The "inconsiderate" one

[elijahvegas]

hey all, hope all is well.

Just me with a little more anxiety fuming, wondering if anyone out there relates.

So the topic on my mind this time:

Outside of nursing--personalitywise, i generally keep to myself. but i make sure that whenever approached im as friendly and as helpful as possible--sometimes it scares people because they tell me im not at all how they imagined (i have a severe case of angry-face)

but because i keep to myself so much, im really not used to seeking out people to assist--that is, im really bad at asking if anyone needs help or needs anything to feel extra comfortable. i feel like this will (if it hasn't already) sunk into my nursing style.

I try to be as helpful as possible, i'm always asking "do you need anything else" or "is there anything else i can do for you", because in all honesty, im really bad at anticipating the possible needs of others. I'm kind of bad at anticipating altogether, i'm more of a reflexive/reactive thinker. So when something goes wrong, i can handle it at a moments notice, but preventative measures aren't really my forte.

I guess by definition this would make me "inconsiderate" because im really bad at "considering" the needs of others, even though im more than happy and willing to oblige.

Does anyone else feel like they could use a crashcourse on crossing T's and dotting I's when it comes to patient comfort ?

[spinny87]

Risk for inconsiderate one related to mean resting face as manifested by angry frown during clinical.

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I have been accused of this as well and I just have a certain look when I am focused.

Yeah, me too although I do smile a lot as well, depends on the situation. I yam what I yam. The "look" and the fact that I walk like I own the place (ingrained habit from the inner city where I grew up) does clear a path in crowded hallways though.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I make it a point to tell my patients/ families "I squint to avoid using my reading glasses - so if I look angry to you, I'm not, it's just vanity!'

[Episteme]

Not sure of the etiquette here. I'm not male so, I suppose an administrator could remove this post.

My concern is you're statement that you are not good at anticipating and that you're more of a reflexive-in-the-moment kind of person. If you are working on a regular unit and caring for 5-7 patients, this is not a good thing. Why wait until a person is in florid failure, when you could have seen a trend in the vital signs. Why wait until the patient has to ask you for morphine when a glance at the Med Admin Record shows their last dose was 5 hours ago and they can have it q4.

Anticipating problems is sort of the whole point of putting a nurse at the bedside... isn't it?