Don't bring your misery to work!

[hppygr8ful]

THIS IS BOTH A VENT AND A RANT SO PLEASE TAKE IT IN THE SPIRIT IN WHICH IT IS INTENDED.

Please can we all just leave our misery at the door before we come to work. We all know that person who has a angry miserable affect who comes and complains non-stop about the assignment and the job in general. If it's that bad just quit! Life is far to short to be so miserable all the time. It's even worse when you try to take others into your misery. And if you don't think your patients feel it your fooling yourself

I have a number of issues related to PTSD and depression and I'll admit there are days that I'd just as soon stay under the covers, But when I go to work I put my game face on and I put forth a positive attitude. I work adolescent psych which is an extremely difficult specialty. I often have 15 or more patients under my care and let's not forget that with kids the family is a patient too. We do patient centered trauma informed care and believe me we are not just sitting all shift. Every shift works hard and deserves consideration from the following and preceding shift. Please be on time, be ready to work and put a smile on your face.

WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Deep cleansing breath - time for a nice hot cup of Trader Joe's Herbal calming infusion tea that my son bought me for Christmas. I feel much better now.

Hppy

[Wuzzie]

It is actually a relief to leave your carp at the door and go do the job you are paid to do and do it well.

Personally I find it easier to leave my trout at the door! í ½í¸œ

[Wheels28]

Just a patient--- As someone who is disabled and in a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy. I never take it out on others because I don't want to bring others down. I hate when people take their problems out on others, especially if they are minor problems. If you do that too often, sooner or later you will have no friends, because who wants to be around a downer. I remember one time during an admission to the hospital, we were going over my medical history and my nurse said Wow.. How are you not bitter? I said what good would it do, and it's easier to be positive then be bitter, I always had good care so that helped a lot. Its all how you deal with it, you can let it eat away at you or you can keep living and be thankful for what is good in life.

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

Thanks Wheels:

Perhaps nurses who whine at work about things they can control but don't have the courage too can take stock. You have been dealt a tough hand that you cannot control yet you still manage to exhibit courage and grace. You seem to deal with life the best you can without making your problems other peoples misery. God Bless & Happy New Years!!!

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

I think this is okay to rant about. In the midst of all the disease, heartbreak, broken families, and patients who will never be the same, we should be grateful that we are able to walk into work, to speak, to have the knowledge and ability to do the job we take for granted.

A bad attitude doesn't change where you work or what you do, it just adds more stress to the job. This job can be too stressful as it is, but we can always look around and find reasons to be thankful for what we have and what we do.

[Forest2]

It is OK not to skip and sing going to work, but you don't have to be a Debbie Downer either. Just do the job don't make everyone else miserable too. When I was tired or grouchy, I just kept my mouth shut and focused on the tasks at hand. Some people just love drama.

[Elfriede]

Nursing is human interaction.

Don´t underestimate your pt´s empathy.

If you play a role, your pt will lose the trust in you.

[Oldmahubbard]

If you come to work angry and hostile on the inside, and try to cover it up with artificially sweetened syrup, co-workers will sense it. They also will know when you are on your very, very last nerve.

Only you know if this is due to a temporary or easily modifiable situation. Things will be ok next week. Or if it's related to the job (maybe not the right one for you), or if a deeper issue is involved. Depression. Childhood trauma. Substance abuse.

May I kindly suggest those of you in the last category seek mental health attention? I have worked with some of you over the years, and you were so much easier to work with after you started on meds, went to a 12 step program, or addressed your issues in therapy.

Ok, I am a PMHNP, but my practice is limited to LTC, so I am not trying to drum up business!

[djh123]

I agree completely too. There was one nurse where I work, who thankfully found another job, and there's another one who's still there, with attitudes that are just way beyond my comprehension. Although I gripe now and then about why didn't so-and-so get such-and-such done, I don't gripe AT them.. I feel like teamwork and treating each other well is the way to go in a job that's already tough enough without being angry and confrontational with each other, and - in the case of those 2 nurses - with little to no reason. It's like their mission in life is to p**s people off. Life is too short for that kind of behavior. And yeah, maybe they have problems/stresses outside of work, but so do I. Like you said, leave it outside of work.

[tsomargotte]

Absolutely agree. I have no time for extra patients in the form of woe-is-me RN's or CNA's. And if you come to work with a headache, or upset stomach, obtain medication elsewhere--NOT from the floor or unit nurse. If you have a cold, stay home. If you can't breathe, try an inhaler--begging breathing treatments from the respiratory therapists all night is not the best option.

I do not care all that much that your baby lost a tooth. Or that Grammy is sick. I have a balloon pump in one room and a new transplant on the way and just got out of a code. If you want to discuss your PTSD, do it on your own time--with your shrink.

I DO care that you perform your job duties accurately and in a timely manner. Give me ACCURATE report and LISTEN to the report I give you. Not doing a good job, forgetting what is told you, and not being able to articulate important data may be part of a larger mindset which bathes you in personal problems in the first place, but have pity on your co-workers. Keep your problems to yourself and keep the consequent poor work performance to a minimum.

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

YAY YAY YAY!!!! I couldn't agree more!!! When you come to work you need to remember you are not in your living room with your family. Don't tell me about granny, your kids, your significant other and for GODS SAKE don't show me any pictures of your kid / cat or whatever and I promise to show you the same professional courtesy. I have heard so much personal inappropriate nonsense over the years I have taken up a standard response "I don't care". I hear less garbage now

[cyc0sys]

Out of all the jobs I've had, I'd have to say nursing has the highest concentration of unprofessional people. So many just suck the air right out of the room when they hit the floor.

Since I can't fire these people, I 'help' them find new jobs. It's part of the kinder, gentler passive-aggressive persona I'm adapting.

I have helped 'placed' unsafe nurses into case management. Drama queens in out patient clinics. Single moms that can't seem to 'maintain' child care into home health jobs where they can take their kids to work.

If you can't separate your personal life from work, you're not safe to be around patients.

[Oldmahubbard]

The word is "personality disordered". Unprofessional does not begin to describe it.