Unfriendly Nurses.....

[NurseDianne]

I suppose I want to vent, or maybe make a statement. I am generally a laid back person, at work and at home. I realize that everyone has their own personality, however I wanted to bring this up and see what everyone has to say about it.

My entire nursing career, I have tried to be friendly to new hires and nursing students. After all we were in the same position once too!

Since my husband and I have been travel nursing I have noticed "unfriendly nurses".

I don't know if they just don't like new people in general or if it's because we are travelers. I even had one nurse introduce me to someone I was going to report to as "the traveler". I had to reply that I had a name and expected them to use it.

What is it? Are they afraid we want their jobs? Hey, I'm having a great time traveling and will be gone in 12 weeks......no threat here.

Is it that they don't think we have experience? Hey, I have forgotten more than most of these young guns have learned. Besides, as a travel nurse the hosptials expect you to hit the ground running with very little orientation.

Anyone have a take on this?:typing

I'm an outgoing and friendly person, and honestly I miss my friends at home. Would like to make new friends all over this great USA.....

So, thanks for listening and welcome any and all comments......

Dianne

currently on assignment in Sioux Falls, S.D.

:heartbeat

[ArwenEvenstar]

I have never understood why some nurses or particular units are so unfriendly toward "outsiders" whether they be travelers, agency, floats, etc. I have seen nurses really shun the "outsider". On a unit I worked on for several years, we welcomed travelers with open arms! We treated them like one of us. We were so happy to see them fill a staffing need so that the nurse to patient ratio decreased! I'd love having 6 patients instead of 8! Yea, to the traveler for helping us out!

Why are some people/units so hostile to the outsider? Over the course of my career, I have heard some staff nurses complain that the travelers/agency were getting paid so much more money than them. As if the money was coming out of their pocket?!?!?! And doesn't the traveler deserve some extra pay for having to be so flexible and adaptable and move every few weeks/months?! I sure think so! Jealousy maybe? That they don't have the GUTS (or life situation) to travel too!

Dianne (the OP), I just noticed that you and your husband are both travelers. You sound very outgoing and friendly. I think we could definitely have some jealousy going on here. People can't stand that you are footloose and fancy-free (so to speak!), traveling as a nurse (with your husband no less!), making decent money, and getting to see all different parts of the USA! I think that is awesome!! I have always admired people who have the guts to do different things. But jealousy seems to be a terrible "disease". When you are willing to step out of your comfort zone, take risks, and be adventurous... Well, I think some people just can't stand it!

[neurorn6]

Having lived in different area of this country, and working at different size hospitals I have come to the conclusion that no matter if you are a staff nurse or agency or traveler it is the preception of the people that you are working with. Some people are just miserable period. Some people will buy into rumors regarding salary (travelers make how much), and a whole lot of bull@#$%. For me, I use an old trick that my daddy taught me, Smile and make them wonder what you are up to!! Let's be honest, there are alot of nurse out there who are burnt out, or who really don't want to be nurses in the first place but went into for the wrong reason. The gossip and the talking behind the back drives me crazy but I for me I just let it roll off my back. If that's how they make themselves feel better then I feel sorry for them. This is one of the biggest problems with nursing is how nurses both men and women will bad mouth or gossip about coworkers. It is one of the reasons that nursing has a whole has had a hard time appearing as professional.

[oldladychris]

Being a traveling nurse is what I want to do. I will graduate in June and plan to look into doing what you do. Being a student nurse thrown into clinicals we get treated the same way you do. I have only run into one RN who was willing to help with the things that I did not know how to do or answer any questions that I might have had. With 8 students at a clinical site, the instructor was not always available at the time that something needed to be done. We all felt that they felt that we wanted their jobs. I just wanted to scream, do not not remember what it felt like to be a student? As far as wanting their jobs, I am pretty sure that I will be able to get my own not take theirs. Am I crazy? Aren't we all in this together? I am older and have worked many years in a different profession, but it seemed that people helped each other. I have really not seen too much of this when we are in clinicals. I always felt that we lessened their burden of at least one patient and that they might appreciate it rather than making us feel unwanted, or talk about us. I as well as my fellow students try to ignore but it does get hard. I am sure that I will keep trucking on to finish and will always remember what it felt like to be a student so that I will never treat any person who is not a full time employee wherever I work in a bad way.

:wshgrt:

[WindyhillBSN]

I'm a new nurse and have noticed that it seems like generally 1/2 of nurses are unfriendly and the other half are somewhere in between. Only a few seem to actually be nice. Maybe it has nothing to do with you being a travel nurse. Man, I hope it's not like this everywhere.

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

Ya know... if you think about it, why is this unit in need of travelers anyway? Why are they short staffed? Here is my guess...... they can't seem to get staff to put up with this attitude on a full time basis! Maybe they have a high turnover rate? Either way they are shooting themselves in the foot! The unit I am in does not use travelers, but when someone floats to our unit to help us, they are treated EXTREMELY well- we even send them home with a thank you card signed by all of the staff and a candy bar! Hell......... if we need help we want people to want to come help us!

It is really unfortunate that you must deal with the likes of these people.

[NATmicuRN]

I think SOME people just dont like "strangers". it sucks that you can see this even through out the hospital i work at. some of the floors are notorious for being rude to people who arnt "one of them" im happy to say that for the most part on my floor we welcome new faces. The people who want to be rude are losing out on meeting wonderfull people like yourself

[nitenurse02]

I have been a staff nurse for more than 5 years now. Personally, I try to be friendly to new hires and travelers. But I have seen some nurses get pretty bent out of shape with agency nurses. Some veiw it as a hindrance because our facility does not let agency nurses give blood or take care of patients in restraints. So we have to be very careful about how the assignment is made. For this reason some nurses get frustrated when they have to adjust their assignment because of the non-staff member working. They are really frustrated with the process not the individual nurse and it just comes across wrong. I understand that this does not apply to everyone but is just one more hmble opinion.

[gonzo1, ASN, RN]

I have done 2 travel "gigs" now. One place was nice to me and one was mostly not nice.

I focus on having a good time seeing the sights and learning new things and ignore the idiots.

Just so you all know, I haven't made a lot of money traveling. That is a myth. But I have got to eat at a ton of new cool restaurants. So it is worth it.

God I wish they had a Rudy's or a Rosa's tortilla factory in Ill.

I am so jonsing for a Waffle house.

[suanna]

My hospital has only used "trevelers" in the most extreme conditions. They will do almost anything to use hired perminant staff to openings in the staffing pattern. I wonder if hospitals that routinely use travelers aren't also hospitals with overworked, disrespected, embittered staff that are just putting in thier time because they have enough seniority to be at top pay scale, have the most vacation, or have worked thier so long that change would be impossible. They may be trapped because of thier spouses employment, of family obligations, of are just not good at change. These are not going to be the friendliest of people. Add to that the fact that the hospital is paying twice as much for a traveler to come in than they would for the regular staff but , heaven forbid they raise the pay scale, offer better benifits, investigate alternative shift patterns or any of the "expensive" decisions that would provide for a stable, dedicated, perminant workforce. NO, they will just get some travelers to cover the holes and if they burn out thier regular staff- good- they can quit before they get too high in the payscale tree or too old to be cheap when buying benifits. I'm not putting down your decision to be a traveler but you are going to work for the worst staffed hospitals with the poorest working conditions that can't recruit staff any other way. This does not make for a happy workforce.

[icunurse42066]

I am currently on a travel assignment and the manager where I'm at told me when I first came here that some of the permanent staff didn't like travelers. She told them just to let her know when they were tired of travelers and she would stop using them, but, they would have to take on more pts and just work short!!!

[lpnflorida]

I have worked with some very good travel nurses who fit in wonderfully had great knowledge and skills. I have heard staff make remarks about the amount of money they make . On some level we all realize why you make the extra money. I do not see it as easy to go from place to place with all the quirks and different policies of the various institutions.

I would like to address the impression of what is a friendly staff person? While I consider myself as approachable,easy to get along with, will smile for a reason. Will say hello to anyone. I do not have a smile plastered on face at all times. Not my personality. I have never been an outgoing personality. I tend to be on the quiet side unless I know you extremely well. If you have told me about your family or personal concerns I will ask how things are going. I will not necesarily share my own personal life unless asked.Even then unless I know you very well I will keep it superfiscial.

I focus on my work first if later in the day have most of the work done I will chit chat with those around me. I go on my breaks alone, not as I do not love my coworkers , but as I like the time away to myself. I would hope no one would view me as unfriendly as oppose to being more of an introvert .

[husker_rn, RN]

Used to work as a traveler and only ran into that type attitude a few times. One nurse grumbled that I made more $$$ and such.....I offered to go home and let her handle the shift; told her I could go where I was appreciated. Next day she was glad to see me. No more attitude. We use temporary CNAs where I am now and our CNAs treat them well and appreciate them. To those who grumble about them....I offer to semd them home and let the grumblers do the work. No takers yet.