Insensitive nurses

Please tell me this was not a real life scenario.

Just awful!!

Your replies tell me I was not over reacting. I reported the RN to the Ethics/Professional Behavior board. They took a preliminary report, will call back in a few days for an in depth report and make a decision by July 10. Meanwhile, I think I will write a formal letter of complaint to the pediatric DON.

Thanks everyone

That's such a horrible thing to say to a patient, sometimes people try to be funny by choosing the wrong words,; and some are desparate for attention. I cannot even imagine saying "stupid" " crazy" "ignorant" to a friend, forget about offending the patient. I have heard nurses before saying "you are a crazy old man/woman" I know they don't really mean it but you do not know how the patient is taking it.

My first thought was that the manager who said this might have been impaired or mentally ill, especially if he kept on repeating his insults. Regardless of whether there was an issue that contributed to his behavior or whether he is simply an insensitive jerk, this individual has no business being a nurse. Period.

OP, you did the right thing.

Glad the OP spoke up..sometimes, it's scary to do so as a student, so kudos!!

Oh, and that idiot nurse needs a smack upside the head...that's a mark of a real D-bag, someone who picks on a helpless person.

O M G. That is absolutely horrible! HORRIBLE! Hope that a__hole is FIRED.

I am very proud of you for having the professionalism and fortitude (both traits lacking in that insensitive manager as well as a few other basic human traits I would assume), to report such unacceptable behavior. Please, please, please, do not allow this incident and poor example of nursing to make you turn you back on what I believe will be a wonderful and rewarding career for you. You have already shown compassion, empathy, honesty, critical thinking, and the ability to advocate for you patient,,,, you are well on you way to success as a professional nurse. I am so sorry that this experience happened period, but also that it happened during clinical. I remember clinical as some of the most enjoyable times of my career because rarely will you ever have as much time to spend with your patient one on one, once you are a staff nurse with a full assignment. Good luck with the rest of nursing school and what I am sure will be a very successful nursing career. You will do our profession proud!

Great job, for being a patient advocate. The employee assisting the manager could not speak for the child for fear of losing her job or harassment later. I have never witness this outward abuse but it happens every day in every walk and dynamic of health care. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU, KEEP UP THE GREAT AVOCACY.

Thank you for being a great advocate to this patient and for sharing your story. When I was in my first semester of nursing, we were shadowing LVNs in the LTC. We never saw RNs on the floor. I had this LVN who I shadowed and asked me if I wanted to come and see a patient and to bring my classmates. Here I was, happy-go-lucky with my gloves because I thought I was going to be assisting the nurse. When my classmates and I went into the room we saw a cachetic, elderly man with BKA, rectal tube and incontinence briefs lying in bed. As the briefs were removed, he showed multiple stage 4 decubitus ulcers. The LVN said "It's a good thing that he doesn't smell like other patients". I asked if the patient can hear. She said "Oh yeah, he is alert and oriented times three." I didn't say anything and walked away somewhat disgusted and discouraged to the nurse's station to write my notes. The LVN followed me and with her cocky voice asked me, "So now that you saw what you saw, do you still want to become a nurse?" I replied, "Yeah, that didn't bothered me. What bothered me is that you talked about the patient in front of the patient". She didn't say anything. At least, I gave her time to think about her actions, because she was just quiet. I mean, give whatever dignity the patient has left already. What if the patient doesn't have any family or friends to visit him, etc...? How would you feel if he was your relative or something? That was six years ago and I still remember freshly that experience, because I wished I could've said something to the higher ups or help made the patient feel at ease. All I know, is that I wouldn't want either of those nurses to be near my family at all. Unfortunately, you wonder why some people become nurses. I can understand that we have our moody days, but to demean somebody especially a child, that is unacceptable.

BJ

People like that just make me crazy!!! how can anyone be so cruel. My cousin had CP and had all of her wits. So many peopl;e trerated like she had no mind or sense until she said something. She had a difficult time speaking but we all (family)could understand her I know many Cp patients that are NOT mentally handicapped. Be careful what you say in front of patients you just don't know what they are capable of.