unprofessional behavior in RN community

Nurses Professionalism

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:nurse: I work in a small rural hospital in Nebraska,you would think the nurses here would be as professional as anywhere,or more so,wrong-wrong-wrong...we have some younger 22-30 year olds that use the f word and others I don't care to think of,at the drop of their hat..they nit-pick and make fun of others all the time...our unit manager is well aware of the problem and I think she may have had a few words with them but their behavior has not changed...does anyone out their have a solution???

In my nurses training we were taught that 1. NEVER talk about another nurse or MD

2.NEVER use foul language 3. your appearence is very important.....come on ladies this is not a hard list to follow,is it? Thanks for listening

I seems to me the incidence of women swearing is increasing in all venues. I work in an office in a hospital and a LTC facility. Both places the women swear, and not all are nurses. Administrative assistants, housekeepers, aids, nurses. The most troubling to me is when the ADON or DON swear during unit meetings. Really sets the tone for the unit.

Even talking with my sister illicits swear words from her (BTW she is also a nurse).

Now I happen to be a Naval veteran but you won't find me swearing like a sailor. The most I'll say is rats or crap!

Specializes in Rehab, Step-down,Tele,Hospice.

I'm sorry Zenman, but that was pretty funny, I'm sure parents do talk to their kids like that but hey even on regular TV(not even HBO) I hear cuss words all the time, right in the middle of prime time.

I remember just a few years back when that song "Money for nothing" came out, our local radio stations would blurb over the word "faggot" now I have to hear Britney or who-ever the flavor of the week is, moaning and groaning and grabbing theirselves.

Nurse's swearing is just a by-product of our society I'm afraid. (IMHO)

Man... I sound like my Mom, when did i get so old?

You guys aren't talking about places that are private, like the breakroom and closed doors, right?

Its pretty obvious to me that it is ABUSE to curse or raise your voice in anger to a patient. This is defined as abuse in my nursing handbook because it intimidates the patient. I agree with that. You should always be in your caregiving role when it comes to patients and families. So, of course, I think that is unprofeesional, inappropriate, and unwarranted for to curse/gossip in front of patients/families.

And, as for malicious gossiping, this obviously always makes everyone feel negative, not positive.

But for the cursing part: Let me tell you about not being able to curse and let out anger from someone who never let out anger or cursed for most of her life (me). Its no good for you. I want to be able to curse and let out anger about the job when I'm in the breakroom with my colleages if they don't mind it and if they want to vent too with me. I think it brings people closer and makes you work better overall.

Some people here are saying that there are some words that should never come out of a lady's mouth. Maybe because I'm younger, I am very used to it and it doesn;t bother me one bit. In fact, what may bother me is a woman who DOESN't know how to curse and let out frustration. Even if you dont hear it, its going to be in there somewhere. Ever play on a sports team? I really think the reason why my team always did so well each year and won our conferences in high school was because we let off so much steam and cursed so much, thereby unveiling the doorway to the common goal.

I am not saying nursing is like sports but just that it is an exmaple of how cursing and being able to let out your anger and frustrations with (and NOT ON or ALL OVER) other people helps you to perform better and think more clearly as a team. Curse alone to yourself=you are isolated and still angry and you victimize and herocise yourself against others. Curse with other people=better team attitude and everyone appreciates each other. Letting out anger together brings unity because it shows that everyone is trying hteir best and everyone cares enough about the final goal to get pissed off about it. Everyone, curse together!

I think sometimes people just get so stressed by the working conditions it just comes out, they can't help it.

Nurses that have never used the F word before are all of a sudden starting to use it at work.

Specializes in Case Manager, LTC,Staff Dev/NAT Instr.
Foul language in front of pts/families is not a nitpicking complaint. Respect of your pts and their families is most important. A nurse can be sharp as a tack, but if she verbally comes off like a street walker, then she doesn't leave a very good impression.

Making fun of others, well, that is simply immaturity and has nothing to do with age. It's not just in nursing either, it's running rampant all over this country in all walks of life.

No solution to offer unfortunately.

I agree with Dixiedi on the above posts,to add if a nurse is using profanity in front of her patients and don't have a conscience about it that's SAD, however a slip up does happen if you are used to using profanity. I may be old-fashion and from the old school, but I look at nursing as a very respected profession, but this modern day we now live alot of that respect has long gone from our profession.

Personally, I will put up with a lot of venting in the breakroom...and if the language is offending me I leave. We all need to vent in a safe place and the break room is it.

If it occurs at the nursing desk, its a whole nuther problem... those nurses are risking a lot IMO. We ALL have a right to work in a non-offensive environment and if the F word and sexually oriented jokes and conversation occur at the desk, its dangerous ground. Hostile work environment, and harassment charges, as well as unprofessional conduct charges....can be in that nurses' future.

If ugly, abusive, offensive language occurs in front of patients and families, and we as bystander professionals do not report it, we could risk being included in charges and discipline by our facility and the BON, theoretically...

Just food for thought. At my last hospital of employment I worked with a male nurse who used the F word and sexually oriented jokes and comments at the desk and in front of patients frequently...he was very popular and a competent nurse, but this made me quite uncomfortable. Reporting him would likely yield nothing but earning me a reputation as a troublemaker, so I made no official report. BUT word leaked out that some of us older nurses didn't care for his language, and he and a few of his buddies made sarcastic comments/hostile behavior to us after. This is some of the dysfunction in nursing. I am glad I am no longer in that particular environment.

If the environment is toxic, sometimes its just best to remove yourself from it.

I really don't see what is so bad about letting go of some color metaphors as long as it's not in front of patients. I mean, sure, the "F" word is a bit rough but it has become such common place that it's hardly a shocker anymore. Besides - like many have said here - it's a great stress reliever. Let people be who they are and forget trying to force people to conform to your own standards - it ain't going to happen.

I guess I am old-fashioned -- my mom would have kicked my fanny if I ever used some of the "colorful language" that is so commonplace today. I have raised my children the same way. Just as JCAHO has "unacceptable abbreviations" we have unacceptable vocabulary! I am no novice, I know that we don't all play by the same rules or have the same convictions -- so what someone else does in their moments of frustration is between them and their conscience. There are ways that I see as more appropriate, less offensive ways to deal with anger and frustration - that others may think are rigid, old fashioned, prudish -- and that's OK by me! I remember working for a gal who would say "SUGAR!" in such a tone/manner that we all knew it was intended as a curse -- the word was not the issue -- it was the temper.

Just one more comment --

I would find the "colorful language" offensive and unprofessional from the server at McDonalds, from the clerk at the grocery or anywhere. Nurses aren't angels -- at least I'm not! But I do hope that we can present a positive, professional demeanor -- respectful and kind not only to our clients but to our coworkers as well.

I am now getting off the soap box

Just one more comment --

I would find the "colorful language" offensive and unprofessional from the server at McDonalds, from the clerk at the grocery or anywhere. Nurses aren't angels -- at least I'm not! But I do hope that we can present a positive, professional demeanor -- respectful and kind not only to our clients but to our coworkers as well.

I am now getting off the soap box

a resounding THANK YOU and AMEN!

Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

All I know is that I really don't care to work in the kind of environment where that kind of language is considdered 'common place'.

Honestly. I don't put up with it from my patients, or their families.

I certainly don't intend to put up with it from my co-workers.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

There's a dayshift nurse that does relief charge occasionally. In report when she's had a bad day, she'll curse, using the "f" word. Being day charge on a busy med-tele floor, with the coworkers and management she has is extremely frustrating and I allow her get it off her chest. Yeah it's rude, crude, immature and unnessary, unprofressional and ballsy, but I allow her. I'm not young, I wasn't raised like that, but I understand the frustration behind it and allow it. I wouldn't dream of making a big deal about it, but that's me and I respect the other opinions here, but this is mine. :)

Profanity outside of this kind of situation and in front of a patient is not acceptable profressional behavior.

There was rampant use of the phrase "wtf" here on this board, until the mods crushed. So while the word may not be commonplace, it's not all that unusual these days either.

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