Methinks I made me an enemy.............

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i went to see a new pt today, and the lady's niece was there. we got to chatting and it turned out she went to the same nursing school i did. she talked about doing a day in the er and getting angry; a pt came in with a spinal cord injury and she was upset at hor the neuro and the er nurses talked in front of the guy as though he was deaf. then she got emotional and talked about how the pt should have been airlifted out to a trauma center from the er right away.

i couldn't help it.......the er nurse in me felt the hackles go up. i stayed calm, though, and said "speaking as an er nurse, being transferred out would not have done the pt any good, because by the time he was flown out the golden hour would have been long past." i explained how long interfacility transfers take. not long after that she said her goodbyes to her aunt and left. i felt a distinct chill in the air as she left.

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Sometimes things like this just happen. Certainly you never meant to upset this person or say anything inappropriate. It was her choice to place negative meaning to your remarks. If she were not interested in hearing what you had to say, or only expected complete and utter agreement with her own remarks, then she could have kept her observations to herself. However, people rarely do this. It's amazing how many thin-skinned people are walking around. Her reaction to you in no way negates the validity of your response.

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

She'll get over it. Just because you are taking care of someone in her family doesn't mean you have to kiss everybody's behind. You were just stating the truth and if she couldn't handle it, it is her problem, not yours. You are being a professional in that situation and not someone who can be used to vent about something that was not true. Good job.

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

If nothing else, I'd be thinking that the nurse taking care of [insert family member here] seems to know what she's talking about. That would make me feel a lot better!

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