Censorship is alive and well

[huggietoes]

Do any of your NMs censure what you say at work? I mean to fellow coworkers not just patients. What you say on lunch break at the desk out of patients earshot and then threaten you with termination for your statements? We are not allowed to share what patients have said or done or how we feel about what is going on the ER, we are not allowed to laugh or joke, have food, gum, fluids in front of patients afterall us nurses are not human and should not be depicted that way, it is "unprofessional". My theory laughter is the best medicine, and if I can not share a stupid human story with my fellow coworkers than with who. I am so very tired of Big Brother listening, 12 hours at work is long enough without the ability to vent or god forbid have a pseudo 'good' time. Is it like this where you work?

[renerian, BSN, RN]

Sounds like an awful place to work huggie. Can you go elsewhere? It is not like that everywhere.

renerian

[Rena RN 2003, RN]

uggghh, what a horrid situation.

i must say that my situation sounds like the polar opposite from yours. our NM is probably the "worst" for laughing and joking but at no time do any of us lose the professionalism in front of patients.

that's not to say that we don't laugh with patients or try to enjoy their company for whatever amount of time our relationship calls for. the human factor is very much stressed in our ED.

try looking around huggie. i agree that not all places are like that.

[nursemaa]

I don't work in the ED, but I DEFINITELY believe in having fun at work!! I probably cut up even more than my staff sometimes. You gotta have fun in life!! I don't think I could work in an environment where you can't be a little silly sometimes.

Having said that, I do remind my staff that we can't be out in the hall carrying on loudly all the time, it's disturbing to the patients and families, particularly if their loved one is seriously ill- gives them the impression that we don't care. (right or wrong, that IS the perception)

I think it's OK if nurses share stories about work, providing no confidentiality rules are broken. Sometimes people don't realize how loudly they are talking, or aren't aware of who might overhear them.

I guess it boils down to being aware of who's listening, choosing the right time and place, and being sensitive to how others perceive you. :)

[athomas91]

that sounds horrible -

our management where i work is wonderful - they embrace the FISH theory (if you haven't heard, just do a search) anyway - the fundamental of it is that if the workers have fun - then all the people they come into contact w/ will have a better experience. so we are encouraged to joke around, laugh and have fun - and we also bring our patients into the games (this is when time and acuity allow)

and when patients complain - our management tells them to pound sand (as long as our care/documentation etc show that they had good and timely care) - and the group of people i work with are very tight knit - all of this at our managements suggestion.

[cannoli]

Oh yes, when I worked directly for the hospital, I was called on the carpet more than once for something that I had said, nothing to do with the patients. You are not entitled to have an opinion or not entitled to voice it if it doesn't go along with the party line. Talk about the Gestapo. I no longer work directly for them, though I do work there at times, and it would be a cold day in hell before I would go back unless it were out of dire necessity.

Oh yes, I have learned the hard way, it is best NOT to vent at work, but sometimes I just can't help myself.