Does ED have a bad rep for mean nurses?

Specialties Emergency

Published

I was perusing the posts and this question came to mind. I have worked several different units but my short stay in the ER showed me some of the meanest, bitter, most unhappy RN's I've ever met. Most were nice to me, but a handful of the veterans were downright unwelcoming and nasty to me and more importantly, to their pts, too :(

One of the docs saw what was going on and offered advice--he told me it was b/c I was attractive. He suggested I try baking treats, being extra helpful, etc. I did all that and it seemed to make things worse. It seemed the nicer I was, the more they disliked me. Anyway--I could go on and on. It was one of the hardest experiences of my life b/c I so wanted to be accepted there, never had a problem ANYWHERE else. It was months ago but still messes with my mind.

I found the ER to be my fav work. Loved the pt population, will go back to this or another ER one day. The tele unit I transferred to seems SOOOOO much busier for me than ER. I get out late almost always, juggling so much more than any other unit I've worked on. Most of the RN's there are registry or agency, I am staff. I go home drained both emotionally and physically almost always. Just an observation. I'm not saying the floor works harder than the ED. It's just different, different degrees of busy-ness and workloads, and I wish we would all recognize this. Nursing is tough enough without us fighting each other, for any reason, period. The really great RN's, the ones who are secure with themselves and truly love what they do, are who continue to inspire me. The old dinosaur RN's, like the ED ones I referred to earlier, shouldn't be able to call the shots anymore. (They need to change jobs :)

Whew! I feel better! Just my 2 cents.

Specializes in ICU,ER.
I'm just curious as to what eventually led the OP to believe these nurses were "threatened" by her?

because that doctor said she was attractive.

you know, like cinderella and the wicked stepsisters

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
re-read my post. i do not assume anything. i myself, never said i was "so attractive." i have worked many jobs and several different units and have never been treated like some of the rn's in this particular ed. it still hurts! you know nothing about me. you are merely reacting to the fact that i mentioned what one of the docs said to me and are prejudiced against me already for being "so darned good looking." you actually prove my point, so thanks.

i did read your post, noelle, and my concern remains. it's all too easy to dismiss problems interacting with others as the result of those others being "mean." for the most part, we elicit the responses we get. for you (or anyone) to consider their part in the interaction to be that you're attractive and somehow threatening to others is to shortchange both yourself and the others.

i've never met you, so there's no way i could be predjudiced against you for your looks. maybe i don't think you're in the slightest bit attractive. i'm reacting to what you've written, and what you've written indicates that you find yourself so attractive that you're threatening to others -- and an attitude like that is guaranteed to irritate some folks. maybe even those "mean nurses" you've encountered in the emergency room.

i don't know you, or much about you except what you've written. but perhaps if you think about what i've written, you'll gain some insight and i will have helped you somewhat. that's what i was aiming for. good luck.

Ruby - I like your sig line.

And I think sometimes it can be very hard for us to look at ourselves and realize how others perceive us. We may have NO intention to come across a certain way and when are called on it deny it. But with maturity (and practice) we are more able to do this. Your points are good.

steph

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
ruby - i like your sig line.

and i think sometimes it can be very hard for us to look at ourselves and realize how others perceive us. we may have no intention to come across a certain way and when are called on it deny it. but with maturity (and practice) we are more able to do this. your points are good.

steph

thanks, steph. you make me feel so much better -- i'm afraid i haven't helped the op at all!

thanks, steph. you make me feel so much better -- i'm afraid i haven't helped the op at all!

:icon_hug: sometimes we don't ever find out how much we've helped others. just keep planting seeds.

steph

Old dinosaur RN's?? No wonder they dont like you. Imagine having a younger nurse come in, bake cookies and call them old dinosaurs and think they should be nice to her but not "call the shots anymore"? Sounds like you need a reality check.

Old dinosaur RN's?? No wonder they dont like you. Imagine having a younger nurse come in, bake cookies and call them old dinosaurs and think they should be nice to her but not "call the shots anymore"? Sounds like you need a reality check.

Ha, true! I have worked several ER's in the past, with a total of 8 yrs experience. I have not found ER nurses to be any "meaner" than on any other unit. In fact, the older RN's were very motherly & helpful, willing to take time to explain things. We younger ones were happy to learn from their wealth of experience & input. Only one ER I worked was staffed by nurses I'd call cold & intolerant-- but it was the whole staff-- save one RN who befriended me, the 'newbie'. I learned alot there, but it was NOT a place that liked to share knowledge. (even the docs were cold & impersonal, not receptive to teaching at ALL). I agree though, the morale of the staff CAN be directly traced to the Nurse Manager & Administration- unfortunately, most facilities don't take the time required to weed out poor Nurse Managers, easier to blame the staff working day-to-day in the trenches! (this is true on all units w/poor morale).

because that doctor said she was attractive.

you know, like cinderella and the wicked stepsisters

Hey LearJet or whatever your name is...what IS your problem anyway? You sound jealous :)

Don't be. Afterall, you're in the ER and I'm not :(

move on already...

I'm just curious as to what eventually led the OP to believe these nurses were "threatened" by her?

Hmmm...b/c they were ugly (and mean). lol

Enough of this crap already.

Thank you to ALL of you who PM'd me to tell me you were on my side and have had similar experiences. Your honesty and support has restored my faith in people and lifted my spirits immensely-

Not giving up on ER just yet!~

noelle

Specializes in Emergency.

I'm so sorry you had a rough time with some people in the ER. No, not every ER, and not all ER nurses are "like that". I don't think that the ER has a "rep for mean nurses".

I've only worked in the ER, but I can say that ER nurses are definitely wonderful people. I've only met a few "mean nurses" in my time, and then realized that they were waiting for me to prove myself.

Head on back to the ER! I'm sure you will grow to love it!

I have always referred to the ER as The Jungle, patterned after the song by Guns 'n Roses, "Welcome to the Jungle." Have you ever listened to the words? It really fits, and to me is hysterical. It all started one night when I was driving home from work, and the song came on...

"Welcome to the jungle, we got fun 'n games. We got everything you want, and we know the name. We are the people that can find, whatever you may need, if you got the money, honey, we got your disease, in the jungle, welcome to the jungle, feel my, my my serpentine..." etc. Wish I could find the lyrics... it is simply hysterical when you get in the right mindset...

Specializes in mostly in the basement.
Hmmm...b/c they were ugly (and mean). lol

Enough of this crap already.

Excuse me, I was asking a legitimate question. How is that crap? Beside the attractive thing--which I could give a monkey's butt about--I really wanted to know ACTUAL facts/actions/etc. that led you to believe they were, in fact, threatened.

Judging by your reactions here, I think I can take a wild guess what the problem was.....

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