Other Nurses: a compendium(of love and hate)

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

The work of a nurse is sometimes unspeakably awful. But what can be really hard and what can erode your faith in humanity? Other nurses. Not all other nurses, of course. But some of them.

The Perfect Nurse: Secret? They aren't. They make mistakes like the rest of us even if they pretend they don't. If you bring a mistake of theirs to their attention, they shrug it off like hey, no big deal. If you make the same mistake or similar? Big deal. Really big deal. How are you still practicing as a nurse deal. How do you even walk around this earth while being so stupid deal.

The Nitpickers*and Interrogators: often also in the perfect nurse category, but not always. Stemming from a deep seated insecurity of their own abilities, they go after you. You'd better know the chart front and back, full patient history and precise time, color and consistency of last BM. You'd better know everything but even if you do, they'll find something you don't. Obscure, maybe, but vital!*

The Guilt-Trippers: you run all shift, don't sit or eat or drink, and they will play a tiny violin about whatever you missed. The courtesies you generally make for the next shift sometimes get lost during these flat-out shifts. Doesn't matter if you are already an hour late getting out, you'd better start the pre-op checklist and hang a new bag since you were doing unimportant things like a billion IV antibiotics and managing pain amongst all those in need.

Okay, I won't make it all negative. Here are the coworkers/nurses I always look forward to sharing a shift with:*

The Calm in a Coder: While others may flip out in a code situation, this person calmly starts directing people and jumps right in. He/she will often materialize seemingly out of nowhere to help when you're faced with an unresponsive patient bleeding on the floor or when that call from tele wasn't a false alarm.*

The Helping Hand: Unless flat out busy themselves, these people walk around asking if anyone needs help. Especially suited to being charge, but always comforting to see their name on the assignment sheet rather than a bunch of those who ignore you while you drown.*

The Complimenter: When you feel like everyone is tearing you down, and you can do no right, sometimes The Complimenter appears. They point out your good catch on a patient situation or a clinical skill you excel at. Or they are there to tell you that a mistake was understandable and you're still a good nurse. Whatever it is, it boosts you a bit to get you through.*

And you? Anyone to add on either side of the ledger?*

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I don't let the difficult nurses get me down. Luckily working 3 12's one can go a month without seeing someone! Funny story, the interrogator asked me a question and then proudly proclaimed Wrong! Well I said that what was given me in report and if you already knew the answer why did you ask. Sometimes there isn't time to look things up, but I do try to read the H & P and consults. And yes there is the nurse that needs to know when the last BM was, and you had better know the answer or the you call yourself a nurse and you don't know this tirade will start! lol Look at the bright side at least you know the idiosyncrasies of your coworkers and what to expect and how to prepare for report. The worst is the one that tries to put others down to make themselves feel better and fortunately there is only one nurse where I work that is like that. The key is having confidence in yourself and not taking petty put downs personally and, of course, avoiding the person entirely if you can. Why let one person spoil your day! I will be honest, I will try to avoid even having to give that person one patient if I can. lol Then they will still bother me and force me into an interaction anyway. lol But you can't blame a person for trying. Funny thing is that person only hassles certain coworkers and not everyone so usually another coworker will be fine giving them report instead of having to split them up. Works for me!

Fortunately there are a lot more helpful team players in the mix and I appreciate each and every one's special talents. Nursing is a team sport. Luckily most of my coworkers are great to work with and I can even take the difficult with a grain of salt and see the good qualities they bring as well. Ironically while a few may be difficult to deal with usually they are good nurses and do a good job and the patients like them. Be aware of what your fellow coworkers are good at, some with IV's, with codes, different languages and just being friendly, upbeat and pleasant to work with! If I'm in charge of course I'm going to pair myself up with the best nurse and then we usually split up the difficult nurse between us just to be fair.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Not just the nurses, but the CNA's, housekeepers, dietary etc. The right [or wrong] staff can make all the difference on how my shift goes.

[CountryMomma, ASN, RN]

The Font of Wisdom: that nurse that has been in nursing for longer than you've been using the toilet on your own, this nurse not only remembers archaic ways of nursing, has accumulated years of experience with odd or flat-out obscure situations, and enjoys staying current with nursing practices. Is often certified in their specialty, and likes to share the wisdom when asked, but prefers not to do anything with teaching or management.

Not to be confused with the Font of Useless Wisdom: the nurse that was a nurse before you potty-trained but hasn't really updated their knowledge base much past that. You can usually spot them gnashing their teeth each time QI/QA releases a system-wide change based on EBP. Listen for the mating call: "Well when I graduated, we didn't have to glove up with each contact and I never caught anything, so what's the big deal now?!" They will tell you lots of nifty shortcuts that will promptly raise your unit's infection and bedsore rates.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

I don't let the difficult nurses get me down. Luckily working 3 12's one can go a month without seeing someone! Funny story, the interrogator asked me a question and then proudly proclaimed Wrong! Well I said that what was given me in report and if you already knew the answer why did you ask.

Yeah one of our interrogators gets there early and reads the charts before clocking in then quizzes you during report. I say it's like studying for a test you know you'll never pass when you're preparing for report with this person.

[Farawyn]

The Gross Out Nurse: She/He likes dirty work, invasive stuff, suctioning, wound care and trachs. She will help you out with said tasks in exchange for food! (I fall into this category)

Muscles: This nurse will assist you with all your heavy lifting.

The My Cell Phone Has No Service here / Smoker/Breaker: Always needs to run outside for a minute (try 15) usually right when that annoying family member shows up.

[Farawyn]

The Font of Wisdom: that nurse that has been in nursing for longer than you've been using the toilet on your own, this nurse not only remembers archaic ways of nursing, has accumulated years of experience with odd or flat-out obscure situations, and enjoys staying current with nursing practices. Is often certified in their specialty, and likes to share the wisdom when asked, but prefers not to do anything with teaching or management.

Not to be confused with the Font of Useless Wisdom: the nurse that was a nurse before you potty-trained but hasn't really updated their knowledge base much past that. You can usually spot them gnashing their teeth each time QI/QA releases a system-wide change based on EBP. Listen for the mating call: "Well when I graduated, we didn't have to glove up with each contact and I never caught anything, so what's the big deal now?!" They will tell you lots of nifty shortcuts that will promptly raise your unit's infection and bedsore rates.

The FOW is probably the BEST nurse to ever have around. And they usually have the driest senses of humor.

[caliotter3]

The Nurse (or CNA) Who Never Can Work Friday PM Shift/Always Calls Off: Self explanatory. Co-workers ask out loud why the person who makes out the schedule even bothers to put this person's name down for a Friday shift.