Why do you think so many healthcare workers are mean and arrogant?

[mikethern]

Not all of course, but many physicians, nurses, and other health care workers have mean and arrogant personalities.

Why do you think this is?

Is it that....

1. You have to be very competitive to get into medical or nursing school. Competitive people are often cut-throat.

2. The stress of the job causes workers to be cranky and mean.

3. Unhappy people act arrogant to feel better about their lives.

4. Workers learn to be mean from other coworkers. It's a conformity thing.

5. Most people in the world these days lack manners.

Any opinions?

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

Mike, you sound like a bundle of nerves. I read the responses here, and they weren't snippy. Yet, you labeled them as such. Maybe your workplace is wearing you out and making you hypersensitive.

You started a thread making it sound like healthcare workers (the reading audience here) are extraordinarily mean and arrogent. That's not actually a general fact in most healthcare settings.

OR is it's own world, you must realize that!

[mikethern]

Mike, you sound like a bundle of nerves. I read the responses here, and they weren't snippy. Yet, you labeled them as such. Maybe your workplace is wearing you out and making you hypersensitive.

You started a thread making it sound like healthcare workers (the reading audience here) are extraordinarily mean and arrogent. That's not actually a general fact in most healthcare settings.

OR is it's own world, you must realize that!

Well, it's true that O.R. nursing is the only type of nursing I have ever done. I just assumed all nursing was like this. I guess I am wrong.

[GilaRRT]

Do you remember your jobs prior to nursing? I remember working as a bagger and stocker in a supermarket as a high school student. You want to talk about mean? We were yelled at and treated just as bad if not worse than any treatment I have seen from any physician.

Look, I hate to say it; however, human beings are not nice. Humans are actually quite mean and horrible by nature. Many people actually have to work at being nice. I find it actually goes against our nature to be nice.

Look at all of the war, poverty, hate crimes, and even road rage. All of it caused by the human condition. Living in a great word where everybody treats everyone nice regardless of race, religion, sex, socioeconomic status, and heritage is actually a pretty simple concept IMHO. You simply put aside petty differences and play nice in the sandbox.

But no, humans cannot even practice a simple concept such as this. Yeah, world peace is a pretty simple concept IMHO. Heck, even the good old USA with all of it's western sophistication cannot get this one right.

[socalpca]

Mike, you sound like a bundle of nerves. I read the responses here, and they weren't snippy. Yet, you labeled them as such. Maybe your workplace is wearing you out and making you hypersensitive.

You started a thread making it sound like healthcare workers (the reading audience here) are extraordinarily mean and arrogent. That's not actually a general fact in most healthcare settings.

OR is it's own world, you must realize that!

I don't think Mike is over-stressed or burned out based on what he's posted. I think the only generalization he made was comparing how his OR works to the rest of the healthcare field. My unit certainly is not like that. Any healthcare professional-- from CNA to MD-- would be severely disciplined for yelling the F-word to any other staff member.

[mikethern]

Do you remember your jobs prior to nursing? I remember working as a bagger and stocker in a supermarket as a high school student. You want to talk about mean? We were yelled at and treated just as bad if not worse than any treatment I have seen from any physician.

Ironically, before nursing school, I was in the Army for 4 years. After basic training, soldiers are generally very nice to each other. I actually enjoyed it. It's a cool job except for being away from home a lot and possibly getting shot at.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

I don't agree that humans are basically mean and horrible by nature. That is simply not true!

(I have heard that surgeons are )

[BeachBayNurse]

In certain professions, it may be easier to develop an arrogant attitude as opposed to others. Of course, some people have been mean and arrogant since the day they were born.

However, I even thought the other day that during a single shift, I had probably twenty requests from patients trying to get me to give them or allow them something that they had been explained to earlier was not allowed. In order not to make a mistake like letting a patient with a DVT on bedrest not get out of bed, someone that is NPO eat, etc. I have to be constantly second guessing patient requests. As doctors and nurses, we are constantly pushed and tricked by our patients, that sometimes even the nicest person can become mean and arrogant. However, I don't let this affect me for long, I am not going to let my job harden my heart.

[ebear, BSN, RN]

I know EXACTLY where mikethern is coming from. People who have never worked in the O.R. don't have an idea what nurses put up with behind those doors. It cannot be compared to ANY other area of nursing, as far as abuse is concerned. Many times, profanity is tolerated due to accepted "O.R. culture". It's ridiculous. After a while, you learn to either yell back and defend yourself or staff and surgeons continue to ride your back. You're not alone, Mike. Buh...lieeve me, I understand!

[GilaRRT]

Mike, I have to agree with you on the military. While there are many flaws, I remember allot of us sticking up for each other simply for the sake of helping fellow brothers out.

This is not unique to the world in general.

I stand by my human comments. Not all of us are bad. However, there are more rotten excuses of humanity than I care to think about...

[NurseCherlove]

I am nice to nice people and rude to rude people. I am never mean to nice people.

You sound just like me Mike. Actually, probably more assertive than me, as I always give people the benefit of the doubt at first (having a bad day, etc.), but if they act like a jerk again, look out!

I hear ya though, it does get old. Sometimes you just wanna tell those people, "Man, I really hate to see you coming."

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

This hasn't been my experience. The vast majority of people I work with are nice.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Maybe if you change specialties?

I had to change a couple of times because I cannot stand to work with mean people and I refuse to bring myself down to their level. I don't know whether I'm basically a nice person or a mean person, but I do know that feeling mean to others makes my head hurt and takes an emotional toll on me.

Therefore, rather than grow old before my time, I changed units.

Oh, and when I get yelled at over the phone, my phone suddenly develops trouble and goes to auto-hangup mode, oh dear!

Really, I've worked hard to eliminate unnecessary stress from my life and by golly I'm not gonna let some rude, arrogant killjoy ruin my day ever again.

The unit that I work right now is very supportive and really, from the docs to the lab folks, we all get along like family.

Yes, Mike, there are great places to work out there. I submit that you are in a toxic unit when you start feeling like you feel about your fellow workers.

Hope it gets better soon for you.