Are nurses really vulnerable? - Page 2

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  1. Jul 7, '12 by
    I think you're confusing vulnerability with "letting people walk all over you." Cursing at anyone is immature behavior for any reason. By not responding in anger to difficult patients, we are not being vulnerable, we are being professionals. There is absolutely nothing wrong with professionally telling a patient or a superior that their behavior and language is not acceptable. As nurses, we have many avenues that we can use to stand up for ourselves. Hospital security, managers, union reps, HR, the chain of command, etc. If a patient or a staff member is consistently rude or disrespectful and we do nothing about it, that's not vulnerability, that's allowing a bully to push us around.
    kelli class of 2013, Altra, VivaLasViejas, and 1 other like this.
  2. Asst. Admin
    Jul 7, '12 by
    Moved to Nursing Student Assistance Forum.
  3. Guide
    Jul 7, '12 by
    I think your discussion question is poorly worded.
    Spidey's mom likes this.
  4. Guide
    Jul 8, '12 by
    Quote from itsmejuli
    I think your discussion question is poorly worded.
    I agree.
  5. Jul 8, '12 by
    Quote from Spidey's mom
    I agree.
    I thought it was just me misunderstanding the original post.
  6. Asst. Admin
    Jul 8, '12 by
    Quote from dinma123
    everyone is vulnerable in one way or the other, not necessarily in the general/normal sense of the word. nurses are exposed to a lot of infectious diseases and other hazards at the work place. i have seen nurses complain about difficult patients who are hard to please and who have on occassions cursed out the nursing staff for no good reasons. as a nurse, you are sure to lose your job or face some kind of disciplinary measures if you cursed back. now, that is being vulnerable. when a physician, nurse manager/supervisor, or anyone else who assumes some kind of superiority over you speaks disrespectfully to you and you cannot do much about it, that is vulnerability right there.
    i just need more ideas on how being vulnerable affect communication on a nursing unit. it is not a homework but a discussion question for my class.
    thank you so much.
    what exactly is it that you are discussing? is it that being a nurse can make us vulnerable to bullies and vicious attacks? or that nurses need to be vulnerable at times to our emotions to allow us empathy? or that we are vulnerable to contagious diseases.

    being verbally/physically attacked makes you a victim of abuse but that does not mean you are vulnerable. patients can be charged for violence and more states are making it a felony. lateral violence can be a problem in nursing.

    what exactly is your discussion in class about.? we are happy to contribute or help with homework but we will not do it for you. these assignment/discussions are trying to teach you how to develop critical thinking/analysis tools that are vital to being a good nurse.
    elkpark and Spidey's mom like this.
  7. Jul 9, '12 by
    I'd forgotten how awesome that quote is Esme12. Hanging it up in front of my desk now.

    Thank you!
    Esme12 likes this.
  8. Jul 12, '12 by
    One way that I think nurses have to be (or at least feel) vulnerable is when you have to admit a mistake or near miss. While it is absolutely the right thing to do, admitting a mistake or near miss brings negative attention to yourself. Depending on the nature of the mistake, your past performance, or even just interpersonal relationships between you and management, you may be opening yourself up to formal reprimands or even being fired from your job, but you must be willing to risk (be vulnerable to) these negative repercussions because it is in the best interest of your patient.