Nursing Syndrome

Tink RN · Aug 7, 2003

Never heard of it as "Nursing Syndrome" ... have heard "RN-itis" and "LPN-itis". I have witnessed some people develop an attitude once they complete their degrees, however I have also witnessed other staff members make rude comments about some nurses that in my opinion were based simply on jealousy. As for your future "attitude" - the only person that can control that is you.

2muchfun · Aug 7, 2003

Why don't you ask some of your instructors? Since they have higher degrees, (and coincidentally hand out your grades), I'm sure they would be happy to oblige you .

flaced · Aug 7, 2003

I was planning to ask my instructors when I start the school. But they deal with students, not with nurses.

memphispanda, RN · Aug 7, 2003

Originally posted by flaced
I was planning to ask my instructors when I start the school. But they deal with students, not with nurses.

Do they not have to deal with nurses when you are in clinical? Do some of them not still work the floor? Your instructors can be one of your greatest resources.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Aug 7, 2003

We frequently talk about Burntout-itis--career burntout, have not heard of a nursing syndrome though.

leslieRN2B · Aug 7, 2003

I think you meant to say something like they think too much of themselves...or they have big egos...etc..not high self-esteem...everyone needs to have have high self-esteem...I am not saying that you should treat your fellow workers like garbage..but once you have attained your degree, you have every right to be proud of yourself. Nursing school is extremely hard and a great accomplishment for those that succeed. I have never heard of "Nursing syndrome" but working as a nurse's aid, I saw tons of "RN-itis" from the new grads. I agree with Tink RN, most gossip and neg comments are based on jealousy and only you can control your attitude.

essarge · Aug 7, 2003

Working in a hospital situation, I've seen many nurses with attitudes (not good), some are burned out, some are just snobs, and some have some twisted idea that they are better than anyone else.

I have also witnessed some wonderful nurses who have no problems helping with baths when they have time. Or assisting in other areas...always remembering nursing 101 and the fact that it is part of nursing and not beneath them.

Disablednurse · Aug 7, 2003

I have never heard it called it called nursing syndrome, but there are some nurses that get out of nursing school thinking that they will only have to sit at the desk for the remainder of their nursing career. Then it happens and they have to go and clean up a patient that has really messed themselves up. These nurses want someone else to do all the dirty work and them to do everything else, when that does not happen, out pops the attitude.

Jen2 · Aug 7, 2003

Hopefully you will find that these nurses are in a minority as I have. I work in a hospital as a phleb and the majority of the nurses respect me and I them. I have had many nurses ask me to come in and find veins for them, and I have also had nurses find veins for me, or draw blood from a patients line when I was unable to obtain a sample.

The only time I have ever been belittled was when I was drawing this one patient and he made the mistake of calling me "nurse". Mind you I always correct the patient by telling them that "I am not a nurse", but before I could get this out she said, "She's no nurse, just a phlebotomist." I was so angry, but didn't want to get into it with her in front of the patient, so I pulled her aside and told her that, "Since I'm just a phlebotomist, would you like to draw all of the blood from your patients for the rest of the night." This nurse had seven paitents and all of the pateints were getting lab work done, and four of the seven I had to draw four times that evening. After I told her this she said, "Well thats your job." I said, " Yes it's my job, but if you don't think it is important and would like to belittle me in front of a patient again, then maybe you should just handle my little peon job yourself." She actually apologized to me and told me that she didn't realize she had hurt my feelings. I have never had a problem with her since. I too realized that she had alot of problem patients and was very overwhelmed and was annoyed by the patient calling me nurse. After I explained to her that I always correct patients she filled me in that many people do not and this is why she was so angry. All in all I was glad that I talked to her about it.

AmyLiz · Aug 7, 2003

I don't think that a bad attitude is necessarily confined to the medical field. I've worked in a few different place prior to starting nursing school and have dealt with bad attitudes in all of them. I'm of the opinion that it's the person, not the profession, that suffers from the "syndrome".

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Aug 7, 2003

That's the problem with a lot of people when they say "you're just a (fill in your title here)". They hurt feelings. But if they stepped back and thought of the roles being reversed, it would steam them too.

I'm a CA (CNA) on my floor and luckily have only had one nurse refer to me as a "Justa". But then again, the entire shift refers to her as something not so nice, since she belittles people with no regrets.