Hello fellow nurses. I have been an intermediate care nurse for 7 years- work on a very busy floor. I originally pursued nursing in my early '30s after having my kids. The nurse that I knew growing up were all very wonderful women (it was the '70s), who always had great senses of humor, and just were a joy to be around. They seemed to "get it". I aspired to be like them. Nursing seemed to have something of everything, and was a great opportunity to give to others, and also receive good things.
I have found in my time as a nursing student and also as a nurse, that my view was probably naïve. Most of the people I have encountered in my field are not very self-actualized, professionals who are great to be around.
My biggest complaint is what I have to go through at the shift report/hand-off. When I am reporting off to co-workers, I encounter some of the ugliest behavior in the form of passive-aggressiveness, eye-rolling, questioning, fixating on something that is beyond my control, quizzing me on something that I may not know the answer to- you get it.
I try to tweak my reports and individualize to the nurse I am handing off to, but sometimes, there is just no pleasing certain people.
I get that it isn't fun to leave our families and come in to work. I get that shift work is hard, and nursing is also hard work. I just don't understand why we are so horrible to each other. I also observe by listening to some of these co-workers talk about themselves, that I'm dealing with big egos. I love what I do- the patients are great. Just a little difficult to deal with the immature, too much ego or lack thereof in the co-workers. Can anyone offer how I can improve myself? Ways to make this easier?
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Not necessary! Really, no need to belittle others in a discussion. PARTICULARLY if you ARE a "professional". Then, act like one.
This is a discussion as to how professionals communicate. It allows the off-going nurse to communicate with the on-coming nurse about the patient's case.
It will be a cold day in Hades before a CNA gives me advice on how to give/get report.
Last I knew CNA's gave report to other CNA's, so duskyjewel certainly has a valid viewpoint on the ups and downs of report. I can get better information from the tech's than from the RN's at times, depending on what's been happening on the unit. Report is crucial, information is vital. CNA's/Tech's are valuable members of the healthcare team, good ones are worth their weight in gold.
When I was a student, I gave report to an RN as well as the CNA for my patients. I also received report from an RN, and was then supposed to get report from the CNA's as well. There was always something valuable I learned from the CNA.
As far as advice on giving getting report which I totally forgot to put in my previous reply.....
Humor is a great way to deal with people and issues, especially if you are good at it. Passive aggressive and outright hostility, eh, not so much. That tends to create more problems than solve them.
Well she wasn't giving clinical advice, she was giving inter-personal advice, which you don't have to be an RN to know something about. Plus, CNAs do often give each other report so she might just have learned something from experience.
This is a discussion as to how professionals communicate. It allows the off-going nurse to communicate with the on-coming nurse about the patient's case.
It will be a cold day in Hades before a CNA gives me advice on how to give/get report.
This is a discussion as to how professionals communicate. It allows the off-going nurse to communicate with the on-coming nurse about the patient's case.
It will be a cold day in Hades before a CNA gives me advice on how to give/get report.
And any number of facilities are wanting the entire team--primary care nurse, and CNA to be in on a bedside report. And as overwhelming as that is at 0700 or 2300 for a patient, it is the newest and bestest thing to provide EXCELLENT care!! So CNA's are an active part of this movement.
And I have to say rightly so. Nothing like getting dinged on a pressure ulcer brewing, or some other change in patient's condition--that the CNA noticed but the nurse was too high on the horse to listen or respond.....
SmilingBluEyes
20,964 Posts
Not necessary! Really, no need to belittle others in a discussion. PARTICULARLY if you ARE a "professional". Then, act like one.