world... rant over.

You can't control how other people behave, but you CAN control how you react to them. OP, I'd take what you saw and file it away for later. Make note of how you want to be perceived when you are a nurse and behave accordingly.

I have worked with a few "mean girls" but I certainly wouldn't characterize all nurses as such. Focus on learning to be the best nurse you can be and don't bother yourself with workplace politics.

Best of luck to you in your studies!

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 14, 2017

fitfabfunnurse said:
But it's true and maybe not every unit/floor is handled in the same way but this is simply what I've observed.

Please use the "Quote" function so we can all see which post or poster you're addressing.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 14, 2017

TrashPanda said:
"I guess I have "thin skin" but yikes this is not the kind of work environment I want to be in!"
Then before you waste any more time or money on a profession that is obviously not optimal for you, I would suggest you change your career choice. I guarantee you will not find a unit that is devoid of individuals that do not appeal to your need for continuing compassion and endless warm fuzzies. I would suggest Zen garden sand tray raking.

fitfabfunnurse said:
TrashPanda- Is it so much to ask that people treat each other with decency? I was meant to be a nurse. Take your hateful comments elsewhere ?

If you think THAT was a hateful comment, your skin is far too thin.

You will NEVER find a work place -- whether in nursing or any other career -- that is devoid of individuals who do not appeal to you. You will NEVER find a work place where your apparent need for continuous warm fuzzies and endless compassion from your co-workers will be satisfied. Nurses are compassionate, this is true. But NO ONE has an endless well of compassion from which to draw, and our patients get first dibs. By the time it gets to our co-workers, the well may have been depleted. You can expect your co-workers to be polite to you (except in extenuating circumstances such as having answered the same question 8 times in 8 hours or your having been impolite to them), don't go around expecting your coworkers to fulfill your emotional needs.

You started the thread with a nasty, negative post. And now you're being nasty to those posters with whom you disagree. I suggest that you aren't modeling the compassion -- or even the lack of negativity -- that you're calling for.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 14, 2017

TrashPanda said:
"I guess I have "thin skin" but yikes this is not the kind of work environment I want to be in!"
Then before you waste any more time or money on a profession that is obviously not optimal for you, I would suggest you change your career choice. I guarantee you will not find a unit that is devoid of individuals that do not appeal to your need for continuing compassion and endless warm fuzzies. I would suggest Zen garden sand tray raking.

fitfabfunnurse said:
I am simply stating what I observed. thanks for your advice!

Numerous posters have suggested (politely) that your observations may have been inaccurate. Please consider that this is true.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 14, 2017

TrashPanda said:
"I guess I have "thin skin" but yikes this is not the kind of work environment I want to be in!"
Then before you waste any more time or money on a profession that is obviously not optimal for you, I would suggest you change your career choice. I guarantee you will not find a unit that is devoid of individuals that do not appeal to your need for continuing compassion and endless warm fuzzies. I would suggest Zen garden sand tray raking.

fitfabfunnurse said:
THANK YOU. I was not disrespecting the entire nursing profession. I don't know how someone came to that conclusion. My point was this, I saw the way nurses were talking towards one another and I'm simply stating that "mean girls in scrubs" do exist. Not everyone. Also, I saw the way some of the nurses treated the students and it was very unprofessional.

You pretty much were disrespecting the entire nursing profession. I can see that you are respectful only of those posters with whom you agree. Hypocrital much?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 14, 2017

TrashPanda said:
"I guess I have "thin skin" but yikes this is not the kind of work environment I want to be in!"
Then before you waste any more time or money on a profession that is obviously not optimal for you, I would suggest you change your career choice. I guarantee you will not find a unit that is devoid of individuals that do not appeal to your need for continuing compassion and endless warm fuzzies. I would suggest Zen garden sand tray raking.

fitfabfunnurse said:
What makes you say that I should leave the nursing profession altogether? I can't really give up or quit, I just started my BSN program and I have 4 semesters left (if you're counting this one). I'm at least finishing up. That would be dumb to not graduate and get my RN.

If you are completely dissatisfied with nursing and don't like actual nurses, it's not at all stupid to consider whether you really want to continue in the profession or switch your major to something you might like better.

Mvalent9 · Sep 14, 2017

You can change it.

Fed_RN14 · Sep 14, 2017

Are you all really acting as if nurse bullying is not an issue? Tons of studies on how and why this exists are available. I've seen it. I've experienced it. It is definitely not everywhere, but to dismiss OP like her observations are fruitless is inaccurate, based on the research.

sevensonnets · Sep 14, 2017

Because, Fed RN14, for most of us bullying is not an issue. We are not required to agree with her.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 14, 2017

Jory said:
There are three types of people that treat nurses the worst:
1. Other nurses (we are our own worst enemy and I blame this for the reason we are not more organized as a profession).
2. Physicians...most of which could care less about us.
3. Hospital administration...who sees physicians as indispensable and everyone else as replaceable.
In terms of everyone else, I haven't experienced that. Yes, you'll occasionally get the rude patient or family member, but that should not be par for the course. You'll find rude people everywhere you go.

I think you're wrong on #1 and #2. I've found that most of the physicians I've worked with value us as team members and treat us with respect. They also insist upon others treating us with respect. Other nurses -- if one other nurse treats you rudely, she's probably a rude nurse. If ALL the nurses you work with are rude to you; YOU are probably the one with the problem.

Now hospital administration -- evidently I've worked mostly with good hospitals and good administration. They're clueless sometimes, but I don't think they go out of their way to disrespect nurses.