Problems with an "Old Battle Axes"?

floridamalenurse · Mar 10, 2008

My brother-in-law was telling me that he sometimes gets flack from some of the more senior female nurses---or as he calls them, "the old battle axes"---and that they seem to strongly dislike any questioning, especially by a male nurse (on the other hand, he says he gets along with the MDs better than the female nurses).
Have any of you had this sort of problem?[/quo
I entered nursing as a second career and breezed through nursing school and jumped right in with a serious "chip" on my shoulder when it came to women and especially younger women telling me what to do. I had no respect for the "old battle axes" of the profession. It took about 5 years before I finally woke up and realized my wife and other people were right when they said I wasn't proud of being a nurse and should look for other employment.
I did look seriously at leaving nursing until I realized that 1. I enjoyed the work and 2. I was really good at it. and 3. I really had been acting like a jerk with many people.
That was almost 12 years ago and today I am comfortable in my role as a male nurse. I have a job that allows me to make a difference in someones life every day and quite often I save lives in the ED. Those "old battle axes" deserve respect and i'm just glad they were willing to put up with me until I came to my senses.

brazuca · Apr 14, 2008

"Old battle axes" LOL! I had never heard that term before. In response to the thread, I too agree with your brother in law. i've been a nurse for just a year, and with that said, my experience is of-course limited, but some older nurses sometimes seem they want to make us feel dump and depreciate my work even while others including management seem pleased with my accomplishments. I fought hard to work where I do, and to see how some old school nurses talk about me and my "kind" is disappointing.

prmenrs, RN · Apr 14, 2008

Hey! I resemble that remark!!

I gave report to a younger nurse one day I call a "prima donna"--they come in all flavors and sizes--after playing 20 questions w/her for ~ 15 minutes, I just said: "READ THE CHART!" I mean she was asking the most detailed questions--What did the last CXR show, what were the last lytes, CBC.... Hello! this is a grower-feeder who's been here for 2 months, for cripe's sake. Cut me some slack!

rn/writer, RN · Apr 15, 2008

Hey! I resemble that remark!!
I gave report to a younger nurse one day I call a "prima donna"--they come in all flavors and sizes--after playing 20 questions w/her for ~ 15 minutes, I just said: "READ THE CHART!" I mean she was asking the most detailed questions--What did the last CXR show, what were the last lytes, CBC.... Hello! this is a grower-feeder who's been here for 2 months, for cripe's sake. Cut me some slack!

So, in essence, you, the older nurse, were dealing with a young battle-axe.

This shows that battle-axiness is more a state of mind than an age or gender characteristic.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Apr 15, 2008

Hey! I resemble that remark!!
I gave report to a younger nurse one day I call a "prima donna"--they come in all flavors and sizes--after playing 20 questions w/her for ~ 15 minutes, I just said: "READ THE CHART!" I mean she was asking the most detailed questions--What did the last CXR show, what were the last lytes, CBC.... Hello! this is a grower-feeder who's been here for 2 months, for cripe's sake. Cut me some slack!

Then there are those, more typically newbies, who sit down to record report and basically just read you the Kardex. Aargh!

There are a few nurses on my unit that I suppose one might say were more toward the old battle axe end of the spectrum, if one were foolish enough to say so, whom even experienced nurses dread reporting off to, because it tends to be a bit of an inquisition. I recall one asking me whether I had started the OR checklist on one of my patient's scheduled for surgery that day. I looked as serious as I could manage and asked, "What's an OR checklist?"

Over time, it seems like the more inquisitory nurses' expectations of me have diminished, somewhat. To a far lesser extent, I think I may have begun to get a little better idea of what they'll want to know from me. (But mostly, the blank stares and mumbling have worn them down.)

One nurse, in the middle of report, remarked, "I'll bet you hate giving report to me." Well, everybody hates giving report to her, but I answered as diplomatically, and honestly, as I could, "Well, I feel like I always learn a lot..." And it's true--I think I've learned things in report that they wouldn't dare teach in nursing school.

hbgwan, LPN, LVN · Jul 2, 2008

ha! i read "old battle axes" and laughed. i used to travel several times monthly for my job, many times internationally. you want to see some mean, hateful battle axes? try seeing one of them working the main cabin of a flight from atlanta to say london. they are some of the rudest people you can ever imagine. it's a customer service industry - it amazes me that those types of flight attendants can even hold down a job!

kookinitreal · Jul 10, 2008

"Old battle axe" is right on. Let me see how many questions I can ask so I can try to make this guy look stupid. Turnover is the worst part of the job. I feel like I do a much better job than most of the older nurses b/c I don't get bogged down in the details. I don't need to know which arm the IV is in...Do they have an IV? Never mind...I'll check when I assess. Had an appy in '02...are they here for that...no...then I don't care...Why are they here? There's usually only a couple plans per dx per area and once you've been there for a while you should naturally pick it up without someone having to tell you step by step what to do. Give as much responsibility to the Docs as possible. Docs should be looking their own labs up...Nurses are doing everyone else's job. You're the social worker...you call the family...You're the x-ray tech...come get the patient yourself.

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Jul 14, 2008

I've butted heads with the senior "day queens" a few times. The majority of the times was to keep from getting abused (i.e bad assignments consistantly, expected to cover meal breaks and not getting covered myself, etc).
and no, I don't think its a gender thing because my female co-workers who are on the same shift as me get treated the same.

After reviewing this thread, I would have to say that I tend to run more into what Dave11 describes nowadays. And not only do they enjoy throwing their weight around on their day shift, but wish to dictate and change what occurs on shifts that they DO NOT work on. I had to sort of chuckle with Dave's description, the "day queens." :lol2:

NYNPMAN · Aug 25, 2008

What is a meal break? How about the only name used to assist with a boost is yours.