nyc=rude nurses?

dlgg · Aug 18, 2003

I sympathize with your concerns. I am a nurse and was totally ashamed of those in the nursing profession when my own father was hospitalized. He was on an oncology floor where he was dying of leukemia. I bought him a tape player, like a walkman, to listen to music to when he was alone so that he wouldn't be lonely. Well, he was 64 years old and had never had one before, so that when he sang to the music he forgot he was singing out loud! His nurse came in and told him that he was rude for thinking that he was the only person on that floor. She went on to say that he was making noise and disturbing the other patients and he was very selfish! He told me about the episode and I was furious. I went to the charge nurse and told her and she said she would handle it. Later that same week the rude nurse came back in and said right in front of me to my father, so I heard you ratted on me for yelling at you!!!!! Hello????? This man is dying of cancer and all this so called nurse could do was yell at him for singing. There were only 2 nurses during his stay that I felt comfortable leaving him with. The worst part was that they all knew I was a nurse and that still didn't get him better care. That was in pennsylvania. Luckily he died under the care of a very caring nurse. I know nurses are overworked and underpaid but the attitudes of nurses have definitely gone down the tubes. So you may find that attitude is not just one limited to new york.

sjoe · Aug 18, 2003

"I'm thinking of PA or Seattle--maybe nicer, friendlier atmosphere?"

read some of the other posts (like those about "eating one's young") before you make a geographical move based on notions like that. Working in an understaffed, underequipped, mis-managed, and dysfunctional workplace does not tend to bring out the "nice, friendly" stuff in most people's personalities, no matter what state they live in.

nowplayingEDRN · Aug 18, 2003

I think there are rotten apples where ever you go and they always spoil it for the ones that are good. My husband and I have both spent time in hospitals in NYC and we both recieved excellent care....myself in the ambulatory surgery department (and those gals were humping with what appeared to be little staff) and my husband as an inpatient on an ortho ward. The nurse came in and checked on him, cleaned him up with out making him feel imbarassed by urine overflow because he could not feel the sensation to void due to an epidural cath and made sure there was nothing wrong when they found him wide awake on their rounds in the middle of the night........yet my FIL experienced cruddy nursing care in another NYC hospital......so you see.....not all nurses in one facility are miserable and rotten......there are good ones, just sometimes we have to look to find them.

-jt · Aug 19, 2003

Yes. Its not the city.... its the facility. Wherever you decide to work, find out about all those things up there when you interview them for a job.

Rustyhammer · Aug 19, 2003

NYC is not known for being overly friendly.

My one visit there I didn't meet one friendly person.

I'd ask "excuse me, can you tell me where the empire state bldg is"? and people would just keep on walking like I wasn't even there.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where I can park my car?"

"Excuse me, where is a gas station?"

I finally found my way OUT of NYC. Definetly NOT friendly.

-Russell

nptobee · Aug 19, 2003

I've worked with nurses at a home health agency, and at a non-profit where they were basically reviewing the charts of pregnant women and teaching classes, and they were nice. These women were the impetus for me to become a nurse. Kind, knowledgeable, confident, respected. I wanted to be just like them.

BUT TODAY, I started as a Unit Secretary/Student Nurse Tech on an Ortho unit, and I was shocked. The nurses were so rude to me, and the families that called about their loved ones. I'm the nicest person you ever want to meet, I just couldn't understand the attitude, from the moment I was introduced by the Nurse Manager. I know they're stressed, but who isn't. I have to work here, because I need money to pay for before and after care for my kid with my school, and other work hours being the way they are. Anyway, just wanted to vent. Lighten up nurses, pleeaaasssee! :kiss

RNikki · Aug 19, 2003

Ok, so I really understand about New York's notorious reputation for being less than friendly, to put it nicely. I've lived here all my life and I can hopefully handle myself in most subways or street (with some exceptions of course).

Nonetheless, in MY experience some nurses can be a little standoffish, especially to new grads or std nurses. You get to learn pretty quickly who to ask and more importantly who not to ask. Sure sometimes we ask questions that may sound stupid or you get the look "Ok, shouldn't you know that by now?" We all began our profession at the starting line. Look at it this way this nurse who is still 'wet behind the ears' is looking to you because we really do look up to you and hope to be able to someday do what you do with an ounce of the confidence and knowledgeability that you employ.