Colleagues who hate patients

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Specializes in ER.

There are a couple of nurses I work with who seem to despise patients. One gal is exhausting to be around. They often put her in triage, she will literally give you an eye rolling negative assessment of how obnoxious the patient is, what a pathetic drug seeker, how fat, smelly, whiney, stupid, it goes on and on.

The other gal is the same. She too does triage, and will walk out of the room loudly indignant at what an appalling person she just interacted with.

Frankly, if you have such disdain for humanity, nursing is a poor choice of a career. Yes, people with poor coping skills end up in the ER more often. So what else is new? Yes, there are social ills in the world. People smoke, drink too much, eat too much, take meth, then end up in the ER.

Try to have a little emotional detachment and at least feign compassion. And, can you shut up about how awful these people are, it's tiring to hear!

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That really breaks my heart. I wonder why these types of people choose nursing.

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That really breaks my heart. I wonder why these types of people choose nursing.

money, family was healthcare so they felt they had to (see that "I Hate Nursing" thread), they're just awful people and happen to work in healthcare (ie, they'd be terrible at any other job).

I always caution against people who want to go into nursing for a higher calling or because they love caring for people cause I've seen how that mindset gets completely crushed by the system that is healthcare. but, even if you go into it for money, you still have to have some heart. Maybe you're not thinking about your patients when you're watching Scandal, but you're certainly not laughing at their plight, either.

I don't engage with nurses described in the opening post - after a while, they just get it. I don't say anything to them but a cold shoulder or a quick change of subject let's them know I'm just not here for that. Same with political talk and other crap that shouldn't be allowed in the work place.

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Yes, those type of people ARE exhausting... despicable... unworthy of the profession... and also quite embarrassing. To be honest, I feel like simply being told this type of stuff in a public setting (ie the nurses station, a hallway, etc) ups the odds of passer-by's thinking that I condone it... which I do not. I have learned though, that if you don't acknowledge these type of offensive remarks as amusing in any way and instead simply transition to professional conversation by making appropriate statements and / or offer valid logic to defend the person, most people will shut up and eventually stop making these kind of remarks (at least to you).

Don't nod. Don't say uh-huh. Don't even act as if this nonsense was stated at all. As someone who typically likes to confront injustices, I only offer this semi-avoidance technique because nobody likes to add drama to their worklives... and clearly, someone making this type of statement would be easily incited if you were to abruptly confront him / her... obviously making you the new focus of their negativity if you were to openly scold them. Being a tattle-tale doesn't help your case much either (ie. you will be known as the nurse with NO problem-solving skills to whomever you complain). Taking the high road never hurts. What can they say? "That nurse is lame... he / she wont make fun of people with me"?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Honestly, I'm really surprised that any US organization is allowing this type of behavior in today's HCAHPS-centric world. Patient satisfaction scores are now impacting hospital reimbursement and the effect will become even more intense in subsequent years. So. . . hospitals are implementing 'charm school' training for staff & jumping through hoops to make sure patients are "happy".

Actually, we all need to concerned if there are some bad apples driving down your scores because anything that drives down the revenue will have a negative effect on our salaries.

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Honestly, I'm really surprised that any US organization is allowing this type of behavior in today's HCAHPS-centric world. Patient satisfaction scores are now impacting hospital reimbursement and the effect will become even more intense in subsequent years. So. . . hospitals are implementing 'charm school' training for staff & jumping through hoops to make sure patients are "happy".

Actually, we all need to concerned if there are some bad apples driving down your scores because anything that drives down the revenue will have a negative effect on our salaries.

I don't necessarily think they are "allowing it"... most likely because they do not know when it is going on or who is perpetuating this nonsense. When people make negative statements, it is never in front of the patient or in front of management... its whispered like gossip to an oncoming nurse or coworker at a desk. And just like gossip, it is hidden from those who would take action against it... which explains why these unprofessional individuals still have their jobs.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Some of those people are not terrible people. Some are good people who entered the profession of nursing with the best of intentions. But they got burned out. It can happen to the best of us.

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That really breaks my heart. I wonder why these types of people choose nursing.

You have and had persons who don't like children becoming teachers. Females with little compassion and or humility along with not liking children or whatever became nuns/sisters. So there is quite a range there and nothing is entirely new. (Sadly)

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Some of you must be very young, as this sort thing is *NOT* new in nursing.

Pick your group and there have (and still are) nurses that cannot be bothered and will make it known to God and the world. If pressed to provide care it can and often is in a very passive-aggressive manner.

This list is varied and exhaustive.

African-Americans

Latino/Hispanics,

Asians,

Gays

Lesbians

Transgender

The "poor", "unwashed"

The homeless

Drug addicts

Alcoholics

And so it goes....

Best anyone can hope for is that in these modern times such persons can be isolated and frozen out by other staff. This and or being sat down and spoken to; however often that does not happen and even then the damage has often been done.

Even with the supposed tight labor market for nurses here in NYC there are plenty that won't apply nor work in the municipal hospital system. If they do it would only be Bellevue (it looks good on a resume) and only for a short amount of time.

When AIDS/HIV was in full crisis there were nurses who pretty much felt that those men were getting what they "deserved", worse they said so either within ear shot or even while caring for such patients. You had grown men literally crying as those witches (cannot use the other word here that is a better fit and rhymes), provided "care" with a strong dose of morality. It is worth noting that federal anti-dumping laws for patients came into being during the AIDs crisis. It was an attempt to put an end to the long standing practice of hospitals "dumping" the poor, minorities, or anyone else they didn't want to be bothered with at the steps of the nearest charity hospital.

Again these biases still go on and can have horrible consequences: Hospital's reputation in the dump - NY Daily News

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Specializes in ER.

This thread isn't about hatred of non-Caucasian people, nor sexual minorities. It's about working with negative people.

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Some of you must be very young, as this sort thing is *NOT* new in nursing.

*giant snip*

I'm not young at all, and I don't think anyone said this was "new" to nursing. It does (and I hope it always will) surprise and sadden me that someone would choose a profession intended to help people and think so little of them.

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Some of those people are not terrible people. Some are good people who entered the profession of nursing with the best of intentions. But they got burned out. It can happen to the best of us.

Yes, but don't take it out on your colleagues.

I have worked with a few nurses who really were miserable in their personal lives (marriage woes, kids, neighbors, money ills, or other troubles at home) and who brought their misery to work. There they found frustration from knowing more than the interns and residents but forced by laws to take a back seat to them, or they were just tired of Nursing, or whatever.

A PP mentioned how low Customer Satisfaction scores can affect our pay. Perhaps an anonymous word to the bosses could get these miserable, critical, or self-righteous folks to hush up or "seek life elsewhere" (to quote G I Jane's Master Chief Drill Instructor).

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