think before you speak ........

Nurses General Nursing

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Quick story....someone I know who is an RN (BSN), but volunteers with the food services department at our hospital just because she wants to. A really unique individual as I know no other RN’s that would do that in fear of being looked down on. Anyway, one day she was delivering meals to a med/surg floor ( she does not work on this unit so keep in mind no one knows shes is a nurse) and some smart a** nurse thought it would be funny to put her down in front of other staff and some p.t.’s telling her how "uneducated she is for doing this kind of work." My friend pulled out her badge that had RN all over it, and apparently this other nurse turned pale white ( probably just knowing what a colossal screw up she made:eek: ). Anyway long story short she turned her in to the Unit manager, and from what I understand was promptly " transferred". I personally have never seen this person again. Just a good reason why you should be careful how you talk to others .You never know who you are talking to.

Specializes in CMSRN.

People who put down others to make themselves look good don't realize that you are actually making yourself look bad.

I have to admit I used to have a tendency to make judgements on others and eventually realized how wrong it is. (I wasn't mean, just judgemental). I am still not perfect. I am still human. But I try to make it a point to realize the importance of everyone in life and to be kind. (To their face and behind their back)

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

i've been a nurse for nearly 30 years, but when i broke my leg a few years ago right about the same time the main monitor tech in the telemetry unit went on maternity leave, the manager of the telemetry unit offered to pay me my rn salary to work as the monitor tech 5 days a week until either the tech came back or i was allowed to run up and down the halls again. it seemed like the perfect compromise to me -- full salary/desk job. i jumped at the chance.

i cannot believe how some of those telemetry nurses treated me, and some of the mds (who should have remembered me from the ccu!) as well! if i told one of the nurses her patient was in atrial flutter, she'd roll her eyes at me, and tell me it was atrial fib. what did i know -- it's not like i was a nurse or anything. i pretty much just took it. and then a world famous cardiologist who worked at our hospital and knew me from the icu overheard some of the bs i was getting. he winked at me, and brought me one of the "interesting strips" the nurses had been saving for his rhythm class, and asked me "now what do you think of this, ruby?"

i identified the underlying rhythm as well as the ectopy, and he said "i think you're right. the nurses told me it was xxxx, but you're right. it's yyyyyy."

you should have seen the jaws drop all over the nurse's station. later, he told me that one of the nurses asked him why he was asking the opinion of the monitor tech, and he told her "ruby's an experienced ccu nurse and she teaches the rhythm class sometimes. but the monitor techs look at those rhythms all day long, and they can probably identify them faster and more correctly than most nurses."

the word must have traveled around pretty quickly, because by the end of the shift i was a respected colleauge and not "just a monitor tech."

no one is ever "just a _______" we're all someone special!

Once I had a student nurse stop me down on of the halls to ask me what a CPK was. I jut saw her in front of the nurses station as i was leaving the unit to go on my next round so i asked her " why did you wait to ask me this all the way down the hall?" ( there was no one around by the way),and she said " I cant ask you that infront of the RN's they would make fun at me for asking the phlebotomist a question like that." Now I know how they REALLY feel about me.

I have told people that I'm...(see username). I have pts. ask me medical questions. I tell them "I'm just a volunteer, I'll have to ask your nurse, she's the expert on these things". For another person to say condescendingly, "Well you're just a CNA" (or whatever), is just plain rude. Luckily, I'm greatly appreciated as a volunteer. I have had nurses ask me if someone is giving me trouble. They have said "If someone is, just let us know & we'll take care of them". I bet they would, too!

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

All I have to say is, people may look down on housekeepers, dietary folks, or whomever else, but the hospital would go to Hades in handbasket real fast without them. And, at least where I am, they are some of the nicest people around.

Nice story.

We work with students from one of the better Nursing Schools in the State (my opinion) on one of their last rotations before they graduate.

Sadly, we also have several nurses who are extreemly rude and insulting when the mood strikes them.

One afternoon while finishing-up the shifts paperwork, one of these nurses hurled a few very ugly insults and faces at the student that was there. Nasty and relentless, she was. This student, a male, just took it in stride, smiled and thanked this nurse for her input and the opportunity to "learn" from her.

Imagine everyones surprise when one of our states major newspapers did a Sunday feature article on this student. In addition to being a "lowly" nursing student, he was also a teaching and research Professor at one of our largest Universities. He had his Doctorate in Animal Biology with his specialty being Animal Husbandry!

Ahhh, it was such a great thing to post that article in the report room! It was an even greater thing to bring the article to the attention of Nurse Nasty and Ugly!!!!

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