I've been pretty bothered by many of the things I've encountered while doing my clinicals, in ALL the settings I have worked in so far. I decided to go into nursing, because I really do like taking care of people and trying to promote a better quality of life for them, and I feel like God has called me to do this. There are some events that are rather disturbing to me though. Many of the comments that are made, the constant gossip at the nurses station about patient's families, and the patient's themselves. I've seen so many nurses be so two-faced, one way in the patient and family's presence, then complete opposite the moment they are out of hearing range, and they say such ugly things..... I've seen staff be so rough with patients (ungentle), causing discomfort and in some cases additional pain and distress. What is going on? Is this the way it always is, or will become? I've heard that many nurses get a "hardened heart" after working in the field for a while. Will this happen to me? I just don't see how I can just not care. I understand the "distancing" from not letting other people's problems affect my personal life, but I just don't understand what happened to the compassionate part of being a nurse. That is the whole reason why I am in nursing school. Am I just kidding myself? Any input would be greatly appreciated!!
Sometimes after spending 10 demanding hours with a patient and their crazy family, I'm going to "vent" to my fellow nurses who understand.........."I'm sick and tired of this patient and their family.........". Judge me if you will, but that's what' going to get me through the final hours. Someone who happens buy will say "this is a dreadful nurse who gossips, I hope I never become like him." I work with trauma patients and sometimes they have to move and do things that are uncomfortable. Someone walking by will judge "that patient is groaning in pain, what a horrible nurse he is." I seriously feel for my patients discomfort as I turn them over when they are in obvious pain, my compassion isn't gone, but I understand too I've a job to do, and they gotta turn.
My point is what you think you see isn't always what you see. Personally my skin has toughened up quite a bit, but not my heart.
The posts above are great posts. Obviously gossip happens, nurses become hardened, lazy, stressed, and dreadful nurses. Maybe I have rose colored glasses but I'd still like to think that most of us are doing the best we can under stessful demanding circumstances, and we're still compassionate people. Don't let a few ogres jade you against the entire profession.
All you can really do is be the best that you can possibly be. Good luck to you!
Sometimes after spending 10 demanding hours with a patient and their crazy family, I'm going to "vent" to my fellow nurses who understand.........."I'm sick and tired of this patient and their family.........". Judge me if you will, but that's what' going to get me through the final hours. Someone who happens buy will say "this is a dreadful nurse who gossips, I hope I never become like him." I work with trauma patients and sometimes they have to move and do things that are uncomfortable. Someone walking by will judge "that patient is groaning in pain, what a horrible nurse he is." I seriously feel for my patients discomfort as I turn them over when they are in obvious pain, my compassion isn't gone, but I understand too I've a job to do, and they gotta turn.
Whilst I aggree with you that you need sometimes just to vent about a patient who has drained you.
However There are nurses who vent at everything and it breeds such a negitive working environment, I knew nurses who complained when they had to go assist somebody with their toilet requirements-the patient had a stroke or brain injury what ever we call it these days, the pt couldnt go himself. I just cant abide this kind of moaning and complaining, and it does breed because before long the next nurse is complaining about the same pt.
I am sure we have worked with the nurse who moans so much we dread setting foot in work. I do believe when the new staff come on board we should kinda not discourage them so soon, they soon find out for themselves. Just my 2 cents
Whilst I aggree with you that you need sometimes just to vent about a patient who has drained you.
However There are nurses who vent at everything and it breeds such a negitive working environment, I knew nurses who complained when they had to go assist somebody with their toilet requirements-the patient had a stroke or brain injury what ever we call it these days, the pt couldnt go himself. I just cant abide this kind of moaning and complaining, and it does breed because before long the next nurse is complaining about the same pt.
I am sure we have worked with the nurse who moans so much we dread setting foot in work. I do believe when the new staff come on board we should kinda not discourage them so soon, they soon find out for themselves. Just my 2 cents
I don't disagree with you at all. Toxic whiners are.....well toxic. You see them everywhere, in line at the grocery store, in restaurants and at work. I didn't mean to imply they don't exist in nursing at all.
Would you say most nurses are like this and that experienced nurses have hardened hearts and no compassion, that the world of nursing takes it out of us?
Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
Would you say most nurses are like this and that experienced nurses have hardened hearts and no compassion, that the world of nursing takes it out of us?
I am in a unique position as a nursing instructor, as I have the privilege to work with nurses in widely different settings. I have had clinical groups in 4 separate facilities over the past few years. The 7 units in which I have had student groups have varied from general medical surgical to postpartum to pediatrics to cardiac surgery stepdown (yes, I wear many hats :roll ). Most nurses, I am happy to say, are compassionate and follow the highest standards of professional behavior. I have been awed by their knowledge and expertise. Only one unit out of the seven was toxic, with some of the most bitter, unsafe, and unprofessional nurses whom I have ever seen . This whole floor was so full of negative vibes - a very unhealthy clinical setting for the students (and patients!). I refused to go back. But the overwhelming majority of nurses are not this way.
Would you say most nurses are like this and that experienced nurses have hardened hearts and no compassion, that the world of nursing takes it out of us?
No I dont believe that these kind of nurses are in the majority more the minority. I do believe we all go through phases of where we get fed up with nursing, but then a kind word or encouragement makes you strong again.
Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
After a particularly rotten clinical experience on the previously mentioned toxic unit, one of our students sent an anonymous letter to the nurse manager, DON, and nurse recruiter at the hospital (this happens to be our local hospital, the home base for our ADN program). The student, acting entirely on her own, wrote a very professional letter and spelled out in no uncertain terms, why our students were avoiding working at this hospital upon graduation and how very unprofessional and unfriendly these nurses were acting. The letter was taken very seriously and the nurses were severely disciplined. However, the unit remains toxic, just less so, and MOST of our graduate nurses are still avoiding this facility like the plague.
If I got disciplined over an anonymous letter it would make my attitude worse, not better, and especially towards student nurses, if it was clear that's where the comments were coming from. Who wants to be accused without the opportunity to answer back. It's cowardly.
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
maybe you should send an annoymous mail or email to the nurse manager about the staff behavior. Just food for thought:rolleyes:
I dont believe any manager worth his/her salt would respond to an annonymous letter. Just my opinion, what do others think
I agree that a good manager wouldn't respond to an anonymous letter, but I've got to say that you have to look to the leadership as one of the reasons conditions like this exist on units in the first place. When a manager permits, or isn't aware of employees like this, it only creates an environment for more of the same to fester. Particularly, if one or more of the offensive nurses is very aggressive and defiant of authority. They drive well-intentioned, well-meaning, inexperienced managers off as their power grows. One of these management positions is how I got my first break in becoming a nurse manager. There were two RNs on the unit making it miserable for everyone else. I talked to them privately until I was blue in the face, but when my back was turned they were up to their old, nasty ways. My first break came when one of them botched up a code blue. I got documentation up the wazoo and did all I could to help the DON get her butt out of there. That's when I found that the DON was sympathetic to this nurses situation! I felt like all the air had been let out of my balloon. They were in a perfect position to fire this nurse and they weren't willing to do that. So, like many others, shortly after that, I quit too. I can't work my behind off if I'm not going to be supported.
Another point I wanted to make is that when you have a hospital with a bad reputation that gets around, new grads don't want to go there for jobs. Eventually, if the management there is really part of the problem and is arrogant enough, they'll stop opening their doors to the nursing students for clinicals, won't they?
I've been pretty bothered by many of the things I've encountered while doing my clinicals, in ALL the settings I have worked in so far. I decided to go into nursing, because I really do like taking care of people and trying to promote a better quality of life for them, and I feel like God has called me to do this. There are some events that are rather disturbing to me though. Many of the comments that are made, the constant gossip at the nurses station about patient's families, and the patient's themselves. I've seen so many nurses be so two-faced, one way in the patient and family's presence, then complete opposite the moment they are out of hearing range, and they say such ugly things..... I've seen staff be so rough with patients (ungentle), causing discomfort and in some cases additional pain and distress. What is going on? Is this the way it always is, or will become? I've heard that many nurses get a "hardened heart" after working in the field for a while. Will this happen to me? I just don't see how I can just not care. I understand the "distancing" from not letting other people's problems affect my personal life, but I just don't understand what happened to the compassionate part of being a nurse. That is the whole reason why I am in nursing school. Am I just kidding myself? Any input would be greatly appreciated!!
. This whole floor was so full of negative vibes - a very unhealthy clinical setting for the students (and patients!). I refused to go back. But the overwhelming majority of nurses are not this way.
DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN
3,932 Posts
EXCELLENT POST TWEETY! (thanks)