I'm a little upset about something I read on Facebook tonight. Let me start by saying, I usually take things with a grain of salt when it comes to Facebook, but something about this has rubbed me the wrong way. This post comes from an "experienced" nurse and self-proclaimed DON. My issue is not with the care the pts loved one received, but how this nurse vented her feelings towards all new nurses.
Let's all save ourselves the aggravation and debate and agree that what happened to the patient is wrong, and does not work in a culture where Zero Harm should be the goal; however, to say "New nurses are coming out with an insufferable, know-it-all attitude, and overconfident in their skills. New nurses, you're pissing this veteran off". Wait what did just read??? Surely ALL new nurses do not fit this mold, and to assume all new nurses are this way is just wrong.
She also goes on to say "You're the reason I won't hire a nurse with less than three years in the field. I would have fired you for this, and the two nurses before you for patient negligence. I've fired people over less. I hold my nurses to my personal standard, and that bar is set high, ladies and gentlemen. Shame on this nurse. I am embarrassed to call her a member of my noble profession. "
I get it, she's upset, her family member was hurt, but to say that she won't hire new nurses and that these three nurses should be embarrassed to nurses is WRONG. She has forgotten what it is like to go to work everyday terrified that because she is a new nurse she might kill someone. WE ARE ALL HUMAN, mistakes will be made; however, we need the experienced nurses to teach, and to guide and mentor the next generation. Maybe that is what is wrong with that ICU unit is that there isn't a good training program. This is not what I want the public to think about nurses. We should be team members, build each other up, because if one of us falls we all should. Shame on her... I am embarrassed to call her a member of my noble profession.
See post #63, the patient did not consent to the facebook post or picture being posted, the poster's name is on her facebook account and she gave her relationship to the patient, she provided the patient's location, the nature of the illness and a picture.
The patient is a FAMILY MEMBER of the original poster. Family members may share whatever they like without HIPAA coming into play at all. If I post my spouse's entire medical history right here for all to see, me being a nurse does not mean I am violating HIPAA. I could tell you about my mom, my MIL, my next door neighbor, even, including events of their last hospital admission, and it will not be a HIPAA violation. The ONLY way that line would be blurred is if a nurse works for the facility that is being complained about, and had access to the medical record, then posted.
I also don't know why some people here want the FB post suppressed either. It doesn't violate the TOS or community guidelines, and the originator of the FB post put it out there in the public arena. There isn't any sense in "protecting her identity" or in maintaining confidentiality or anything like that, considering that she took it upon herself to gain publicity for the rant in the first place. So I don't know either why some people are treating it as though it were an anonymous incident.
Well that's not very nice. It's right up there with the negative blanket statement she made about new grads. Wow. Some posts lately are just so mean.
If you read the bottom of her post where she's like "I'm the DON! Stick it in your pipe and suck it" (paraphrasing), I guess she's technically the DON although she doesn't have her latest job listed on her LinkedIN
In general people, don't post stuff on Facebook. I mentioned this earlier but a student went on a rant about her two visits to the ER. One visit she was like "OMG! I'm all high and mighty. I gave X a ride home because she waited for 3 hours in the lobby." Paraphrasing and taking out a lot of crap the idiot wrote. X didn't want to wait for the cab the hospital paid for so she spewed some crazy store to the student to scam a ride. Seriously. That student took home a potentially dangerous and potentially infectious patient (not to mention the student wanted to be seen and mentioned getting a mask so they could spread their germs back and forth in the car and when they hugged!)
So moral of the story? Don't share stories under your real name. It gets passed around. Don't take home patients from the ER. They probably have a lot of germs and they probably are crazy.
Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.
I think there are far better and less corrosive ways to deal with this. NOT social media.
I don't think it has a thing to do with whether one is a novice or experienced nurse. Lack of attention and vigilance is why things get missed.
I also tend to heavily discount ad hominem, generalizations, or someone throwing their weight around. I do get angry but I definitely don't display it like that.
Basically, she has made this all about her. It wasn't her health crisis. It wasn't her hospitalization. If she truly wanted to advocate for her family member, she completely missed the boat. This was nothing more than a petulant, self-serving rant.
We all mess up every once in a while. We all miss something, or don't get something just right. If she thinks she's not included in that, she is not only being dishonest with us, she is being dishonest with herself.
I would be horrified if my family member displayed such a public tirade. I would request that they take the post down immediately.
Recently, I entered a patient room to give some meds. As I sat down at the bedside and placed all my syringes on the mayo stand in preparation to access the IV, I noticed that the tourniquet from when another RN had inserted the IV was still on the patient. I simply popped it off, gave the meds, and mentioned it to the other RN (a 30 year veteran), who was horrified.
I could have lumped her into the category of crusty old burnt out nurses that should retire, but no. I gave her feedback. Kind, professional, courteous feedback. This is what we owe each other as colleagues, and what the poster in question seems to completely overlook.
The poster in question had a golden opportunity to show true leadership and mentor and teach, but instead she completely blew it by taking an antagonistic stance. This speaks more about her than it does about the "New Grads" and "Nursing Students" that she is calling out, in my opinion.
I just had her post shared by someone on my fb feed and honestly these are the thoughts that went through my mind.
She is posting as an angry _dismissed_ family member primarily, as a nurse secondarily.
She has many good points no matter your level of experience-- if you look past the anger language.
It's a bummer to have bad care by fellow professionals put out in the public, but it certainly isn't exclusive to nursing.
I was reminded of why it is a good idea to have bandage scissors in my pocket.
Maybe most importantly what _I_ got from her posting is that it is very important to set aside a person's anger (family member, patient or other) and in that moment hear their concern. Do not ever smirk or assume a dismissive posture. Even if you have more important things at hand, make a connection and promise to come back to them. If her family members nurse had done that I can almost guarantee that she wouldn't have escalated.
Also I am reminded that whenever someone says ALL, ALWAYS, NEVER etc.... they rarely mean all, always or never. And if they are using that language do not take whatever follows personally.
I'm not sure either why some people are trying to conceal the FB poster's identity by avoiding mention of her name or quoting her post. She put herself in the public eye. I wonder if it is because some of the people here identify with her? Like some old bats?
I'm not sure either why some people are trying to conceal the FB poster's identity by avoiding mention of her name or quoting her post. She put herself in the public eye. I wonder if it is because some of the people here identify with her? Like some old bats?
I personally wasn't concerned with concealing the identity, but I wasn't sure what about posting the link violated TOS- I wasn't sure if it was because of the name (the OP posted the link and it was removed by a moderator). That is why when I posted a screen shot I edited the profile pic and name out- I wanted to do what I could to ensure the picture I uploaded wasn't removed. I honestly think any backlash the FB poster gets is deserved, especially as she posted her rant so very publicly.
I am a nursing student and saw this post through another student who posted this saying it was something she felt her fellow classmates should be aware of. I couldn't even finish it, it was hard to see her point through such negativity. I am not upholding that new nurses don't make mistakes, but as a student it intimidated me to think that when I finish school there will be people who are not as understanding and quick to blame instead of help. It made me feel like I was naive because I just assume that if you go for a nurse then you must be understanding, patient, and caring to everyone you meet. I am glad to see so many opinions who agree that it could have been handled better, between the comments and this post it is just a reminder that there are so many caring nurses and people and one bad judgement call does not change everyone's attitude.
ixchel
4,547 Posts
The patient is a FAMILY MEMBER of the original poster. Family members may share whatever they like without HIPAA coming into play at all. If I post my spouse's entire medical history right here for all to see, me being a nurse does not mean I am violating HIPAA. I could tell you about my mom, my MIL, my next door neighbor, even, including events of their last hospital admission, and it will not be a HIPAA violation. The ONLY way that line would be blurred is if a nurse works for the facility that is being complained about, and had access to the medical record, then posted.