A nurse that needs agnger management

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My older sister is going to school to be a nurse but she gets angry very easily. Can she take an ager management class and still be a nurse?

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Specializes in ER.

Well, she's going to find a lot to be angry about. I wouldn't recommend it.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I don't know of any profession that screens its members for anger issues. I think you'd best leave the choice of profession to your sister.

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I think that any person who wants to work with the public, especially those in health care, needs to consider their personal tendencies that are going to affect others. Nursing already is set up with very clear professional standards, with the BON overseeing these. A lot of these standards assume personal and social responsibility.

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Well, she's going to find a lot to be angry about. I wouldn't recommend it.

not only that, but she won't last in nsg, if her anger gets out of hand.

welcome to the school of hard knocks, where experience is your best teacher.

leslie

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Specializes in LTC, Med-surg.

I think she should go into the profession of her choice. Its not up to her personality to dictate what career she wants to be in. Everybody has an Achilles Heel and they shouldn't base their life choices on it. If she thinks she will make a great nurse, she probably will. Nobody knows his or her capability more than the person themselves.

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Specializes in M/S, ICU, ICP.

if there is ever a profession that has a way to get under your skin and push your buttons, i would say nursing would rank high on the list. on the other hand, learning how to manage that anger and direct it in the right way under the right circumstances helps everyone, most espically that nurses patients.

i believe that all people can benefit from anger management and assertiveness classes. nursing just happens to be one of the professions that see people at their weakest, their worst, and the most vulnerable. even saints can become patients who become vicious when they are sick and having to give up control to a healthcare team. they may be waiting for a grim diagnosis or have just lost their first baby to a stillbirth and can lash out at everyone around them.

nurses are in the position of receiving whatever emotions spill out as they are the ones most at the bedside (except for the cna's who have an even closer position to me). it can be a very honored and touchy place and if a nurse takes what is said at all personally or is having a bad day it can definitely push your buttons.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
I think she should go into the profession of her choice. Its not up to her personality to dictate what career she wants to be in. Everybody has an Achilles Heel and they shouldn't base their life choices on it. If she thinks she will make a great nurse, she probably will. Nobody knows his or her capability more than the person themselves.

A "great nurse" is capable of keeping her anger in check. If this person already has anger issues, and they are not even exposed to some of the crap that comes with a nursing career, it doesn't really matter how badly or how great of nurse she thinks she may be. For everyone involved, it would be highly advisable to get the anger under control before attempting to venture into patient care.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Sometimes family members aren't necessarily the best judges of another family member's character.

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Specializes in ICU.

Funny...I've been around a few long time practicing nurses with anger issues - both overt and covert.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
I think she should go into the profession of her choice. Its not up to her personality to dictate what career she wants to be in. Everybody has an Achilles Heel and they shouldn't base their life choices on it. If she thinks she will make a great nurse, she probably will. Nobody knows his or her capability more than the person themselves.

Hmmm...I see where you are going with this sentiment, however I believe that one's personality absolutely comes into play when choosing a career path. Someone who is comfortable making small talk and has an effervescent personality makes for a great sales rep. A shy person can do this as well, but their introversion would be their "Achilles Heel". If someone is quick to ire, then working around sick and demanding people will be a rather large challenge for them as well as the people they are working with.

That being said, if your sister wants to try nursing, then she should. The school will weed her out if they think that her anger is out of control. I think that nursing school could be the wake up call that she needs to recognize and control her anger. So if she gets in and has her anger brought to her attention, she can rectify that and become a nurse. If not, she will know early on that she is not cut out for nursing. Sounds win/win to me.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I am not sure a little sister is the best judge of an older sisters 'anger' issues simply because older sisters may be the most patient, friendly, happy people to everyone BUT their little sisters. ;)

Seriously, I always thought my sister had the worst temper of anyone I'd ever known. She would explode on me for just about anything. I grew up half afraid of her. lol She's been a pedi nurse since she was 20 years old (25+ years).. she's done just fine.. and has mellowed on the 'anger' stuff a lot over the years.

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