Are you my waitress today?

oneLoneNurse · Oct 17, 2006

I'm sorry, I am not upset about this label. I work on a pysch unit where I have been called much worse. On this psych unit during med call, I am basicly a waiter whether we want to admit it or not (its OK if noone else wants to admit it). Its true that I have to consider bodily readings (BP and pulse come to mind) in giving out these meds, BUT the bar waiter should figure out whether his client is too drunk to drive home. There are many other things that this patient could call me which would upset me much more. As well, some waitresses/waiters make good money and are respected.

Nurses have many caps, we are meant to multitask and waitress/waiter to me is one of those caps. From some postings on this thread it seems to me that some of us feel we are too good for this label. I humbly disagree.

Congratulations on the Masters degree!!

I work in an oncology clinic and this was the question ask to me. How would you have responded? My response was "I did not go to school for 10 years to be called a waitress. I am now 4 courses away from my second master's degree in nursing so I can provide you the best care possible. What do you need."
Tell me how you deal with these kind of comments.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Oct 17, 2006

I have had this happen. I'd just say "no Ma'am I'm not your waitress. Then just look at them and see if it sank in."

I honestly believe that the public has no idea what Nurses are. Mama is 88. In her generation Nurses were Angels of Mercy...white and starched uniform and cap, somewhat mysterious, but respected. Then my generation that started out with the starched image and went through the Cherry Ames, MASH, Emergency, China Beach, ER era. Starch to scrubs.

My niece's era of scrubs, OB inducing labor, some becoming NPs or Midwives. All right there in the open.

I believe it's going to take a few more years for the starch to dissipate and the professional, knowledgeable Nurse to sink in. Meanwhile, "No Ma'am I'm not your waitress."

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Oct 17, 2006

Well, thanks to this thread, I spent some time educating a young postop patient about what nurses do.

"Gosh, you do it all!" he said, after I came in, assessed his incision, got his vitals, gave him meds, stopped the tele monitor from making weird, annoying beeps, and was on the way out the door with the empty food tray.

I turned back and smiled brightly. "Actually, we do. All of those departments that you see now--physical therapy, respiratory therapy, dietary, laundry, housekeeping--were all once part of the nurse's duties. Nowadays, they send us to college for 3, 4 years, and we specialize--like doctors. I specialize in Cardiology. But at one time, nurses really did do it all. Now that technology has taken over, we direct others in the patient's care, along with the doctor."

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Oct 17, 2006

Pt two. "That waitress, nurse, oh whatever she is came in to take my vital signs and didn't even tell me if I was alive or dead, what my vital signs were, and didn't refill my water bottle! I don't know where you guys get off hiring people off the streets that don't even have the ability to tell me what oxygen is...you should be ashamed of this place! I pay good money in taxes and insurance to be here...I want quality not vagabonds doing my care! Put her back on the street where she belongs...maybe she can prostitute herself and get a dime or two!"
My GOSH, is this what some people think of us staff? Prostitutes who are better off on the streets?

Sometimes I think people view nurses as one of the two extremes: saintly angels in white or prostitutes.

I do know that in past generations some people viewed nurses as "loose women." I had an older lady tell me once that she had always wanted to be a nurse but her father wouldn't allow it- he thought nurses were basically immoral women.

And there are still people who have that "naughty nurse" stereotype. Haven't we all seen the costumes: nurse, French maid, schoolgirl? :madface:

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 18, 2006

Sometimes I think people view nurses as one of the two extremes: saintly angels in white or prostitutes.
I do know that in past generations some people viewed nurses as "loose women." I had an older lady tell me once that she had always wanted to be a nurse but her father wouldn't allow it- he thought nurses were basically immoral women.
And there are still people who have that "naughty nurse" stereotype. Haven't we all seen the costumes: nurse, French maid, schoolgirl?

Apparently that (nurse) costume is one of the most popular for Halloween this year.

Looking forward to the "naughty electrician" costume. :rolleyes:

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Oct 18, 2006

Looking forward to the "naughty electrician" costume.

LOL! How about the costume that includes Plumber Butt?

bethin · Oct 18, 2006

I would reply: "I'm sorry, there's no waitresses here but if you go across the street to the Chili's, I'm sure you'll find some there. Now, if you need medical care more than food, you're in the right place. My name is fill in the blank and I will be your nurse today." Emphasis on 'nurse'.

tridil2000, MSN, RN · Oct 18, 2006

my response:

"does that mean i get a 20% tip based on your BILL?"

tridil2000, MSN, RN · Oct 18, 2006

I guess this is part of me not being a nurse and not having any experience in this field, but I could imagine some sweet little old man saying this and not meaning ANYTHING by it. Waitresses help people, maybe he just meant "are you helping me today?"

ya, but handing him some rye toast is a *heck* of a lot different than pushing some iv lopressor!

sabRN2b05, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2006

:yeahthat:

The funny thing is that we nurses are part waiters/waitresses (especially with primary care nursing and not having CNAs to assist). In one minute I can be serving a patient a tray of food, assisting them with their meals, getting coffee, etc - then a second later I can be attaching a defribillator to them, doing CPR, and pushing Vasopressin.
What a career.

GI Jackie · Oct 18, 2006

I don't understand what people are getting so worked up about. We are very much trained, skilled, knowledgeable customer service representatives. You need to keep in mind that the patient is equivalent to your customer. They do have a choice. They do NOT have to return to your facility. NO customers, NO jobs. I don't think it is any big deal to make my patients feel as comfortable as I can. The only thing I would do if I couldn't take care of their needs at that time is say that I need to go take care of something first and I will back to get them what they would like.

It absolutley chaps my hide when I read or hear comments from people that they will not come to my facility because they had a bad experience. Only to find out later that their experience was that no one cared enough to bring them comfort items and simple things. It does not take much to make most pts happy. Not to say that there won't be that pt that no matter what you do you can't make them happy.

Just keep in mind, your pts do have a choice and it doesn't take much to keep them coming back.

justavolunteer · Oct 18, 2006

I can see the 'customer service' aspect of hospital care as a volunteer on a pt. unit. I don't have any issue with helping to make pts. more comfortable, trying to have their questions answered, etc. However, this does NOT excuse the downright abusive behavior that some pts. exhibit toward their caregivers. "Are you my waitress?" is not exactly polite, but that's nothing compared to some of the things I have heard about (and sometimes seen myself).

Nurses and others have been on the receiving end of foul, abusive language, including every four-letter word known. Yes, people are scared and apprehensive. No, they do not want to be sick. Being assertive is one thing, being rude and mean to everyone within a mile of you is something else entirely.