Inappropriate nurses?

Nurses Relations

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So, I'm a Float pool nurse, and last night, I was pulling meds when a Staff nurse comes up to me. Without so much of a "hello", he snaps, "How many patients do you have?"

My eyebrows raise. "Are you Charge or Resource nurse?" I ask.

"No," he answers

"Then it's none of your business," I respond.

"I have five patients tonight. How many do you have? Are you taking any admits?" he continues to press.

"Again, it's NONE.OF.YOUR.BUSINESS. Take it up with Charge if you have a problem," I retort.

"Oh, I'm just making conversation," he sneers.

"No, you're being nosy. And I don't have to deal with it!" I reply.

I told the Charge nurse about her Staff nurse's wildly inappropriate questioning. Charge said that "she would deal with it. At the end of the shift, Staff nurse had not apologized for his behavior, so I emailed his manager about the incident. The manager did not email me back.

Would there be anything else you would have done?

Perhaps, after "How many patients do you have?", his next question might have been, "I only have 5. Is there anything I can do to help you?" So, maybe he isn't Mr Personality but not every nurse is.

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Perhaps, after "How many patients do you have?", his next question might have been, "I only have 5. Is there anything I can do to help you?" So, maybe he isn't Mr Personality but not every nurse is.

Wait, we have to have personalities too? Good grief, this nursing thing is rough. Next you're going to tell me the patient is always right......

I suspect you work in the float pool because you have an inability to form professional relationships that are conducive to good patient care. It is vital to get along with coworkers. Perhaps you should be working alone in a private care setting.

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
I suspect you work in the float pool because you have an inability to form professional relationships that are conducive to good patient care. It is vital to get along with coworkers. Perhaps you should be working alone in a private care setting.

The OP isn't only a float nurse but a travel float nurse. Her contract will likely not be extended or renewed in the future perhaps?

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I suspect you work in the float pool because you have an inability to form professional relationships that are conducive to good patient care. It is vital to get along with coworkers. Perhaps you should be working alone in a private care setting.

If she can't get along with coworkers then I doubt she will be able to get along with family members. If she can't do that she will be quickly out of a job because family rules in PDN & the family will think of any reason under the sun to get rid of a nurse. The agency will always back the family & never the nurse, surprise surprise.

My first thought-

"oh no the poor snowflake got her feelings hurt!"

I don't think I read 1 response here that was kind, nor gentle. It's no wonder where the saying, "Nurses eat their young" comes from.

From OP's comments she is either s young nurse or gets the short end of the stick due to being a flost nurse and is tired of it. It also seemed the questioning nurse was not very nice either on the way he questioned OP.

In any event it would have been wonderful to see responses trying to calm OP down and explaining that there's no harm in discussing patient case load, rather than attacking them some more. Discussing patient case load could be a way of reassuring each other thst yes, we are all overworked (which should not be the case) and hopefully build comradery with in the team.

Can't we all just get along and help those who are stressed (which could be anyone of us at any given time) to take a deep breath and unwind a bit, instead of escalate and take some jabs? Just my two cents.

Hahaha "not kind nor gentle". "Not very nice". You and OP really need to stop crying and put on your big nurse panties!

Specializes in Operating Room.
Not everyone is up for small talk. I know a few people who honestly are irritated by it. There is no reason to be so rude because someone asked you how many patients you had. *You* are the one with a bad attitude OP, not the other nurse. They were blunt but not rude. Telling someone to shove their perceived rude attitude up their rear end is very clearly rude. If I was the NM I would make sure you were not floated back to that unit.

I am one of these people who isn't up for small talk. I am blunt and straight-forward with my communication. I am not shy but I'm not particularly chatty while working either (I like to focus on my tasks at hand because I am easily sidetracked). I understand that for these reasons I may come off as less than friendly sometimes, but these are not my intentions, and people understand that after getting to know me better.

Please consider this when interacting with others. Just because someone is blunt or their communication is short it does not mean they have cruel intentions.

If you wanted to have a more positive interaction with this person, why didn't you respond more positively?

Isn't the assignment posted? Usually it's not a secret.

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Isn't the assignment posted? Usually it's not a secret.

Apparently, for the OP, it's a closely guarded secret. So ssshhhhh, don't tell anyone!

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Isn't the assignment posted? Usually it's not a secret.

This is Fight Club hospital where we never talk about the patients.

Let it go.

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