Inappropriate nurses?

Nurses Relations

Published

So, I'm a Float pool nurse, and last night, I was pulling meds when a Staff nurse comes up to me. Without so much of a "hello", he snaps, "How many patients do you have?"

My eyebrows raise. "Are you Charge or Resource nurse?" I ask.

"No," he answers

"Then it's none of your business," I respond.

"I have five patients tonight. How many do you have? Are you taking any admits?" he continues to press.

"Again, it's NONE.OF.YOUR.BUSINESS. Take it up with Charge if you have a problem," I retort.

"Oh, I'm just making conversation," he sneers.

"No, you're being nosy. And I don't have to deal with it!" I reply.

I told the Charge nurse about her Staff nurse's wildly inappropriate questioning. Charge said that "she would deal with it. At the end of the shift, Staff nurse had not apologized for his behavior, so I emailed his manager about the incident. The manager did not email me back.

Would there be anything else you would have done?

Seems that you are the one with the foul attitude. And seems as though this staff nurse was completely overwhelmed. Next time, perhaps display proper nursing communication and show some compassion and offer some support.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I guess I fail to understand why it was so horribly wrong. On my floor there is an assignment sheet so everyone sees who everyone has. We all get a copy. Nothing more annoying than a patient needing something like toileting and I don't know how they move. I can call the nurse and ask. We work as a team so I don't understand the secrecy. Also if I know I have fewer patients than everyone else I know I'll get the admit. I try to get things knocked out instead of taking my time...because if you wait fate takes over and you're trying to admit and play catch up. He went about it kind of rude if he asked the way you said but your reaction was rude too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Call me strange, but I find making an issue out of this wildly inappropriate.... :p

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OP, you were wildly inappropriate and your nursing career will be very very short if you continue to act like you did here. you are wrong. there is no excuse for escalating this higher than the initial conversation. you sound whiny and not much of a team player i.e. someone i would never want to work with in any capacity. i have no advice other than to be a better nurse next time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was unaware that it was frowned upon to be asked how many patients that your assignment is. The only thing that I found wildly inappropriate is how OP handled the situation-not only bothering charge with it, but to email the manager? And to sound as though you were expecting an apology? Goodness.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neurosciences Stroke Nurse.

I really don't see how asking someone how many patients they have that is inappropriate, it sounds to me like the nurse that asked this question a little too sensitive and maybe you should consider his/her own approach to things? Making conversation and asking someone how many patients are taking care of is not inappropriate....

Maybe what you thought was sneer and sarcasm or inappropriateness was them asking if you were in need of help? But this is why there are some units at my hospital where people don't ask for help because they don't want to "owe each other favors", sounds like the OP might be a good fit for those units.

We're nurses, we're nothing without our team other than bitter and burned out. Maybe you should consider that, and think about your own responses, because reading your responses, the only one who was rude, was you.

You should also consider that maybe he was asking you about your assignment because he did something for one of your patients and was wanting to tell you about it but he wasn't sure if you had the patient or not. I mean God forbid we actually help each other.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED/Trauma/Field Case Manager.

I don't think I read 1 response here that was kind, nor gentle. It's no wonder where the saying, "Nurses eat their young" comes from.

From OP's comments she is either s young nurse or gets the short end of the stick due to being a flost nurse and is tired of it. It also seemed the questioning nurse was not very nice either on the way he questioned OP.

In any event it would have been wonderful to see responses trying to calm OP down and explaining that there's no harm in discussing patient case load, rather than attacking them some more. Discussing patient case load could be a way of reassuring each other thst yes, we are all overworked (which should not be the case) and hopefully build comradery with in the team.

Can't we all just get along and help those who are stressed (which could be anyone of us at any given time) to take a deep breath and unwind a bit, instead of escalate and take some jabs? Just my two cents.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would have forgotten about it and moved on with my life.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I would have simply told him how many patients I have. It would not have occurred to me to be offended. This isn't HIPPA. If we had the same number, he'll see that the work load is fair. If the load is unfair, then it needs to be balanced. Plus, there may be extenuating circumstances. Recently I had the easier combo of patients because the Charge knew I had an unusually heavy load on my previous two shifts.

HIPAA

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Room.

What "else" would I have done?

The only thing I would have done is answer the question.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I don't think I read 1 response here that was kind, nor gentle. It's no wonder where the saying, "Nurses eat their young" comes from.

From OP's comments she is either s young nurse or gets the short end of the stick due to being a flost nurse and is tired of it. It also seemed the questioning nurse was not very nice either on the way he questioned OP.

In any event it would have been wonderful to see responses trying to calm OP down and explaining that there's no harm in discussing patient case load, rather than attacking them some more. Discussing patient case load could be a way of reassuring each other thst yes, we are all overworked (which should not be the case) and hopefully build comradery with in the team.

Can't we all just get along and help those who are stressed (which could be anyone of us at any given time) to take a deep breath and unwind a bit, instead of escalate and take some jabs? Just my two cents.

How do you know the OP is a young/new nurse? Obviously the OP has to be somewhat experienced to be a float nurse. I don't know of many brand new nurses, straight out of nursing school that are allowed to float. There's a reason for that. So stop with the NETY nonsense.

As far as being honest (not rude or bullying) to the OP, she was the one who was rude to her coworker & had been rude to us when she replied. Why did she feel the need to snap back at her coworker when s/he was asking a work related question & then proceeded to tell everyone up the chain of command??? All because her coworker didn't make any small talk, really???! Is that necessary? If I was her charge nurse or manager I would've talked to her manager & made sure she didn't come back. She clearly doesn't work well with others. The OP needs to learn how to play well in the sandbox or she will eventually get blacklisted from so many places she will have a hard time getting a job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Coworkers ask me all the time, idk, so what

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment