Be polite, I don't have superpowers!

[EmmaZ06]

This is a bit of a rant. I have noticed that for some reason people think that I can comprehend and respond to 3 different conversations at once. FYI I can't. Yesterday I was talking to the unit secretary, she was showing me how to work the new faxing station because I needed to fax a new order. While she is doing this the CNA comes up and starts telling me about a possible room change for another patient. The CNA does not say "excuse me" She just starts talking, the secretary just keeps talking, and I guess another Nurse saw that I have some extrasensory powers that allow me to hold 3 coherent conversations at the same time and starts asking me about a patient's belongings bag! All of these people were in the same room and all of them saw that I was already talking to someone else. No one stopped to let the other person finish...

So I lost it!!! Haha JK, I have been doing this long enough to know that going off on people gets you nowhere, especially if you are new to a facility. I just smiled and said with a bit of a laugh, "hold on, there are 3 of you talking to 1 of me!" They all giggled, the secretary kept talking and the other 2 waited for her to finish, I think it dawned on them that there was no emergency and they were being a bit rude.

The rant is not because this happened once. It is because it happens all the time! I remember being on the phone with the lab because there was a critical value, I was actually speaking into the receiver and the nurse manager walked up and started telling me that I needed to go do a dressing change on a patient (FYI it was already done, she just assumed it wasn't, she was a horrible manager but that is a different rant), there was no question that she didn't realize I was on the phone, as she was standing in front of me staring at my face.

Those are just 2 examples, there are more but you get the point.

When someone is obviously talking to someone else wait your turn, few conversations on the floor are long and drawn out, you usually will not be standing there more than 15 seconds, if you must interrupt just say "excuse me". I'm pretty sure the concept of waiting your turn starts being taught in pre school. If you are trying to give information to someone who is not fully paying attention there is a good chance part of the message will be misunderstood or missed all together. The point is that we are all busy, respecting your colleagues doesn't take much effort or time. If no one is dying then don't be rude!

[EmmaZ06]

While I understand your frustration, you were able to accurately explain all the conversations. :)

Haha I eventually got the messages, but only after I made them take turns, my initial understanding went something like "bla bla bed, coumadin, bla, have you, dial and press patient belonging bag....":uhoh3:

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

dear god, i hope our facility never makes the med/surg nurses get those phones. please no........................... some nurses havethem but I think just ICU, er, and a few other areas.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

I know this isn't what you were doing, but... I will say that I do interrupt personal conversations, without saying excuse me. My work is more important than what your baby's poop looked like this morning.

[EmmaZ06]

I know this isn't what you were doing, but... I will say that I do interrupt personal conversations, without saying excuse me. My work is more important than what your baby's poop looked like this morning.

If I was the person who had to listen to the baby poop description I would be greatful for the interruption

[JBudd, MSN]

If I was the person who had to listen to the baby poop description I would be greatful for the interruption

There are times I can't get someone's attention despite the "excuse me" or waving at them (I use the T for timeout sign), that darned personal conversation just keeps going, while I'm trying to get on with my job. Gets really frustrating.

[EmmaZ06]

I agree, personal conversations are annoying if the people involved don't make patient care the priority. If you approach someone politely and they respond by continuing to discuss some non work topic then a more drastic approach is approtriate. That is a whole different rant, although it definitely falls into the category of respecting coworkers, I'm not trying to make my coworkers jobs harder by putting gossip over helping them out. I was complaining about people who see that you are busy doing your job and rudely approach you with a non critical issue that could wait the one minute it would take to finish the current work related conversation. Seriously if you are so busy that you can't wait or say "excuse me" write a note and hand it to me! (I also want to clarify that in an emergency forgetting basic politeness is forgivable, if my patients heart rate is 200 feel free to interrupt!)