Things you wish you could say to your co-workers...

Nurses Relations

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Ugh! Feeling a little frustrated today with some other newbie nurses (I am one myself). As part of orientation, we have several tasks that we have to complete and classes to attend. I find them very beneficial. However, it seems there are one or two immature individuals that insist on complaining, degrading, disregarding, and disrespecting every lecture, inservice and instructor/guest speaker that we have. It was easy to ignore at first, but now it seems it is spreading to other previously satisfied new grads who want to be part of this little group. Sometimes, I wish I could just speak my mind, but it would not be very professional...

- Yes, it is important that I know how to read EKGs forwards, backwards, and sideways in case my pt has a rhythm change and I need to intervene. :trout:

- Yes, I do need to know how to interpret ABGs even though we always have a respiratory therapist, because there are other assessment findings that I must take into consideration when providing treatment.

- Yes, I do want to learn how to read a 12 lead even though the diagnosis is generated at the top of the page...it is not always accurate.

- No, I don't want to have to move closer to hear the instructor/speaker because you want to gossip about how much you drank this weekend, your friend from highschool that got arrested, or which doctor you think is hot. I happen to think hemodynamics is an important aspect of critical care.

- No...I don't chart before I do something, I do follow the 'stupid' protocols, and I do take notes during these classes and read up on the newest recommendations outside of work. That's because I value my license.

- No...I don't know how you made it through nursing school either. :trout:

I guess I am just having a bad day. But being around this group for a few days reminds me of highschool too much. It's like watching an episode of the hills on MTV. :trout: It appalls me that some people lack such maturity and professionalism, yet choose an advanced area of practice. And then claim, they are going to apply for CRNA school after a year. Good luck with that when you don't even know the oral care protocol or why it's done.

Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.
nurse has experienced this, but it continues -its to the point that nobody botheres complaining about it anymore, its taken as a 'granted'.

There's a dayshifter who is known to be like this... in fact the words "you're taking this team and following X" is always met with groans and grimaces on the part of the 12'er coming in and apologies on the part of the charge making the assignment, because it's a given that ya might as well get out the cordless phone, the kardex and the Spic n Span now 'cuz it's cleanup time! :uhoh3:

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When people are being annoying like this I just say "Shoosh!people may hear you and not want to".Lowering my voice and giving them one of "my looks" tends to stop people in their tracks-like an old school ma'm!Great Fun!!!!

Try it next time-so what if they talk bout you afterwards.

Christabel

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After a long, frustrating weekend, how about "I don't care about what you're not going to do, it's you're license not mine".

I would also like to ask some of them if they are married to/dating rich people or drug dealers since calling in never seems to be a problem for them on a Sunday a.m.

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Specializes in most recent is geriatrics,.

Thank you for bringing this out. I went through horrible experiences when I was a student (20 yrs ago). We were treated like we were wasting everyones time, and should not be there to "learn". I vowed to never treat a new nurse, whether just licensed or new to the facility like I was treated. Now, these same "nurses" treat the older ones like we don't know what we're doing, because we've done it for so long, so they feel we are "wasting their time". But as I spent time in administration, it was always those people that was "re-inserviced" due to improper procedures that were shown during their orientation. We all need to realize, these inservices, and training periods are for the protection of those precious license we all worked so hard for. Whether we're new or old, things change, and we need to make sure we change, or we'll find ourselves sitting in a court room trying to justify our decision, that was contrary to procedure.

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Specializes in Emergency.

i would like to say (and have actually said some of them):

1. you don't know me well enough to say those things about me;

2. if i am having an affair (which i am not) with one of the doctor's what business is it of yours or anyone else's? it isn't intefering with my job;

3. all of your nasty comments about me and my supposed activities really hurts my feelings, but i will never tell you this because it just gives you ammunition to continue hurting me;

4. i am not going to share things about myself with you because i don't like you and you are not my friend;

5. i will die and burn in hell before i ever cry at work because none of you understand me or the reason why i feel the need to cry;

6. i talk to the doctors because they are nice to me and flirting makes my job much more fun;

7. if you took the time to get to know me instead of talking about me, you might find out that i am interesting, smart and tons of fun to be around. and i am willing to help with anything you would need me to do;

8. i am a good nurse and a hard worker;

9. it isn't rocket science working as a circulator so don't insult my intelligence by acting like this is the hardest job in nursing;

10. stop trying to suck up to the doctors at your colleagues expense; and

11. i am an adult and a professional, remarkably so are you. start acting like one.

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Specializes in critical care, management, med surg, edu.
However, it seems there are one or two immature individuals that insist on complaining, degrading, disregarding, and disrespecting every lecture, inservice and instructor/guest speaker that we have.

Civility in the classroom is a problem everywhere today, even in nursing school. As a nursing instructor, I would love to hear about classroom management techniques that actually work to control this behavior. Perhaps this could be a separate thread.:o

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It is not just newbies. I have a traveler who is the same way. Including "you have been here 7 months I think it is time you learn to input orders on the computer just like your fellow travels who just arrived last week".How about no taking care of your pt with chest pain comes before eating or your cigarette especially when you are not on break.::uhoh3:

Can you believe it,she works in our ED and told me she did not want to write the CEN exam as she cannot interpret ABG's and she can only do very basic rhythms and cannot read EKGs and if she gets a pt with chest pain who needs a workup she can only take care of that pt even if she is assigned 3 patients. Everyone else is expected to pick up the slack even if they have critical patients. acccccck

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Hey i can relate sometimes you feel like your in with school children

the way they talk my work collegues speak to me like i am a little kid i am actually 22 they think i look about 16 or 14

but sometimes i wonder

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I would try to speak with your next instructor or the coordinator of the classes before your next one. Sounds like they haven't asserted any authority over the class but need to so that all can learn. Sorry you're having such a bad time. Just know that your head seems to be in the right place.

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Specializes in Med/surg, ER/ED,rehab ,nursing home.

How about the right pupil equal and reactive..and a 2. the same with the left eye. But hey, since when does an artifical right eye become equal and reactive. This is from nurses charting on a CCU patient. HELP!! No, they did not get their eyes mixed up.

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Specializes in Skilled Nursing and Home Health.

Unfortunatly, I too see too much of this type of behavior and it puzzles me! What I have found is that no matter where you work, you'll still have these type of people to deal with. When I'm at work, I work. I don't want to listen to gossip, or play on the internet like most of them do. It's frustrating.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

1. To the day shift nurses: Please do your job instead of leaving it for me to do, I am just as busy on my shift and really don't like having to finish your work before I can do my own.

2. To the night shift CNAs (or at least a few of them): I don't mind putting a pt on a bed pan, getting them a soda, clean sheets, etc. but I have my own job to do and if you didn't spend an hour and a half of your night smoking you would have plenty of time to do yours. So, please stop acting like I'm lazy because I don't jump up to go answer call lights, that's part of your job description, just as charting on all 10 of my pts is part of mine.

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