So, we have all heard the "nurses eat their young" stories right? Well I was one who would say that the nurses with the worst attitudes are those who have one foot in the burn out grave, and I found out I am correct about this. Last Sunday at work I was the plump, juicy, worm sitting on the hook waiting to be eaten, and one of the meanest, nastiest, nurses on my unit took a bite! After her temper tantrum, in which she verbally attacked me at the nurse's station, I was stunned by her outburst and by the way I responded to her! I stood my ground and told her she was being ridiculous. Since her little outbreak took place in front of two other nurses, two techs, and one doctor the rumor mill was in full swing by the time I returned to work on Wed. and as I was called into the director's office I felt like I was on the verge of breaking into tears. My director had been told by someone else about the outburst, I did not plan on speaking to her about it. I had chalked it up to one of the rites of passage. Being called into the directors office can be very intimidating and I had thoughts of my director taking the nurses side, but I was very wrong! My director told me that yes nurses do get burned out, and it is the attitude from burn out that adds to the frustration and ultimate failure of many new nurses. She said the nurse behavior is not acceptable in her unit. She said new nurses are the future and that she hired me and other new nurses with the hopes that our abilities will be a reward to her unit, she did not hire us to be lambs sent in for sacrifice. She told me to come to her with any problems. She also said she would speak with the nurse who made a spectacle of herself and there would be "conditions" to her returning to the unit. I have never felt so protected. This unit, up until this point, has been incredible and I refuse to allow this one nurse to ruin any part of my experience. In reality the nurse's outburst will be one of hundreds in my nursing career, so the fact that I stood my ground taught me a great lesson.
Tweety, BSN, RN 32,962 Posts Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac. Has 31 years experience. May 27, 2005 Good luck to you and I'm glad you're handling it well and had the support of upper management. Don't presume that you're going to see hundreds of outbursts. I've been in the biz for 15 years in med-surg and haven't seen that many yet. But yes, I've seen a few. (I've been on the verge of a few hissy fits myself. LOL)
AmyB 260 Posts Specializes in LTC. May 27, 2005 Good for you. I'm glad you've found something to occupy your time in between semesters.
twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN 1 Article; 1,289 Posts Specializes in ED. Has 18 years experience. May 28, 2005 I hope I have enough guts to stand up for myself. I tend to fold and I have to stop doing that. Thanks for the good story!
elizabells, BSN, RN 2,094 Posts Specializes in NICU. May 28, 2005 Good job to the OP!!Okay, I'm a little tired, and my first thought when I saw the thread title was "how did a lion get on her unit??"
z's playa 2,056 Posts May 28, 2005 Good job to the OP!!Okay, I'm a little tired, and my first thought when I saw the thread title was "how did a lion get on her unit??" Hehehe :chuckle Z
madwife2002, BSN, RN 74 Articles; 4,777 Posts Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN. Has 26 years experience. May 28, 2005 Hey we had some students recently who think nothing of having outbursts, this concerns me because these nurses are the vultures of the future. :uhoh21:
HyperRNRachel 483 Posts May 28, 2005 Hey we had some students recently who think nothing of having outbursts, this concerns me because these nurses are the vultures of the future. :uhoh21:After seeing how completely ridiculous this woman looked while throwing her tantrum and the reaction she got from the staff I will think twice before I throw a hissy fit. The fact that she screamed GOD D***** at the top of her lungs while sending a rolling chair flying across the nursing station made this 'hissy fit" more than just a mean nurse putting a fellow employee in her place, it was hostile, aggressive, and a very unprofessional reaction to a minor incident (I opened the ambulance entrance for a walk up patient). Whether you are a veteran nurse, new nurse, or student there is never any reason to act in this manner. But I see your point, if the students already have a bad attitude then where can you expect it to go from there......only to get worse! :stone
Daytonite, BSN, RN 4 Articles; 14,603 Posts Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt. Has 40 years experience. May 28, 2005 My compliments to your director. That kind of behavior is only OK for movies and TV. It is verbally abusive behavior and it needs to be stopped. Next time tell her that if you wanted to get yelled at you'd go back home and live with your mother.
Paleobug 356 Posts May 29, 2005 I'd like to have a tee shirt made that says; "For the nurses who eat their young, BITE ME!".
madwife2002, BSN, RN 74 Articles; 4,777 Posts Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN. Has 26 years experience. May 29, 2005 After seeing how completely ridiculous this woman looked while throwing her tantrum and the reaction she got from the staff I will think twice before I throw a hissy fit. The fact that she screamed GOD D***** at the top of her lungs while sending a rolling chair flying across the nursing station made this 'hissy fit" more than just a mean nurse putting a fellow employee in her place, it was hostile, aggressive, and a very unprofessional reaction to a minor incident (I opened the ambulance entrance for a walk up patient). Whether you are a veteran nurse, new nurse, or student there is never any reason to act in this manner. But I see your point, if the students already have a bad attitude then where can you expect it to go from there......only to get worse! :stone#There is just no excuse for that kind of behaviour, you wouldnt do it out of work, so it is not acceptable in work. i personnally haven't seen anybody do that, and I really dont know what I would do or say!!
HyperRNRachel 483 Posts May 29, 2005 I'd like to have a tee shirt made that says; "For the nurses who eat their young, BITE ME!". :roll That is funny!
