Nurses that "eat your lunch" during report!

emsboss · May 28, 2008

First...Do not let them intimidate you...Second, Do not let them intimidate you. Your statement is "a couple nurses" OK...We work with people that can be and are...UMMM... :smokin: ...Well... You know... Rectal openings. Do the best you can, ask questions, if they continue, well ask them for constructive criticism instead of just criticisim:rolleyes:.

allthingsbright · May 28, 2008

"Rectal openings!"

LOVE IT!

racing-mom4, BSN, RN · May 28, 2008

I have 1 nurse in my unit that does that to me, we work 12 hour shifts so sometimes i see her coming on duty and then report off to her again 12 hours later...

One day last week she got on me for something I thought was a minor mistake at best and I smiled and said to her "Hey I am just glad I kept them alive through out the night!" I dont let her bug me, everyone who knows with her knows she is a nitpick. Or another time she had a list of 3 minor things, 1) no ice in the patients water. 2) didnt cover the acucheck ~~I know our policy states no insulin till breakfast is on the floor~~when I told her I was waiting till breakfast was on the floor she said "oh ya always cover if it is over 200.~~thier blood sugar was 234--I think they were going to survive the 45min till breakfast! 3) something about not having to get new IV tubing.

Anyways---I just listened and then smiled and said "well I guess if those were my only mistakes through out the night I am doing pretty good huh??"

So I guess my thought is, I know how she is, I am not going to either change her or be good enough for her, but I am not going to let her shoot me down either. I know I am doing the best I can do and yes I appreciate constructive criticism, but somethings are just silly.

RN1989 · May 28, 2008

It takes some guts but if you stop report at the first sign of being snotty, ask them if they are finished critiquing you, and tell them that they will get out of report faster if they allow you to finish before asking a million questions or giving a critique of your care.....they will end up being the ones shocked and will often just shut up.

Silkybo · May 28, 2008

I usually replay in such a way a to be superficially polite, but make then realize how condecending they are being. Wow, thanks Nancy Nurse, for pointing out that we try and leave our patients clean and dry. I'm awfullly sorry he got out of his 5 point restraints, chewed through his foley catheter with his gold teeth and and is bleeding profusely from his former CVL site during shift change report. Next time I'll ask admin to sent a gorilla, grizzly bear or possibly a velociraptor to be his sitter since I haven't found any diversional activities that will help with his acute withdrawl symptoms. Oh, and since Ive been cleaning up his excrement all nite, you may find the tubing needs to be changed in my other patient's room. So Sorry. Enjoy your day, and remember I get the missing link back in 12 hours.....bring it ON!

aeauooo · May 28, 2008

Welcome to nursing! You're describing the reason I questioned whether I wanted to remain in nursing for the first several years of my career.

I'm not going to go into the psychology of what you are describing, but there is a lot of research out there on horizontal hostility in nursing. I chose that as the subject for one of the papers I wrote while working on my BSN. In short, nurses rate physicians, patients, and patients' families as the most frequent source of hostility, but hostility from other nurses as the most distressing.

When someone interrupts me repeatedly while I am giving report it breaks my train of thought. I am at a loss, and that gives the other person control of the conversation and ammunition to nitpick. I remember one nurse who would ask me questions about things that were either completely unrelated to what I was talking about or ask me something that I had already told her.

I have a three interruption rule now (this probably won't work for you as a new nurse). If someone interrupts me unnecessarily with nitpicking questions three times while I am giving report, my report changes to '20 questions' - I won't volunteer information, I'll just answer questions. I'll look that person straight in the eye and wait for the next question.

Does that compromise the quality of the report I give? Maybe, but that person wasn't listening anyway.

That person usually catch on after I do that a couple of times and the nitpicking stops.

mpccrn, BSN, RN · May 28, 2008

there are always a few nurses in a unit that get off on feeling holier than though, don't let it bother you. it's their thing, not mine. as long as my patients are clean, their tasks up to date and treatments accomplished, there is nothing they can say that will lessen the work i did in my eyes. i'm confident and it demands respect! if the questions asked are out of sorts, i smile at them and say.......i'm giving it to you from the top..head to toe.....this way i don't miss anything important....they usually back off and apologize:nurse:

sjt9721, BSN, RN · May 28, 2008

This is beautiful!!!

I have a three interruption rule now (this probably won't work for you as a new nurse). If someone interrupts me unnecessarily with nitpicking questions three times while I am giving report, my report changes to '20 questions' - I won't volunteer information, I'll just answer questions. I'll look that person straight in the eye and wait for the next question.

pagandeva2000, LPN · May 28, 2008

I tend to get very annoyed when someone tries to nitpick. I know it is hard as a new nurse, because it takes time to build confidence. I have said to people that I am not perfect, nor striving to be, but am trying to communicate effectively with mature people that can offer constructive criticism rather than tear me down. And, then, I would ignore the bully. Usually effective.

martymoose, BSN, RN · May 28, 2008

yeah, i know what you mean. irritating isnt it. i dont think being new is always the case for nitpicking either- we have a couple of nurses who do this even to the long timers. I think it does go with the "holier than thou" attitude- like they have to point out how perfect they are. well, let me tell you, as childish as it may be, i use that for when i have to receive report from this person- i find anything i can nit pick on them. two can play at this game. Ususally though, i just ignore it. as in when i am queried, i have a sort or brief answer, so as to not dwell on things. If i had a particulary bad night, well i will point out that suc and such didnt get done because my pt was in flash pulmonary edema and i spent the last 3 hours in that pts room. ughhh. Ha, but sometimes even that is no excuse either. anyhow, good luck-

allnurses Guide · May 28, 2008

yeah, i know what you mean. irritating isnt it. i dont think being new is always the case for nitpicking either- we have a couple of nurses who do this even to the long timers.

This is true - this kind of nurse picks on anyone.

I've had it happen with a traveler (not casting aspersions on travelers!).

She peppered me with questions and it made me lose my train of thought - I finally asked her to stop asking me questions until after I was finished.

All of the nurses stuck together on this - firmly.

steph