Can we lay to rest the "compassion" nonsense?

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Sep 17, 2015

Nice rant. Sounds like you're not having a good day today.

dinah77, ADN · Sep 17, 2015

Well, I'm not quite sure how this adds to the conversation HouTx?

Farawyn · Sep 17, 2015

I've said many times I come here to play and have fun. I will not be shamed by anyone else if I feel like I'm doing that. Especially from this recent wave of non nurses that have been here in the last few months.

However, the other day I went out of my way to be snarky to a poster I don't like. I don't like doing that, either, and will usually apologize. If I feel it's not right, it's okay, and I will own up.

But if I don't violate TOS and you don't like what I say, don't read my posts. There is an ignore feature.

AuDDoc · Sep 17, 2015

Well with the hospitals changing the big H to hotel, it does wear on you as a provider.

Where I work the patient is never wrong. NEVER. You can do a stellar job and they do not receive exactly what they want (even if it's not appropriate or legal to provider by law or policy) then they can file a complaint against you and it counts against your performance review.

Quite idiotic. I feel your pain.

I have loads of compassion, but I've been healthcare long enough to know when someone is malingering or trying to play me like a fiddle. I have also noticed as I age, my tolerance for BS and childish games has decreased dramatically.

canigraduate · Sep 17, 2015

LOL! I've noticed that the perceived amount of compassion is directly in proportion to the level of agreement with said posters.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Sep 17, 2015

Yeah, the request to "stop it" comes up now and then....and is promptly ignored in favor of "I'd never want you to be my nurse, you should learn compassion, what kind of a nurse ARE you" posts. They rise up, they grow old, they tire....but they never quite seem to die.

Sometimes people will post things, asking for opinions on a situation. Then opinions are placed, and it never fails to have someone who did not agree with the OP's (or someone else's) position declared to be lacking in compassion. As if it had anything even to DO with the topic at hand!

Example: (paraphrased) "I can't afford to buy all these books for nursing school! Do you really think I should buy all of them? Do you think it'd be ok if I just got one or two and that ought to be fine?" Answer: No, it's likely not going to be ok. You need to be prepared for school, and that includes obtaining the books required. Someone new: "You have NO compassion!! She's a poor nursing student who can't afford as much as you can, where's the support....where's your COMPASSION??"

Sigh.

rearviewmirror, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2015

One does not need compassion to be a good nurse, unless one defines the identity and functionality of nurse by presence or lack there of compassion. I agree with the op. I didn't activate code strokes or took a stemi upto cath lab because I was compassionate, but rather because I had good assessment skills, prioritization, iv skills and stayed calm. Compassion is complimentary but one can have no compassion yet do the job 100% right. Compassion is not definition of our profession, just like we don't see compassion a must for doctors or physical therapist or radiology technicians.

Farawyn · Sep 17, 2015

One does not need compassion to be a good nurse, unless one defines the identity and functionality of nurse by presence or lack there of compassion. I agree with the op. I didn't activate code strokes or took a stemi upto cath lab because I was compassionate, but rather because I had good assessment skills, prioritization, iv skills and stayed calm. Compassion is complimentary but one can have no compassion yet do the job 100% right. Compassion is not definition of our profession, just like we don't see compassion a must for doctors or physical therapist or radiology technicians.

I hear you, but I do kind of disagree- for ME. I'm not super high tech right now. I do miss the bloody, venty stuff, but now I'm a school nurse and HH, and the "C" word is the name of the game.

dinah77, ADN · Sep 17, 2015

LOL! I've noticed that the perceived amount of compassion is directly in proportion to the level of agreement with said posters.

Oh my gosh THIS it seems that it is always in reponse to something a poster does not like. For a GREAT example of this check out the most current thread in Holistic Nurses about becoming a nurse in a naturopathic clinic

NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN · Sep 17, 2015

HouTx is usually pretty good about seeing the core of things.

It it definitely seems like someone (or some people) has really frustrated you into posting a solid vent.

I agree that the automatic argument of "you have no compassion" from an anonymous stranger on the Internet is infuriating because they don't know anything about me except for what i

post when I am in need of cathartic anger release.

I'm sure it makes me look very heartless.

Nonyvole, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2015

My compassion is right where it belongs - with my patients. It's wroth them so much that they will sometimes thank me for telling them no! (Oh, she's so nice, I'm still hurting but I see why I'm not getting more Dilaudid...)

Here? Bit different. Not sorry for being as blunt as I am.